Review: A powerful display of the difference between the “haves” and “have-nots”, High & Low succeeds in meeting the criteria for multiple categories. Part film noir, part dramatic social commentary, it is a film that has all the wonderful trappings of Hitchcock without all the British pageantry. The lack of pomp in this film actually lends itself to the directors desire to make something that is uniquely Japanese in its analysis of the class system. Granted, the story of a man drawn between the desire to maintain his financial empire and the responsibility over another’s life is not something that is solely characteristic of the Japanese, but the specific approach to the sense of importance in ones career, and in turn, ones financial well being, comes across as something that is only handled to such a degree among the capitalist of the east.

The tried and true relationship between Kurosawa and Mifune has managed to churn out some amazing works over the years. Kurosawa always does an amazing job of bringing the viewer into compelling yet believable situations, and Mifune always delivers as our companion on these cinematic journeys. Mifune delivers a powerhouse performance as an amoral man forced to make a decision that may very well ruin his life forever. Both on a physical and emotional level, we see the character of Gondo begin to wear down from that of a powerful tycoon to a man desperate to overcome his obstacles. Keep in mind though, who we are dealing with. Toshiro Mifune’s “desperate man” is still tough enough to handle whatever life throws his way.

Dragging this aspect of internal conflict out would have been interesting enough to carry the entire film, but Kurosawa instead shifts gears half way through, turning our attention towards the police force in charge of bringing the kidnapper to justice. As Chief Detective Tokura, Kurosawa regular Tatsuya Nakadai, leads the task force all across the slimy underbelly of 1960’s Japan in search of the culprit. A methodical and intelligent manhunt is ignited dragging us from the country side to the seedy “dope alleys” of the local slum district. The visage of the heroin soaked inhabitants of “dope alley” is definitely one of the most memorable moments of the film, leaving the viewer with a visual that is comparable to a seeing the slow approach of zombies in Night of The Living Dead.