Tengoku to jigoku

High and Low

What caracterizes the best a Kurosawa film is the strenght of the feelings he exploits from his plots. In his most famous, Seven Samurai,  it's not the crazy technical battles between the samurais and the  villagers, it's everything that leads to them. Those feelings and depth  are the proof of Kurosawa's understanding of humanity. The richness of Seven Samurai is the many subplots and themes it carries. This epic film showed how  great Kurosawa is to the entire world.This was also one of the numerous  collaborations between Kurosawa and his favorite lead player: Toshiro  Mifune and a film in the genre the Emperor was most famous for; the  sword play or here the Samurai flick.

High and Low made in 1963, is probably the best performance by  Mifune. Set in contemporary Japan, a rich CEO of a shoemaking company  wants to buy the parts of his co-proprios and lead the company his own  way. But on the eve of the transaction, his son gets kidnapped and he is  asked for a ransom. Gondo (Mifune) immediately accepts to pay the  ransom but at the same time they discover that his son hasn't been  kidnapped; it's the son his chauffeur that has been kidnapped instead.  At this moment Gondo's attitude change drastically and he stubbornly  refuses to pay the ransom. He only has one thing in mind; he still wants  to buy the company. What's interesting here is Gondo's dilemma, he  doesn't want to "kill" his chauffeur son but he doesn't want to loose  the transaction because he risked big.

With a plot like that we need a capable director, I am sure High and Low influenced many thrillers of the 1970's. The rythm is always right and  the frames are sublime, Kurosawa is in great control and Mifune delivers  like he never did. Gondo's interpret always tend to overact in a  japanese way but in High and Low he is more appart from the spotlight and on the second half of the film he is not in the center of the story. I don't kow if High and Low has been the subject of an American remake, but one thing is sure its  story would be a hit in the theaters. Another thing is sure; it would  never been as good as Kurosawa's.

A masterpiece without a doubt.

Recommendations: Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie, Duel

Movies 365: Day 29 – High and Low

Adapted from one of Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct novels, High and Low is a far cry from the samurai epics that director Akira Kurosawa is known for. Set in modern Japan, High and Low is set not in the seedy criminal underworld, but high society. Kingo Gondo (Toshiro Mifune) is an executive with a company called National Shoes, a former cobbler, he once made the shoes, but managed to work his way up to the top. As he berates the others on the board of directors for their desire to make shoes of lower quality that have a higher profit margin, instead of the high quality shoes he prides himself making. His son and the son of his chauffeur play throughout the house as the meeting goes on. Shortly after the meeting, Gondo receives a call, his son has been kidnapped and is now being held for ransom.

I won’t really go much further, as High and Low is a terrific film, and one that shouldn’t be spoiled. Toshiro Mifune leads a marvelous cast with his magnificent performance as Kingo Gondo. Mifune is one of the most amazing actors I’ve ever seen, when he’s on screen, your eyes are just completely drawn to him, he has a magnetism, a charisma that leaps off the screen, slaps you around, and demands your attention. Tatsuya Nakudai and Kenjiro Ishiyama are both excellent as two of the detectives called in to investigate the case.

Though known more for his Shakespearean Samurai films, Kurosawa is really a master, and it shows here. Almost the entire first part of the film takes place inside Gondo’s apartment, and even later during a lengthy scene in which the police review the evidence and leads they are pursuing, the film never bores, never even seems slow. Kurosawa is certainly helped by having wonderful performers, but it’s his technique and skill as a director that make the scenes ultimately work. High and Low is a film that makes me regret the fact that I haven’t seen more Kurosawa, but after having seen it, I guarantee you, I’ll be watching more throughout the year.

(Read Less...)