Review of High and Low (1963) by Kian F — 07 Jun 2004

There's been a kidnapping, but they took the wrong kid. But the wealthy shoe company executive (Toshiro Mifune), with a house atop a hill, looking down on everyone, still must pay. He has no choice. He has no guts, as the kidnapper says.

Trouble is, the exec is between a rock and hard place. He had just collected 50 million yen to buy up share in his shoe company, to stave off a hostile takeover by other board members. At first, when he thought it was his boy, he was willing to give up the money. But then he finds out the kidnapper took his chauffer's son rather than his own and he changes his mind.

Eventually, though, some briefcases are filled, and as anyone who has watched The Big Lebowski knows, the handoff of the money has been carefully planned out. I'm sure the Coen Bros were taking notes when they watched this film.

The drama during this first part of the film is tense. I especially liked the touch of Mifune's wife putting her head up to the back of his head when the kidnapper was calling to listen in.

The second act is basic police procedure, still fascinating. The cops are able to track down the neighborhood by some fish scales on the kidnap car. At the market, while asking around, a car drives through a puddle to punctuate this. Nice. Later on, there's some pink smoke - the only color in this black and white film.

Toward the end, I was getting restless. This was longer than I expected. In a place where I thought would be a good spot to fade out and end, Kurosawa kept going for another ending that I thought was overplayed.