High and Low begins as a one-room morality play before opening up into a tense police procedural, all revolving around the kidnapping of a young boy. The kidnapper had meant to grab the son of a business executive (Toshiro Mifune), but mistakenly nabbed the child of the executive’s chauffeur (Yutaka Sada). And so, as a film by Akira Kurosawa, this is almost as if Rashomon had turned into Stray Dog halfway through. The opening section is emotionally excruciating, as Mifune’s executive bristles at having to pay the ransom and severe class distinctions keep Sada’s chauffeur from doing anything more than increasingly crumple in the background. Intricate blocking keeps these early scenes visually engaging, but there’s no doubt High and Low takes off once the exec agrees to pay and we’re treated to an elaborate money-drop sequence, with the kidnapper staying one step ahead of the police. The ensuing investigation is fascinating, with strange detours to a nightclub and a dope alley, all emphasizing the movie’s interest in class distinctions and the stranglehold they can have on us.
(8/19/2025)
