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High and Low

High and Low

Drama · Crime · Thriller · 1963

A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.

Movie details

High and Low

“Stark, intense drama almost beyond belief!”

1963 Drama · Crime · Thriller 2h 22m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

8.4 / 10

Community rating

A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over High and Low?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Akira Kurosawa

Written by

Akira Kurosawa · Hideo Oguni · Ryuzo Kikushima · Eijiro Hisaita

Toshirō Mifune

Toshirō Mifune

Kingo Gondo

Tatsuya Nakadai

Tatsuya Nakadai

Chief Detective Tokura

Kyōko Kagawa

Kyōko Kagawa

Reiko Gondo

Tatsuya Mihashi

Tatsuya Mihashi

Kawanishi, Gondo's secretary

Isao Kimura

Isao Kimura

Detective Arai

Kenjirō Ishiyama

Kenjirō Ishiyama

Chief Detective 'Bos'n' Taguchi

Takeshi Katō

Takeshi Katō

Detective Nakao

Court is in session

Put High and Low on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.