High and LowWhat motivates someone to commit a crime? Sometimes it can be an error in judgment in the heat of the moment, or some other justification. Sometimes it is for money, and the assumption that with it will come an improvement to one's station in life. Sometimes it can be used as an intimidation tactic for a larger scheme. The possibilities stir in the mind of wealthy industrialist, Kingo Gondo (Toshiro Mifune), following the near abduction of his son, Jun. In his place, the chauffeur's son, Shinichi, is abducted instead. Torn between a pivotal business deal and the welfare of an unrelated child, Gondo is torn between his conscience and his capital.
|
|
High and Low begins with a series of opening shots looking over the industrialized port city of Yokohama, Japan. We see the metropolis packed full of residences and businesses from on high, not unlike the Gondo homestead perched upon the hillside, seated like a ruler. Although it is the real estate which gives the impression that Gondo is removed from the everyday man, he is arguably more in touch with the needs of everyday folk than his upper echelon colleagues in National Shoes, the shoe company he has devoted his life to ensuring is a stable, successful enterprise. His fellows are immediately portrayed as unlikable and serpentine, attempting to cajole Gondo into overthrowing the "Old Man", the main shareholder of the company, in an effort to cash in on the company for a quick buck making a cheap product. Gondo's gamble is to nearly bankrupt himself by mortgaging everything to buy up enough of the controlling interest to take National Shoes in the direction he knows will be best--not just for him and his company, but his consumers as well. But just after throwing the conspirators out of his house, he receives a fateful call from a stranger, who happens to demand an outstandingly large sum for a ransom, even after it is revealed that the abducted boy is not of the well-off Gondo household. Following this revelation, Gondo turns to the police for guidance, and the pressure mounts for Gondo to yield to the pleading of his wife, Reiko (Kyōko Kagawa), the chauffeur, Aoki (Yutaka Sada), and eventually even his right-hand man, Kawanishi (Tatsuya Mihashi). What makes the first half of High and Low stand out in this regard is how Gondo is the focus, and yet his child hasn't been abducted. Gondo is portrayed as shrewd and even a bit cynical following his stressful encounter with the other executives, but the audience is left to question whether he should truly be obligated to forfeit thirty million yen for the child of his servant. He made no assertions that he would hesitate were Jun kidnapped, but there is the inescapable sense that since the kidnapped boy is of the poor chauffeur, he is less of a priority. It is a thought which colors High and Low, and elucidates that although we would like to think otherwise, class structure exists, and can influence the actions of others. Even Gondo and his unlikable coworkers both have a sexist streak, which is ironic as their product is women's shoes. Note how the usurpers describe with little regard their opinions of their clientele's needs for fashion over function, a claim which Gondo refutes, but is still unwilling to discuss with his wife, assuming "she wouldn't understand" his business.
High and Low is fundamentally a police procedural, something of a rarity for filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, whose name in Japanese cinema is synonymous with samurai-era period pieces. The team of dedicated policemen are clever and highly trained, but their quarry is also clever and skilled at covering his tracks. Their game of cat and mouse, chasing the evidence and scouring for clues as to the criminal's identity makes up the second half of the film. High and Low sets expectations in the audience's mind about who could be responsible for such a heinous act as abducting a child, and all but points the finger at the venomous executives by virtue of our dislike of them. But is that really enough to propel our suspicions? This is the knee-jerk reaction which Kurosawa counts on being the audience's response, and our natural instinct is to focus on the already established characters in order to make a connection. There is a clear sense that the kidnapping has been carefully orchestrated long before the events at the beginning of the film, from the collectedness of the culprit to the studious nature of the hand-off on the Kodama No. 2 train. As the police pool their research at a conference, they talk of crucial, seemingly minute details which are all pieces of the larger puzzle which is locating their suspect. Even small things like the distinct sound of a railway car over a recorded conversation--a detail which no doubt was an influence for the film, The Fugitive--point the team toward the crook.
Following the ransom, there is a moment where Gondo is almost immediately beset by the creditors who loaned him the money to take over National Shoes, demanding repayment, something which eludes him in the face of this crisis. There is a shocking lack of empathy in these men, just as his colleagues earlier, who cite the virtues of industry over humanity. In this, High and Low is critical of a society more concerned with commercialism than charity, and Gondo is effectively punished for acting out of good faith. He receives positive press, and is regarded kindly by the media, a fact which only serves to perturb his extortionist. For at a glance--even before this moment of generosity--Gondo would not have been that different than his other businessmen, in that he was already engaged in a Machiavellian scheme to secure his legacy by financial means. The title for High and Low in Japanese translates as "Heaven and Hell". The kidnapper describes his living conditions over the phone to Gondo as being "like hell": very hot and unfriendly, while Gondo's residence must be cool up on the hill. The kidnapper lives in a small shack which is cramped and uncomfortable, a contrast to Gondo's spacious home. The kidnapper's perception of Gondo is that because he is wealthy, he must be ruthless and unfeeling, so that extorting money from him is not only acceptable, it is meritorious because he is rich. One is left wondering about the nature of the justice system following the events of the film. There is no sense that the police would have given any less of their attention to someone in a situation like Gondo--rich or poor--but it remains that only someone like Gondo--who is rich--would be in the position to be extorted at all. Chief Detective Tokura (Tatsuya Nakadai) claims that they are obligated to catch the criminal not only because it is their job, but out of an obligation to the generous act by Gondo. And although there is no sense that there is special treatment given to Gondo directly, the sophisticated investigation and involvement of the entire prefectural police department is a response to the extortion of a wealthy man all the same. This is no excuse for the crime, which spirals deeper into infamy, and presses the police to dig their heels deeper into the case; but it cannot escape the fact that Gondo was victimized because of his position and his wealth.
Recommended for: Fans of a sharp and engaging police procedural, one which deals with the disparity of living standards between the rich and the poor, and where the trail of clues keeps one invested in the action.
High and Low is fundamentally a police procedural, something of a rarity for filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, whose name in Japanese cinema is synonymous with samurai-era period pieces. The team of dedicated policemen are clever and highly trained, but their quarry is also clever and skilled at covering his tracks. Their game of cat and mouse, chasing the evidence and scouring for clues as to the criminal's identity makes up the second half of the film. High and Low sets expectations in the audience's mind about who could be responsible for such a heinous act as abducting a child, and all but points the finger at the venomous executives by virtue of our dislike of them. But is that really enough to propel our suspicions? This is the knee-jerk reaction which Kurosawa counts on being the audience's response, and our natural instinct is to focus on the already established characters in order to make a connection. There is a clear sense that the kidnapping has been carefully orchestrated long before the events at the beginning of the film, from the collectedness of the culprit to the studious nature of the hand-off on the Kodama No. 2 train. As the police pool their research at a conference, they talk of crucial, seemingly minute details which are all pieces of the larger puzzle which is locating their suspect. Even small things like the distinct sound of a railway car over a recorded conversation--a detail which no doubt was an influence for the film, The Fugitive--point the team toward the crook.
Following the ransom, there is a moment where Gondo is almost immediately beset by the creditors who loaned him the money to take over National Shoes, demanding repayment, something which eludes him in the face of this crisis. There is a shocking lack of empathy in these men, just as his colleagues earlier, who cite the virtues of industry over humanity. In this, High and Low is critical of a society more concerned with commercialism than charity, and Gondo is effectively punished for acting out of good faith. He receives positive press, and is regarded kindly by the media, a fact which only serves to perturb his extortionist. For at a glance--even before this moment of generosity--Gondo would not have been that different than his other businessmen, in that he was already engaged in a Machiavellian scheme to secure his legacy by financial means. The title for High and Low in Japanese translates as "Heaven and Hell". The kidnapper describes his living conditions over the phone to Gondo as being "like hell": very hot and unfriendly, while Gondo's residence must be cool up on the hill. The kidnapper lives in a small shack which is cramped and uncomfortable, a contrast to Gondo's spacious home. The kidnapper's perception of Gondo is that because he is wealthy, he must be ruthless and unfeeling, so that extorting money from him is not only acceptable, it is meritorious because he is rich. One is left wondering about the nature of the justice system following the events of the film. There is no sense that the police would have given any less of their attention to someone in a situation like Gondo--rich or poor--but it remains that only someone like Gondo--who is rich--would be in the position to be extorted at all. Chief Detective Tokura (Tatsuya Nakadai) claims that they are obligated to catch the criminal not only because it is their job, but out of an obligation to the generous act by Gondo. And although there is no sense that there is special treatment given to Gondo directly, the sophisticated investigation and involvement of the entire prefectural police department is a response to the extortion of a wealthy man all the same. This is no excuse for the crime, which spirals deeper into infamy, and presses the police to dig their heels deeper into the case; but it cannot escape the fact that Gondo was victimized because of his position and his wealth.
Recommended for: Fans of a sharp and engaging police procedural, one which deals with the disparity of living standards between the rich and the poor, and where the trail of clues keeps one invested in the action.