High and Low (1963)
"Tengoku to jigoku" (original title)

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

Director:

Akira Kurosawa

Writers:

Hideo Oguni (screenplay), Ryûzô Kikushima (screenplay),

Stars:

Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Kyôko Kagawa

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Toshirô Mifune	...	Kingo Gondo
Tatsuya Nakadai	...	Chief Detective Tokura
Kyôko Kagawa	...	Reiko Gondo
Tatsuya Mihashi	...	Kawanishi - Gondo's Secretary
Isao Kimura	...	Detective Arai
Kenjirô Ishiyama	...	Chief Detective 'Bos'n' Taguchi
Takeshi Katô	...	Detective Nakao
Takashi Shimura	...	Chief of Investigation Section
Jun Tazaki	...	Kamiya, National Shoes Publicity Director
Nobuo Nakamura	...	Ishimaru, National Shoes Design Department Director
Yûnosuke Itô	...	Baba - National Shoes Executive
Tsutomu Yamazaki	...	Ginjirô Takeuchi - Medical Intern
Minoru Chiaki	...	First Reporter
Eijirô Tôno	...	Factory Worker
Masao Shimizu	...	Prison Warden

Storyline

An executive mortgages all he owns to stage a coup and gain control of the National Shoe Company, with the intent of keeping the company out of the hands of incompetent and greedy executives. He needs the same money, though, to pay the ransom that will possibly save a child's life. His resolution of that dilemma -- the certain loss of the company vs. the probable loss of the child -- makes for one distinct drama, and an ensuing elaborate police procedure makes for a second.

---

Plot Keywords:

ransom | shoe | chauffeur | police | train | 

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

26 November 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

High and Low

Filming Locations:

Enoshima, Kanagawa, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kurosawa Production Co., Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

143 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White Color (Eastmancolor) (inserts only)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original Japanese title for the film was "Heaven and Hell."

---

Quotes

Chief Detective Tokura: That Gondo is all right.
Chief Detective 'Bos'n' Taguchi: Usually I waste no love on the rich. I didn't like him at first.

---

Connections

Remade as Inkaar (1977)

---

Soundtracks

"Die Forelle"
(uncredited)
Written by Franz Schubert

User Reviews

Intense and Highly Entertaining

"High and Low" could be considered two movies. The first, "High" takes place in Kingo Gondo's (Mifune's) hilltop mansion. The crime occurs and what follows in the next hour is one of the most meticulous and brilliantly constructed film segments I have ever seen! The first half of the film could almost be considered theatre. It is static and deceptively simple but.....so intense! The ensemble acting is superb with Mifune a stand out as usual! Connecting these two movies is the train sequence. After the calculated intensity of the first part this scene comes at you like a sledgehammer! These four or five minutes are magnificent! So very exciting and so very quick it leaves you drained when it ends! "Low" begins with the hunt for the criminal. Only "Stray Dog" comes closer to capturing the cop's decent into hell. This last part of the film is fast and furious. We are no longer an observer. We have become part of the chase. First, we know who the criminal is. The police do not know and what follows is a fascinating puzzle being put together before our eyes! The last scene in the film is unexpected, deeply disturbing and left me numb and staring at the TV screen after the film had ended. Like Gondo we are left with the answers that we did not want to hear.