IMDb RATING
8.4/10
43K
YOUR RATING
An executive of a Yokohama shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom.An executive of a Yokohama shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom.An executive of a Yokohama shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom.
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
43K
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writers
- Hideo Oguni(screenplay)
- Ryûzô Kikushima(screenplay)
- Eijirô Hisaita(screenplay)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Hideo Oguni(screenplay)
- Ryûzô Kikushima(screenplay)
- Eijirô Hisaita(screenplay)
- Stars
- Awards
- 3 wins & 3 nominations
Videos1
- Director
- Writers
- Hideo Oguni(screenplay)
- Ryûzô Kikushima(screenplay)
- Eijirô Hisaita(screenplay)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
A wealthy businessman is told his son has been kidnapped and he will have to pay a very large sum for him to be returned safely. It is then discovered that his son is safe at home: the kidnapper took his chauffeur's son by accident. The kidnapper says this makes no difference: pay up or the child dies. This leaves him with a moral dilemma, as he really needs the money to conclude a very important business deal. —grantss
- Taglines
- 142 Screenful Minutes of Thrills and Suspense!
- Genres
- Certificate
- Not Rated
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaAfter the film was released, kidnappings were on the rise in Japan. Akira Kurosawa himself had received threats for the kidnapping of his own daughter, Kazuko Kurosawa. She quoted him as once saying to her "With High and Low, I wanted to inspire tougher sentences on kidnappers. Instead, I was criticized for their increase."
- GoofsThe story occurs in midsummer. This implies that Mt. Fuji has no snow. Since the location filming was carried out in winter season, the top of Mt. Fuji is very white. Some film critics mention that this is almost the only mistake they can find in the film.
- Quotes
Kingo Gondo: Why should you and I hate each other?
Ginjirô Takeuchi, medical intern: I don't know. I'm not interested in self-analysis. I do know my room was so cold in winter and so hot in summer I couldn't sleep. Your house looked like heaven, high up there. That's how I began to hate you.
Top review
Intense and Highly Entertaining
"High and Low" could be considered two movies. The first, "High" takes place in Kingo Gondo's (Mifune's) hilltop mansion. The crime occurs and what follows in the next hour is one of the most meticulous and brilliantly constructed film segments I have ever seen! The first half of the film could almost be considered theatre. It is static and deceptively simple but.....so intense! The ensemble acting is superb with Mifune a stand out as usual! Connecting these two movies is the train sequence. After the calculated intensity of the first part this scene comes at you like a sledgehammer! These four or five minutes are magnificent! So very exciting and so very quick it leaves you drained when it ends! "Low" begins with the hunt for the criminal. Only "Stray Dog" comes closer to capturing the cop's decent into hell. This last part of the film is fast and furious. We are no longer an observer. We have become part of the chase. First, we know who the criminal is. The police do not know and what follows is a fascinating puzzle being put together before our eyes! The last scene in the film is unexpected, deeply disturbing and left me numb and staring at the TV screen after the film had ended. Like Gondo we are left with the answers that we did not want to hear.
helpful•489
- dorlago
- Oct 10, 2001
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $46,808
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $15,942
- Jul 28, 2002
- Gross worldwide
- $46,808
- Runtime2 hours 23 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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