High and Low (1963)

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yutaka Sada, Tatsuya Nakadai
Runtime: 143 minutes

Synopsis: An executive of a shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and held for ransom.

Verdict: Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Gondo, the executive of a shoe company at odds with his partners and played by the legendary Toshirô Mifune, is faced with an unimaginable conundrum: pay the ridiculously large ransom demanded by a kidnapper to save his driver's son and become penniless in the process, or call the plan a bluff and hope that no harm comes to the mistakingly taken child who bears no direct relation to him.

This may come off as an unpopular opinion, but "High and Low" may be the best Kurosawa film I have seen so far. It feels inspired by Hitchcock's work at times, and the inspiration to Park Chan-Wook's films at others. But make no mistake, Kurosawa's identity is very much present in a movie that is absorbing from start to finish. Not only is it a fascinating detective thriller that still holds up to this day thanks to a water-tight script, phenomenal acting, and gorgeous cinematography, but it also serves as an exploration of the divide between rich and poor, as well as the lack of humanity in a corporate world dominated by people who view the world as a competitive field.

The narrative can be divided into two parts as the first half of the movie takes place nearly entirely in Gondo's villa in which he tries to deal with the delicate situation with his family and the detectives assigned to the case. The second half, however, switched viewpoints as it becomes about the police force and the kidnapper, both involved in an intriguing game of cat and mouse. And what truly makes the movie so great is the fact that both halves are equally captivating, making the narrative one that never lacks pacing.

"High and Low" may not be Kurosawa's most prestigious work, but I feel like it's the one I'd recommend people to check out if they want to get into the legendary Japanese director's filmography. I absolutely loved it.

FINAL GRADE: 9/10