Nothing blew up. Nobody fell off of a roof in Vienna. Numerous scenes unfolded without any dialogue. Yet Akira Kurosawa successfully crafted a film in 1963 that surpasses most modern action films.
The plot revolved around a kidnapping mystery, which was revealed gradually as the villain and his persistent police pursuers matched wits. Scenes with hardly any action were incredibly tense, as a result of the actors’ performances, the film’s pacing, and the simple score. There was a connection between the characters and the audience which made a two and half hour film fly by.
Kingo Gondo, played by Toshiro Mifune, was a wealthy industrialist who was attempting to take over the National Shoes company. His family lived in a luxurious house atop a hill; although they overlooked the city’s slums, there was no empathy for those who toiled below. Gondo prides himself as a tireless executive but it is only when everything is taken from him that he realizes what is really important in life.
Kurosawa’s steady head was critical throughout the film. The story needed to be filmed in black and white in order to juxtapose the decrepit slums with the house on the hill, the air-conditioned comfort of Gondo’s living room with the heat of the summer, and the unselfish act of the protagonist with the sheer evil of the kidnapper — and the subtle, scheming evil of Gondo’s boardroom colleagues. Colour would have cheapened the contrast and unnecessary music would have clouded the rudimentary soundtrack.
A kidnapper snatches Gondo’s son, only to discover later that it is the chauffeur’s child. The ransom demand would ruin Gondo and he must choose his priorities: save a life and send his family down to the slums or take over the shoe company and acquire greater wealth. During the decision process, blocking highlights Gondo’s insecurities as other characters turn their back to him and remain still. Mifune shows a wide range of emotions and turns Gondo from a despicable corporate figure to a caring family man.
In business life, Gondo would open the doors of his mansion and gaze down at the bustling city. The chaos of a million bustling lives, totally removed from him, seemed to provide solace. After paying the ransom, Gondo begins to take pride in common tasks, such as mowing the lawn in the scorching heat. He loses his house and position but is happy to be president of a small shoe company trying to expand.
High and Low is named after the Japanese term for heaven and hell. The city is a metaphor for these two places: a cool, comfortable house filled with beautiful people above a searing hot, filthy garbage dump filled with drug addicts and criminals. Only an individual, who makes his own decisions, can successfully navigate between the two worlds. Gondo may have lost his visual perspective overlooking the city but he gained a new moral perspective.
Whether Gondo is right is of no consequence. The value of a human life remains highly subjective: the son of a middle-class chauffeur is saved but three drug addicts die and a criminal receives the death sentence. The newspapers are sympathetic to the plight of a wealthy man but shed no tears for the countless victims who live in “Dope Alley.” Gondo realizes that he can’t live life alone but he still chooses with whom he will socialize. The detective takes more satisfaction in outsmarting the kidnapper than preventing the loss of more life. Reality is not black and white but a grey area that evolves constantly. ****