IMDb > Tengoku to jigoku (1963)
Tengoku to jigoku
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Tengoku to jigoku (1963) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 12 | slideshow)

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
8.1/10   6,955 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Hideo Oguni (screenplay) &
Ryûzô Kikushima (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for High and Low on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 November 1963 (USA) more
Genre:
Plot:
An executive mortgages all he owns to stage a coup and gain control of the National Shoe Company, with... more | add synopsis
Awards:
3 wins & 3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Holiday Preview: A Repertory Calendar
 (From IFC. 3 November 2009, 1:01 PM, PST)

The blogs of my blog
 (From Roger Ebert's Blog. 5 October 2009, 4:10 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
The film "Ransom" could have been. more (53 total)

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
Kenjiro Ishiyama ... Chief Detective 'Bos'n' Taguchi (as Kenjirô Ishiyama)
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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Heaven and Hell (International: English title) (literal title)
High and Low (USA)
The Ransom (UK)
more
Runtime:
USA:142 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor) (inserts only)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The tenth and last film directed by Akira Kurosawa to feature Minoru Chiaki. more
Quotes:
Kingo Gondo: Why should you and I hate each other?
Ginjirô Takeuchi, medical intern: I don't know. I'm not interested in self-analysis. I do know my room was so cold in winter and so hot in summer I couldn't sleep. Your house looked like heaven, high up there. That's how I began to hate you.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Tsutomu Yamazaki on 'High and Low' (2008) (V) more
Soundtrack:
It's Now or Never more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
24 out of 25 people found the following comment useful.
The film "Ransom" could have been., 27 July 2004
10/10
Author: kmscb-1 from Los Angeles

"High and Low" is one of those deceptive detective-thrillers that sneak in under your radar and grab you from behind with their storytelling magic. It's proof positive of Kurosawa's mastery of film and all its imagery.

The story was adapted from an Ed McBain "87th Precinct" novel, "King's Ransom", and is really very simple. A successful businessman (Mr. Gondo) in the middle of a major deal is told his son has been kidnapped. All concerns about money fly out the window...until Gondo learns it was actually his chauffeur's son who was taken by mistake. Doesn't matter; the kidnapper still wants him to pay the ransom, even though it will bankrupt him. Will Gondo destroy his standing in the business world to save the life of a child that is not even his? Or will he just leave it to the police and fate to determine whether the child lives or dies? This makes up the first half of the film.

The second half deals with the search for the kidnapper and his accomplices, and it does not shy away from showing how dull and grueling good police work is. Step by step, the cops narrow their field of suspects and build their evidence to link their prey to murder as well as the kidnapping, meaning he would face execution. This makes up the second half of the film.

It helps to know that in the original story, the businessman refuses to pay the ransom but does help the police track down the kidnappers. It also helps to understand that in Japan, working your way up from making shoes and satchels by hand to being in a position where you could wind up owning the company is a HUGE accomplishment in a caste driven society. It means he is due additional respect, and this is what Gondo faces losing if he pays the ransom, which is far more important than the fact that he will be driven into bankruptcy.

From the first scene through an amazingly exciting section on a bullet train to the ending moments between Gondo and the kidnapper, Kurosawa shows exactly why he is a master of cinema. To take what is basically an episode of "Law and Order" and make it into a meditation on the meaning of life and evil is not something just any film school twit could do.

To me, the best moment on a human level comes when Gondo descends the stairs the morning after the kidnapping to explain to the police why he cannot pay the ransom for a child not even his. You can see the man realizing he is allowing himself go to hell in order to protect his family and station in life, and Toshiro Mifune underplays it beautifully...and Kurosawa lets it just simply happen. Wonderful.

THIS is the movie Mel Gibson's "Ransom" wishes it had been. something real and human and meaningful instead of merely kick-ass.

Ten out of ten stars.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (53 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Tengoku to jigoku (1963)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Remake in the Works Xuesheng
One thing troubles me Adrian
Inaccurate title? FZ-FX
Three reasons I had a hard time keeping a straight face shaggy61
Are movie execs rating this movie a 1? chamelion7
Has anyone read the original Ed McBain story, 'King's Ransom'? debblyst
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Party Monster King of New York Touch of Evil Wonderland Nora inu
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Crime section IMDb Japan section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.