High and Low

Expertly constructed, perfectly executed. Kurosawa is at the top of his game, and he knows it. It exists entirely in two parts; trying to find the boy and trying to find the killer. The former deals more with morality, and the latter deals more with procedure. The slowest this movie gets is after part one where you wonder “wait, I’m at the halfway point and they already got the kid??” And then you get completely engaged in the second plot of finding the kidnapper. Mifune seems like a stronger man by the end. Despite losing his fortune, he is well loved and grounded. Kurosawa exposes a truth in business that is still true today, which is that it doesn’t matter how much public support something has if it is not supported by the executives of the company. Great performances all around but I want to highlight the under appreciated Tatsuya Nakadai. He may not be the household name Toshiro Mifune is but he’s every bit as captivating. He adds humanity to the police department, and commands the screen with every chance he’s given. I absolutely adore ultra wide screen black and white. It was never “necessary” as color film had a long history by the time widescreen was introduced, yet I find it super cinematic. From Roma and the Hustler to The Innocents and Onibaba, it’s just a beautiful format. I won’t say anymore, just watch it. Now. Please.