High and Low
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Written by: Ryuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni and Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Kyoko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Tatsuya Nakadai

With the summer blockbuster season wrapping up and a quarter of the year to go, it may be too early to pick a favourite movie of 2011. However, of all the classic films I’ll get around to watching for the first time this year, I can comfortably say that Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low will likely be my favourite. I arrived a little late to this party, but it’s never too late to catch up with great cinema and what better way to do so than with a blu ray release by the Criterion Collection? This film is definitely a buy.

Regular Kurosawa collaborator Toshiro Mifune plays Kingo Gondo, a successful business man working for a company called National Shoes. His insistence upon high quality footwear threatens his relationship with his business partners, who think lower grade product will cut costs and increase profit margins. Gondo finds himself in a financially compromising position when he decides to attempt to secretly buy out control of company shares, generating suspicion amongst his associates. Then, out of nowhere, he receives a phone call from a man claiming that his son has been kidnapped and will only be returned in exchange for a ransom sum of three million dollars. After agreeing to do whatever it takes — even financial suicide — to get his son back, we’re thrown a twist; it turns out the kidnapper had mistakenly snatched Gondo’s chauffeur’s kid rather than his intended target! Ouch. It’s a pretty amazing plot twist that’s an immediate hook into the drama that follows. The dilemma is milked to for all it’s worth as Gondo waffles on whether or not he should be held responsible for paying the ransom. Meanwhile, the police attempt to track down the suspect using the little evidence they have at their disposal. A phone tap is set up and the film shifts gears towards a pure police procedural, playing out like a1960’s, Asian version of The Wire. The results are absolutely captivating.

Immediately I was taken back by how well Kurosawa handles the first half of the film, which has the feel of a stage play. Everything is set in the same room featuring numerous characters and lots of dialogue, yet there’s a sense of energy and grace that most filmmakers could only dream of achieving. It’s clear why Kurosawa and cinematographer Asakazu Nakai chose to shoot in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, making brilliant use of the real-estate afforded to them by the scope of the screen. Characters move around the frame in a carefully choreographed fashion, utilizing every available inch of celluloid. The masterful filmmaking enhances the moral quandary at the heart of the film, which is the driving force of the first hour of High and Low. I found myself totally engrossed in the deliberation between the detectives, the chauffeur, and Gondo. The second half of the film takes us outside of the house and into the streets, following the detectives as they attempt to track down the suspect and safely return the kidnapped child. Watching these characters breakdown the little information and evidence at their disposal is about as riveting as it gets. The whole thing feels modern and fresh, and while the first half of High and Low simmers, the final act is a Moore’s Law example of suspense and thrills doubled exponentially minute by minute. While the pacing remains mostly consistent, the ominous tone of the film and the desperation of the situation managed to keep me enthralled for the entire 143 minute runtime. High and Low is truly a masterpiece.

Criterion’s HD transfer of High and Low is impressive, but I can see how some might have troubles giving this release full marks based on its age. The picture is fairly clean and free of dirt and scratches, but the image is very high contrast. The blacks are BLACK and sometimes there’s a strange glow around dark spots on the screen, almost reminiscent of old video images from the early 1960’s. It’s very minimal and clearly an element of the original photography. I think the film is well represented and the high contrast plays well with the grittiness of the story (and of course, you could argue that extreme photographic highlights and lowlights are appropriate for a film called High and Low). As for bonus features, the disc is a little light. You’ve got an informative commentary track by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince, a documentary on the making of HIgh and Low (taken from the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create), a hilariously dated interview with Toshiro Mifune, and a video interview with actor Tsutomu Yamazaki. High and Low is a must-own and a must-see for film fans and a perfect entry for those digging into Akira Kurosawa’s intimidating filmography. — Jay C.

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