Time: 143 Minutes
Age Rating: M
Cast:
Toshiro Mifune as Kingo Gondo
Tatsuya Nakadai as Inspector Tokura
Kyōko Kagawa as Reiko Gondo
Tatsuya Mihashi as Kawanishi
Director: Akira Kurosawa

I went into High and Low only knowing that it was directed by Akira Kurosawa and that it was a crime thriller. Like Seven Samurai and Ikiru, it’s another truly excellent film from him.

High and Low is an amazing, suspenseful, tense and entertaining thriller about a kidnapping. The tension grows over the course of the movie, there are plenty of twists and turns and it really unfolds in a masterful way. It starts off as a claustrophobic thriller in the first half or so taking place largely in one room before becoming a gripping and detail oriented police procedural and investigation. It’s also later on where the social commentary and themes become more prevalent, especially with social inequality, and class and wealth divide. It also concludes with a great and powerful ending.

The performances are excellent from everyone. Toshiro Mifune is fantastic in this, playing a businessman who is faced with a kidnapping and ransom dilemma. Tatsuya Nakadai is also great as the inspector investigating the kidnapping, and who adds a lot of humanity to his part.

Akira Kurosawa’s direction is outstanding. The black and white cinematography is incredible, and I especially loved the use of blocking.

High and Low is a really well made, intriguing, layered and thought provoking crime thriller, greatly acted, and excellently directed by Akira Kurosawa.