Works brilliantly as a psychological cat-and-mouse game, but when it switches to police procedural it loses me. Forsaking its main character robs the film of its main point of tension, so that the manhunt is nothing more than a dry, detached-feeling procedural, with nothing like the first act's tautness. The final scene's commentary-heavy revelation is tacked on and silly, but Mifune and especially Tamazaki sell it. Impeccably shot, beautiful and interesting use of the ample horizontal space.

90.625

The first half, when the boy is being held hostage, is continuous sustained tension. This role is perfect for Toshiro Mifune, and he's at his best here. The second half, trying to catch the criminal, drags on a bit too long, and for the most part doesn't provoke the same visceral anxiety, but is consistently intriguing. Cinematography is, of course, excellent throughout.

Definitely didn't need the last 5 minutes of the film but otherwise probably the best kidnapping movie I've seen. I just found the guy's motive really lame, would've been better to leave it as a mystery and draw your own conclusions. Takeuchi walking through the alley with all the junkies was one of the best things I've seen in awhile.

dat first train scene

After watching High and Low, I had the feeling I had seen the film before, as an American remake. I found out that no remake has been made, but one is in production, scripted by Scorsese, to be directed by Mike Nichols. This speaks well of the timeliness and timelessness of Kurosawa's 1963 film. But is a remake necessary? I don't think so. The original version is as crisp and fresh and suspenseful today as when it was made 47 years ago.

This film is driven by its character's humanity, particularly their greed, which it follows mercilessly through society, from the moral agony of an executive, Mifune's Gondo, to the abusive grip of addiction. Kurosawa weaves this broad exploration into a cohesive experience that portrays character as an issue of control rather than desire. Stylistically, the parallel between Gondo's descent the and film's descent through society, underscored by Mifune's strong performance, is striking.

The cinematography is brilliant, especially the use of crowds and groups of people. The film is also excellent and engaging as a police procedural. As far as any further messages go, I could see the superficial social implications of the film, but not much deeper.

perfect plot structure.

Deceptively toned down thriller from Kurosawa that almost imperceptively builds steam and proceeds to pummel forward with frightening intensity, married to the precision and subtlety that is to be expected of a master. And while the central metaphor is a simple one, that doesn't diminish its validity. High and Low is Kurosawas best contemporary movie and everything in it is made exclusively of 24 carat awesome.

etik bir konudan baslayarak suc ve gizeme donen, sosyal tabakalara da deginmesiyle basarili bir anlatim. muzikleri enteresan. stray dog'la beraber suc ve ceza'nin diger perspektiften yorumlanmasi gibi.

#325

A multi-faceted social investigation that entertains, with Kurosawa directing a strong script. Both a character study and a detective movie with another excellent Mifune lead.

Kurosawa's High and Low is a masterpiece. The editing, pacing, direction; just everything is nearly perfect. The suspense and tension is gargantuan. Both halves of the film are tremendous. The news of the kidnapping, and the investigation itself is brilliant. This was the CSI of 1963, but with better characters, and well; just better in every way. The comparison makes sense, but the contrast between the two is very large indeed. Always entertaining, and always suspenseful. Just a brilliant film.

Amazing crime movie that has two distinct halves, both of which are equally interesting. The film keeps a good pace throughout it's fairly long running time. The acting from everyone is excellent. Just another brilliant, unique film from Kurosawa.

My goodness, this is one of the best thrillers ever! I never knew Kurosawa had this in him.

soooooooo cool. some of the most impressive cinematography from kurosawa's entire career and that's saying a lot. that shot with the glasses... brr, gives me chills just thinking of it.

Intense procedural, methodical and very much alive at the same time.

Purely phenomenal, demonstrating every bit of Kurosawa's vaunted mastery of the filmmaking form. The potency of the film--the intensity of the emotions, the shifts of the plot that never feel manipulative, the quietly inspired accumulation of details--is completely disarming. Kurosawa is so well known for his samurai epics that it sometimes gets lost that he had the capability to tell any story dazzling well with a camera.

My new favorite Kurosawa film. Feels very modern and "new wave" influenced. Similar in tone to The Silence of the Lambs almost thirty years ahead of time. The last scene is one of the greatest, most intense pieces of film-making I've ever seen.