an akira kurosava thriller

High and Low (1963) – A Film by Akira Kurosawa

A KIDNAP – INVESTIGATION – TRACKING – FINDING – AND THE REASON BEHIND

A leading businessman, Kingo Gondo trapped in between a two faction to gain the control of national shoes company. As one party pushing him to make low quality shoes while the other side wants him to go on high impulse. Gondo decided to choose modern styling for the sake of company’s long term future though the plan will begin in low profit for short term. Just about to put his plan in action, Gondo receives an anonymous call threatening that his son, Jun has been kidnapped. Demanding certain amount as ransom, the kidnapper warning not to involve police in it. Suddenly Jun running into the hall from the veranda, Gondo guessing it would be a prank call but the kidnapper calls and saying he mistakenly took Jun’s friend Shinichi, son of Gondo’s car driver. Till then Gondo was ready to pay the ransom to rescue his son but now hesitating to pay for Shinichi. Crima branch officers arrive secretly to help Gondo but with a high pressure of his wife and Shinichi’s father, he accepting to pay for rescuing Shinichi. As by the command and threatening order of kidnapper, Gondo puts all money in a briefcase and throws under a bridge from a moving train. Shinichi has been saved but with the excellency of crime branch, the kidnapper have been started to track in different way such as the video evidence recorded during the briefcase has been thrown, searching for the phone booth by which kidnapper called when Gondo was in the train(bcos only particular phone booth has the feature to call train phone lines), truck moving sound in the phone calls, phone booths which is near Gondo’s residence(by which the kidnapper called Gondo and threatened that he was monitoring each and every actions), harbor locality where fish oil has been supplied(bcos of the mark of fish oil spreads in the side of the car kidnapper have used) and most of all finding that the kidnapper is a medical practiced one who tested drug’s power by overdosing two people in the home where he hidden Shinichi. So with all this, atlast he has been tracked down, caught red-handed by the police and sentenced to death in next few days. Gondo meeting him face to face in jail, and asking the reason behind that young man’s kidnap plan. The kidnapper reveals that he always used to watch Gondo’s home which has been situated in the hill view and he envied from the low surface below the hill on seeing Gondo’s highness of wealth richness.

MAKER’s PART:
Acclaimed master Akira kurosawa directed this seat edging thriller with the writing of him, Eijiro Hisaita, Ryuzo Kikushima and Hideo Oguni. Even though the film has been made in earlier 60’s, kurosawa narrated the story and screenplay with an intelligence tied up and the investigations he adapted were very keen careful and cleverly. To all the kidnap investigation movies we seeing in our times would definitely have more or less inspiration from this masterpiece.

CREDITS:
* Winner of Best film and nominated for Best screenplay in 64’s Mainichi Film Concours
* Winner of Best foreign performer for Toshiro Mifune(also for RED BEARD) in 68’s Fotogramas de Plata.
* Nominated for Samuel Goldwyn Award in 64’s Golden Globes.
* Kurosawa nominated for Golden lion in 63’s Venice Film Festival.