High and Low (1963)
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Writers: Hideo Oguni, Ryûzô Kikushima, Eijirô Hisaita, Akira Kurosawa
Actors: Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Kyôko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Isao Kimura, Kenjirô Ishiyama
Kurosawa is a master of cinema. He needs no introduction as his immense body of work speaks for it self better than anything I can say. His influence was not only restricted to Japan but it transcended cultures and languages to become an international legend. He is especially known for focusing on Samurai films. Though some may scoff at that notion, his status is not merely boiled down to simple Samurai movies but his deeply philosophical takes that he injects into every project. His films are never as simple as they seem to be and they always hold some sort of complex philosophical conversation within the symbolism, dialogue, and even framing. Although he is known for films revolving around Samurais, High and Low is not one of them. It is not even one of his most popular films yet to me it is his greatest, and here is why.
At it’s core High and Low is a story about the societal hierarchy in 1960s Japan masked as a ransom story. The main plot of Gondo’s Chauffeurs son being kidnapped is merely a vessel in which Kurosawa is presenting his ideas on wealth, poverty, honor, and social status. High and Low gives us a simple story that has so much depth underneath it that you would need years to uncover all that it is trying to offer. Yet its depth is sometimes seen in the unlikeliest of places, most fascinatingly the framing. Kurosawa’s masterful approach to framing and mise en scène gives us a look into what he is trying to tell us. When looking at High and Low from the perspective of its framing we can see a clear distinction which separates the film into three unique parts. These three parts represent the main three social structures, upper middle and lower, and it allows us to fully understand what Kurosawa is trying to portray with his brilliant framing.
The first part of this movie is restricted to the upper class. We begin the film in Mr. Gondo's luxurious and spacious hilltop house. He and some of his fellow executives at National Shoes are discussing a ploy to try and oust the current president, whom the colleagues find to be too focused on the old ways and not enough on actually making money. We see Gondo refusing to go along with them as he has built himself with honor and hardwork throughout all these years. After they storm out furiously Gondo then reveals his plan to take over the company by buying shares with money he has gone in to debt for. As all of this happens, Gondo’s Chauffeur’s (Aoki) son is kidnapped and the ransom is a hefty 30 million yen. Thus the story takes an interesting turn, as our focus is not mainly on the actual kidnapping but on the moral dilemma that Gondo is in. If he acts selfishly he will get the company that he has worked so hard for all his life. However, if he acts with integrity he will lose everything including this lavish lifestyle he clawed his way towards. This dilemma is further elevated by the way in which Kurosawa frames his shots. The framing of the scene is laser focused on creating the proper atmosphere for this dilemma to grow. The hilltop house is spacious and accommodates everyone as they move in and out of frame constantly adding another string of doubt or assurance in Gondo’s mind. Ultimately Gondo decides to save Aoki’s son, not due to fear of backlash but because this was the way he lived his life until this point, with honor and integrity. Going against those morals would destroy his entire foundation. This entire sequence builds on the rest of the story, and we slowly move lower in the societal state by physically leaving the hilltop house and also by cramming the frame with more people, signifying the increase number of individuals in the middle class as compared to the upper.
The film proceeds to the second part, as our shifts go down to the police force which represent the working middle class of 1960s Japan. Our eyes are diverted from the luxurious and spacious world of Mr. Gondo and suddenly we are seeing the world in the eyes of an average person in Tokyo at the time. As with this shift in perspective, Kurosawa’s framing changes. His shots become more packed. Gone are the shots where each person is able to dominate the frame on his own. Now we see the police force tightly packed in a meeting room with little wiggle space. We also learn the police’s viewpoint on Gondo, as it shifted drastically from weariness and skepticism to admiration due to the actions that he took. Kurosawa then shifts gears as he leaves behind the complex philosophical debate that was occurring in first part and turns the film into a straight out crime drama without missing a beat. Yet it does not fully forgo everything the first part tried to build. We still see these philosophical aspects even as the investigation is ongoing as the policemen give their thoughts on the situation as they are reporting their findings. This gives us a new but necessary take on the morale scale and how they view the dichotomy of Gondo and the Kidnapper.
The final part of the film takes us even lower in the societal hierarchy and also physically as we follow the Kidnapper into the depths of the lowest class in Japan. As we venture into the junkie filled alleyway we are met with an incredibly claustrophobic site. As Kurosawa packs the frame so tightly all we want is relief from this choking scene. Every inch of the screen is used as we even struggle to find the Kidnapper in the frame in between all of the people. This further signifies the sheer number of people in this class, going a step further from the middle and showing us just how many are suffering in the lower class. The dance scene especially was a great example of this as not only the shot was filled visually but also sonically as the loud sporadic beats mask the intense exchange of drugs the Kidnapper is doing. This part ultimately comes to an abrupt conclusion as the police officers manage to finally outsmart the Kidnapper and bring him to justice.
High and Low shows us the complex nature of society not through words but with visuals. The first part (the upper class) includes only a couple of people as they are framed sparingly in a wide and spacious hilltop house. The second part focuses on the middle class where the police force fill out the frame a bit more yet not to the point of feeling nauseous. Finally we get to the lower class as Kurosawa plagues the frame with addicts that almost choke the viewers as we claw our way out of the alleyway for a moment of relief. Kurosawa's brilliant film comes to the most appropriate conclusion as Gondo and the Kidnapper finally meet. Although the Kidnapper initially tries to show his lack of fear and willpower in the face of death, that facade quickly crumbles as he is faced with the reality of his actions. Yet it is not lost upon the viewers how similar both Gondo and the Kidnapper are. As Kurosawa uses a superimposed image of each on the glass as the conversation evolves. This leads us to the conclusion that any of these two men could have been on either side of the glass. Not because of where they were placed in society but how they decided to act upon it. Gondo lost everything yet acted with honor and integrity, and although he had to start from nothing again, he maintains his status in the eyes of those around him. Whereas the Kidnapper who was a medical intern had the opportunity to go through his line of work with integrity and end up helping people. Yet his downfall was the choices he makes rather than how he was brought up. Kurosawa presents us with so much depth with seemingly so little on the surface. He allows the viewers to think about what he has shown and it genuinely lingers on even days after watching the film. It is a masterful work and definitely my favorite of his.
