High and Low
1963 · Movie · NR · 142 min · ★ 8.4 · 93% critics
A wealthy shoe executive in Yokohama must make an agonizing choice after kidnappers grab the chauffeur’s child instead of the one they intended, yet still demand the ransom. As the police dig deeper, the case becomes a test of conscience and priorities amid mounting pressure.
Also known as The Ransom · Heaven and Hell
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Details
- Original title
- 天国と地獄
- Years
- 1963
- Release date
- 1963-03-01
- Language
- Japanese
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 142 min
- Critic score
- 93/100
- TMDB rating
- 8.4/10 (1,128 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy High and Low if you like high-stakes morality in a crime thriller and detailed police investigation; Not for you if you want constant momentum or straightforward plot focus, especially if you preferred The Bad Sleep Well or Stray Dog for faster payoffs.
Pros: tense ransom dilemma; compelling police work; strong performances | Cons: slow early pacing; parts feel unfocused
Themes
- chauffeur
- police
- ransom
- manager
- kidnapping
- blackmail
- heroin
- film noir
- black and white
- shoe
- criminal investigation
- japanese noir
- +7 more
Cast & crew
Toshirō Mifune
as Kingo Gondo
Tatsuya Nakadai
as Chief Detective Tokura
Kyōko Kagawa
as Reiko Gondo
Tatsuya Mihashi
as Kawanishi, Gondo's secretary
Isao Kimura
as Detective Arai
Kenjirō Ishiyama
as Chief Detective 'Bos'n' Taguchi
Takeshi Katō
as Detective Nakao
Takashi Shimura
as Chief of Investigation Section
Jun Tazaki
as Kamiya, National Shoes Publicity Director
Nobuo Nakamura
as Ishimaru, National Shoes Design Department Director
Directed by Akira Kurosawa