Eureka is a 2000 Japanese drama film written and directed by Shinji Aoyama. It stars Kōji Yakusho, Aoi Miyazaki, and Masaru Miyazaki. It won the FIPRESCI Prize and Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. It was released in Japan on 20 January 2001. Aoyama stated that he was influenced by Alain Resnais's film Hiroshima mon amour, The film was shot in black-and-white and printed in color. Filming took place in Kyushu.
Release
The film had its world premiere in the Competition section at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2000. It was released in Japan on 20 January 2001. It was released in the United States on 4 May 2001.
Reception
Critical response
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 90% based on 42 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "With its subtitles and a running time nearing four hours, Eureka certainly places demands upon its viewers. For those with the patience, however, this visually lovely film builds to an emotionally resonant vision of transcendence." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Jamie Russell of BBC gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, writing, "Shinji Aoyama expertly creates tension out of nothing, building upon his slightly off-kilter set-up with a series of languorous long takes that emphasise the film's disturbing stretches of stillness." Michael Wilmington of Chicago Tribune gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, stating that "its vision is unique and harrowing, its song hits to the heart." Amy Taubin of The Village Voice wrote, "What's so extraordinary about Eureka is that it makes one believe that intimate human connections are possible, that empathy is worth struggling for, and that propriety and hipster cynicism alike must fall by the wayside en route to unconditional love."
Film Comment placed it at number 19 on the "20 Best Films of 2001" list.
Accolades
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Year of ceremony
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"|
|-
| Camerimage
| 2000
| Golden Frog
| Masaki Tamura
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| Cannes Film Festival
| rowspan="3"| 2000
|-
| Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
| Eureka
|
|
|-
| Singapore International Film Festival
| 2001
| Best Asian Feature
| Eureka
|
|
|-
| Japanese Professional Movie Awards
| 2002
| Best Newcomer
| Aoi Miyazaki
|
|
|-
|}