Review of High and Low (1963) by Ricardo O — 25 Mar 2010

Based on King's Ransom, a crime novel by Ed McBain, High and Low (Tengoku to Jigoku) stars Toshiro Mifune as Kingo Gondo, a wealthy, hardworking businessman who owns a certain percentage of a shoe company that has seen better days. As Gondo plans a move that will secure his position as the head of his company, he is contacted by a mysterious man who informs him that he has kidnapped his son. The crook demands a high ransom - one that is so huge it will bankrupt him. As Gondo is prepared to pay the ransom, he discovers that his son is actually safe at home and the kidnappers have mistakenly kidnapped the chauffeur's son. As quick as he was to pay off the man for his son, he is reluctant to pay him off for the son of the chauffeur and the question quickly becomes: does Gondo abandon his plans to pay off the man or does he do the honorable thing and help save his driver's son? This moral dilemma is what drives the first half of Akira Kurosawa's thriller which mainly takes place in the spacious living room inside of the Gondo residence full of long takes and a tour de force of acting and directing. The second half however is mainly set in the cramped confines of the city where the kidnapper hides from the police investigation led by the Inspector Tokura, played by Tatsuya Nakadai. The investigation scenes are done with great attention to detail and for the most part are very fast paced, compared to the long takes of the first half. Scenes that come to mind are when the kidnapper is being followed through out the city into a club where there is a crowd of people dancing around and where an exchange of money and drugs is thought to happen. The police, in disguises, follow the kidnapper into a place where many drug addicts are located waiting for a chance to score and soon after finding a dead woman overdosed off of pure heroin the men go back into the streets where the kidnapper is seen by Inspector Tokura and his men in the car speaking with Gondo although Gondo has absolutely no idea that this is the man they are looking for. This scene is one of the scenes where it shows just how much of a fan Kurosawa must have been of film noir. The film ends with the kidnapper confronting with Gondo while being locked up.

While it may or may not be one of his true master works it is a fine example of Japanese film noir. It is helped by a fantastic cast that includes Kurosawa regulars Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Takashi Shimura and Susumu Fujita. It has great camera work and while the first act is done mostly with long takes, the second and third acts have fabulous editing that give the film suspense and energy. The acting during the scenes in the Gondo residence, along with the police procedurals of the second act and the conclusion of the kidnapper confronting Gondo all adds up to one of the best detective films ever made. Not many Hollywood movies in the genre can compare to it. Just a great film to watch and a must see for fans of film noir and of course the usual Kurosawa fans. 10/10.