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High and Low - Criterion Collection
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Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Binding: DVD
Brand: Image Entertainment
EAN: 9780780021501
Format: Black & White, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 0780021509
Label: Criterion Collection, The
Languages: JapaneseOriginal LanguageDolby Digital 2.0 MonoEnglishUnknownEnglishSubtitled
Manufacturer: Criterion Collection, The
MPN: PMIDHIG050D
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Criterion Collection, The
Region Code: 1
Release Date: October 14, 1998
Running Time: 142 minutes
Studio: Criterion Collection, The
Theatrical Release Date: November 26, 1963
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Editorial Review:Toshiro Mifune stars as a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a ruthless kidnapper in Akira Kurosawa's exemplary film noir. Based on Ed McBain's detective novel King's Ransom, High and Low is both a riveting thriller and a brilliant commentary on contemporary Japanese society. Criterion is proud to present High and Low in a luminous new Tohoscope transfer with new electronic subtitles.
Although best known for his samurai classics, Japanese master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa proved himself equally adept at contemporary dramas and thrillers, and 1962's High and Low offers a powerful showcase for Kurosawa's versatile skill. The great Toshiro Mifune stars as a wealthy industrialist who has just raised a large sum of money to execute his planned takeover of a successful shoe manufacturer. Fate intervenes when he receives a phone call informing him that his son has been kidnapped, and by unfortunate coincidence the ransom demand is nearly equivalent to the amount Mifune has raised for his corporate coup. A philosophical dilemma emerges when it is revealed that the executive's son is safe, and that it is actually his chauffeur's son who has been taken. What follows is both a tense detective thriller, as the police attempt to track down the kidnapper, and a compelling illustration of class division in Japan--the "high and low" of the title. Far be it from Kurosawa to make a mere thriller, however; this loose adaptation of the Ed McBain novel King's Ransom provides the director with ample opportunity to develop a visual strategy that perfectly enhances the story's sociological themes. The Criterion Collection DVD of this extraordinary film is presented in the original "Tohoscope" aspect ratio of 2.35:1. --Jeff Shannon
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
All the excellent details and workings of this film are explained in the other reviews here, and very beautifully at that. Trouble with this film is that it is clearly not one of Kurosawa's finest of all the oeuvre d'art he has given us.
Kurosawa's wife once complained of how miserable life was with him at home when he wasn't working. This 1962 film shows the possibility that Kurosawa made it in order to escape ennui and his wife's wrath. Its opening scenes are certainly super-Oscar ... Read More
Rating:  -
I can't say that I am familiar with the work of famed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa because, quite frankly, I'm not. In fact, this is the very first film I've seen from his hand, and while I have made the statement before that I am not the usual samurai fan, I must admit that I am intrigued with what this man can do and am quite interested in seeking out some of his other material. No, this is not a samurai film (far from it) but judging from his control over his source material regardless of ... Read More
Rating:  -
Akira Kurosawa (aka: "AK", the "lesser Kurosawa", etc.) has one of those overblown reputations that earns praise from everyone who can't think for themselves. If the word "overrated" was assigned a picture reference in a dictionary, a portrait of "AK" would probably be the best choice. If the word "lemming" was assigned a synonym in a thesaurus, the term "AK follower" would fit the bill nicely. It's no understatement to say that the sheer level of brainless veneration that's repeatedly thrown at ... Read More
Rating: -
A masterpiece of the human condition. Kurosawa can help the audience empathize with anyone no matter how low or high.
Rating: -
Akira Kurosawa created a canon of films that continue to influence movie-makers around the world. I have only seen about a dozen of them, but they are all masterpieces. High and Low is an English translation of Tengoku to jigoku, which is more literally translated "Heaven and Hell".
I've seen other reviews (some giving away too many spoilers, IMHO) mentioning the adaptation from "King's Ransom", an 87th Precinct police procedural by Evan Hunter - written under pseudonym Ed McBain. I've ... Read More
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