High and Low

Movie

1963

2h 22m

Japanese

Drama, Crime, Thriller, Mystery

User Score:

8.6

Critic Score:

Watch on HBO (Via Hulu)

A shoe company executive who has mortgaged everything he has becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and is conflicted over whether he should pay the ransom.

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High and Low

Movie

1963

2h 22m

Japanese

Drama, Crime, Thriller, Mystery

Play Trailer

Watch on HBO (Via Hulu)

A shoe company executive who has mortgaged everything he has becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and is conflicted over whether he should pay the ransom.

WATCHMODE

8.6

IMDB

CRITIC SCORE

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Available in 2 other countries.

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Cast

Full Cast & Crew

Toshirō Mifune

Kingo Gondo

Tatsuya Nakadai

Chief Detective Tokura

Kyōko Kagawa

Reiko Gondo

Tatsuya Mihashi

Kawanishi, Gondo's secretary

Isao Kimura

Detective Arai

Kenjirō Ishiyama

Chief Detective 'Bos'n' Taguchi

Takeshi Katō

Detective Nakao

Takashi Shimura

Chief of Investigation Section

Jun Tazaki

Kamiya, National Shoes Publicity Di...

Nobuo Nakamura

Ishimaru, National Shoes Design Dep...

Yūnosuke Itō

Baba - National Shoes Executive

Tsutomu Yamazaki

Ginjirô Takeuchi - Medical Intern

First Reporter

Factory Worker

Prison Warden

Aoki - the Chauffeur

Shinichi Aoki

Jun Gondo

Second Reporter

First Creditor

Chief of First Investigating Sectio...

Junkyard Cook

Detective Murata

Third Reporter

Chief Physician

Directed By: Akira Kurosawa

Written By: Akira Kurosawa (Screenplay), Hideo Oguni (Screenplay), + 3 more

Featured Comments/Tips

miguelreina says...

one year ago

[Tivify] An extraordinary example of creating tension and suspense with minimal elements, especially in the masterful first part that takes place exclusively in Gondo's apartment. There are all the elements of Akira Kurosawa's cinema brought together in one of the most intense thrillers, with a description of Japan divided into impoverished classes that look up the top of the hill at the arrogant splendor of economic success. Splendid actors, an excellent script and a masterful sense of pacing serve to enrich the film.

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AdamMorgan says...

9 months ago

I have to admit that I expected a bit more as this movie and director are held in high regards by so many famous movie critics. Don't get me wrong, there are some fascinating themes on display in the first half of the movie. But it just seemed rather odd that those themes seemed to be tossed aside in the second half for a rather pedestrian case about police work. The movie was at its best in Gondo's home. follow me at https://IHATEBadMovies.com or facebook IHATEBadMovies

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juliosoft says...

one year ago

Great film by Akira Kurosawa, everything is very good.

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njgr says...

one year ago

It's a well done thriller, but it's more than that with Kurosawa's compositions and the values being explored in the film between high and low class, tradition versus modernism/Westernism. The tension of the first half can seem faster than the latter portion where a police procedural takes the focus, but the same values and biases are at stake in both sections. Why the police make choices they do in the latter half are informed by the first, and lay bare their prejudices, as well as society's. The film's final minutes are chilling.

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Featured User Reviews

CinemaSerf

10 months ago

I didn't take to this initially. The scenario reminded me a little of an episode of "Columbo" - a rather sterile, studio-set environment that came across as quite limiting. Once it gets going, though, it's one of the best crime thrillers I've seen in ages. It all centres around the kidnapping of a s More

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