High and Low (1963)
(film 143 minutes)

Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Language: Japanese

Rating: 6/10 | Yaser Tohidi
September 13, 2019

As the title suggests the movie is perhaps about inequality, but no, it’s not! A wealthy executive of a shoe company, Gondo, opposes to adapt to a short-term profitable plan and therefore is being threatened to be kicked out of the company. But he is prepared. He has bought some shares of the company by mortgaging all he has, and he is about to buy more. Embarking to realize his plan, phone rings and he hears his son is kidnapped and he should pay a large amount of money for ransom. As he is thinking what to do, his son enters and he finds out that the kidnapper took his son’s friend, son of Gondo’s chauffeur. The kidnapper finds out his mistake but still asks for the ransom. Gondo is faced by an ethical dilemma; should he pay the ransom anyways or this matter is not his anymore? He decides to turn his head away from the matter, but his wife opposes. In another twist, his top assistant, who saw Gondo was leaning to pay the ransom, leaves him and joins his rivals in the company and ruins his plan for domination in the company. He claims when you consider ruining your life by paying the ransom why you wouldn’t do that to me. Gondo now decides to pay the ransom anyways. 
Ransom is paid and the boy is safe. Gondo is received national acclaim for his sacrifice. The second half of the movie is about finding the kidnapper. In the second half, the movie goes out of rhythm. After Gondo’s success in deciding ethically, the first challenge of the movie, Gondo’s challenge, is finished and now police with the help of media wants to do their job and respond to Gondo’s heroism. This makes High and Low a movie divided in two parts infected with disunity. Opposite to the first half that the story happens inside Gondo’s mansion on the top hill, the second half happens mostly outside in different parts of the city, and together with this change in locations, the tune changes from an ethical dilemma to a police and kidnapper hide and seek.
Finally, the kidnapper is arrested and is sentenced to death. The ransom is recovered but too late to save Gondo's property from auction. High and Low is based on inequality but this is largely left behind for the sake of developing an entertaining kidnapping police drama. Only it’s at the end that this comes back again when Gondo is faced with the kidnapper and his motives. High and Low is finally a police drama rather than a drama over ethical dilemmas or inequality. 

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