NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Radiance Blu-ray (March 2025): Radiance have transferred Shohei Imamura's The Eel to Blu-ray. This includes both the rarely seen extended Director's Cut and 1/4 hour shorter Theatrical Cut of the film - not seamlessly-branched. This may have hurt the 1080P image to a certain degree as it spreads the film file-sizes and produces a lower bitrate. We compared the New Yorker and Ocean Shores DVDs on the theatrical cut back in 2001, HERE. This Blu-ray is a handsome upgrade from those SD transfers showing sharper visuals, super colors balance, contrast (deep black levels,) more information in the frame - pretty much every facet is easily improved. The Eel is a distinctive blend of gritty realism, subtle surrealism, and vibrant naturalism, reflecting Imamura’s anthropological approach to cinema and his rejection of polished, conventional aesthetics. Shot by cinematographer Shigeru Komatsubara (Dr. Akagi, Warm Water Under a Red Bridge, assistant on The Pornographers) on 35mm film, the visual style serves as a narrative tool, mirroring the emotional and social undercurrents of the story while grounding it in the rural and urban landscapes of late 1980s and mid-1990s Japan. Below is an in-depth analysis of the film’s visual look, covering cinematography, color palette, set design, lighting, and overall aesthetic. It looks good, imperfect, in this HD presentation. The image quality is the same on both cuts (sample below) but opting for seamless-branching may have been a better decision.

NOTE: We have added 66 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Radiance use a linear PCM mono track (16-bit) in the original Japanese language. The sound design of Imamura’s The Eel is a carefully crafted element that complements the film’s visual realism and emotional depth, enhancing its thematic exploration of guilt, isolation, and tentative redemption. Aside from the brutal stabbing murder - thee isn't much in the way of aggression or effects. The musical score for The Eel was composed by Shinichiro Ikebe, a frequent collaborator with Imamura, known for his work on films like Black Rain. His scores also include Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha, Dreams, Rhapsody in August, and Madadayo. Ikebe’s score here is minimalist and understated, aligning with Imamura’s aversion to manipulative, overly emotive music that might dominate the narrative. The music primarily consists of soft, melancholic melodies featuring piano, strings, and woodwinds, which underscore the film’s themes of loss and longing without overwhelming the viewer. It sounds authentically flat in the uncompressed. Radiance offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Radiance Blu-ray offers new supplements. There is a half hour interview with critic Tony Rayns who provides a thoughtful and contextual analysis of Shohei Imamura’s film, drawing on his extensive knowledge of the director’s career and Japanese cinema history. In the interview, Rayns begins by outlining Imamura’s background, likely touching on his role as a key figure in the Japanese New Wave of the 1960s and his focus on the sub-proletariat - those on the margins of society, such as pimps, prostitutes, and murderers. This sets the stage for understanding The Eel within Imamura’s broader oeuvre, which often explores primal human instincts and societal underbellies, as seen in earlier works like Vengeance Is Mine. There is also a 20-minute interview with Daisuke Tengan, Imamura’s son and co-writer of The Eel. Tengan, who also collaborated with his father on films like Water Under a Red Bridge, provides a personal and professional perspective on the film’s creation. In the interview, he describes Imamura’s films as “structuralist examinations of Japanese society," a lens through which The Eel explores the formation of a "pseudo-community" or “pseudo-family" in the Chiba village. There is a new 1/4 hour visual essay by Tom Mes (Japanese Film and the Challenge of Video) on the year 1997, including Studio Ghibli’s animated features, as a turning point in Japanese cinema. Lastly on the Blu-ray is a trailer. The package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow, and a limited edition booklet featuring a newly translated archival interview with Imamura. 

Shohei Imamura's The Eel blends gritty realism with moments of surrealism, a hallmark of Imamura’s style as a key figure in the Japanese New Wave of the 1960s. It delves into several interconnected themes, showcasing Imamura’s anthropological interest in the “lower part of the human body and the lower part of the social structure," as he once described his focus on society’s underbelly. Radiance Blu-ray is immensely desirable. The inclusion of both the theatrical and director’s cuts provides a rare opportunity to compare Imamura’s visions, potentially shedding light on his editing choices and the film’s tonal shifts - particularly the transition from a stark opening (see NSFW captures below) to a gentler, more communal second half. It's a film that is most deserved of a Blu-ray release and thanks to Radiance they have delivered with the rarely seen extended cut option and new, revealing, supplements; Rayns, Mes and Imamura’s son Daisuke. This should be considered essential for Imamura fans - let's hope more of the director's work to 1080P is coming this year. This Blu-ray is absolutely recommended!  

Gary Tooze