High and Low



A 1963 film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune, based on King's Ransom, an 87th Precinct novel by Ed McBain.

Kingo Gondo is a wealthy executive (the factory manager) for National Shoes. He's caught in a power struggle between a trio of directors who want to wrest control from the company's president, and the autocratic president himself. Behind the scenes, he's arranged a leveraged buyout that will give him control of the company so that he can run it his way. Just as he's committed himself to this course of action, mortgaging everything he has, Gondo is informed that his child Jun has been kidnapped, and the kidnapper demands a ludicrously high ransom.

Gondo is prepared to pay even if it ruins him, but then learns that his son is safe. Instead, the kidnapper has accidentally taken Shinichi, the son of Gondo's chauffeur. Gondo must now struggle with the moral dilemma of either bankrupting himself for another man's child...or letting the child die at the hands of the kidnapper.

While Gondo suffers from this dilemma, and the results of his decision, the police attempt to match wits with the kidnapper and bring him to justice.


 * Bittersweet Ending:
 * Chekhov's Skill: Gondo's youth as a cobbler's apprentice comes in handy when the police need to hide something in briefcases.
 * Corrupt Corporate Executive: The three directors want to take over National Shoes so that they can make gaudy but shoddy products at a high profit, assuming their customers will be easily fooled by advertising. The "Old Man", who is never seen, does not appear to be corrupt, but is autocratic and behind the times.
 * Cowboys and Indians: Jun and Shinichi play "Sheriff and Outlaw", then switch roles and outfits; this leads to the wrong boy being kidnapped.
 * Face Heel Turn: Gondo's secretary Kawanishi defects to the side of the directors; he tries to disguise this as a Heel Face Turn, but Gondo easily sees through it.
 * Freudian Excuse / Noodle Incident: It's hinted that the kidnapper's life has been hellish, including whatever gave him that nasty scar. But he decides not to tell Gondo about it, because he doesn't want to be pitied.
 * Honest Corporate Executive: Gondo, while engaging in some sneaky dealings, wants to produce good quality and stylish shoes at a reasonable price as this will produce more profits in the long run.
 * Police Procedural: Particularly in the second part of the film.
 * Scary Shiny Glasses: The kidnapper's sunglasses always manage to have bright light reflecting in them.
 * Self-Made Man: Gondo worked his way up from cobbler's apprentice to the position he now occupies; but his marriage to Reiko did give him much more wealth to work with.
 * Villainous Breakdown
 * Yamato Nadeshiko: Reiko.