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Rating: 8 stars

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Hulu TCM Japan tokyo police procedural kidnapped child ransom train

All movies seen on 10/05/2024

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High and Low (1963)

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Crime | Drama

Most recently watched by sleestakk

Overview

In the midst of an attempt to take over his company, a powerhouse executive is hit with a huge ransom demand when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake.

Rated NR | Length 142 minutes

Actors

Toshirō Mifune | Tatsuya Nakadai | Kyôko Kagawa | Tatsuya Mihashi | Isao Kimura | Kenjiro Ishiyama | Takeshi Katô | Takashi Shimura | Jun Tazaki | Nobuo Nakamura | Yūnosuke Itō | Tsutomu Yamazaki | Minoru Chiaki | Eijirô Tôno | Masao Shimizu | Yutaka Sada | Masahiko Shimazu | Toshio Egi | Kôji Mitsui | Kyû Sazanka | Susumu Fujita | Kamatari Fujiwara | Yoshio Tsuchiya | Kazuo Kitamura | Gen Shimizu | Akira Nagoya | Jun Hamamura | Masao Oda | Kô Nishimura | Yoshifumi Tajima | Koji Kiyomura | Hiroshi Unayama | Yoshisuke Makino | Jun Kondô | Tomo Suzuki | Senkichi Ômura | Kazuo Katô | Ikio Sawamura | Kin Sugai | Keiko Tomita | Isao Onoda | Seiichi Taguchi | Takeo Matsushita | Kiyoshi Yamamoto | Kenji Kodama | Minoru Itô | Haruo Suzuki | Kôzô Nomura

Viewing History (seen 1 time)

Viewing Notes

Terrific film. The moral dilemma is compelling: should you risk financial ruin in order to save the life of another man’s child?

The film’s structure is fascinating.  It’s basically two films.  The first part is claustrophobic, taking place entirely in Mifune’s home as he agonizes over what to do.  The second part opens up into a fast-paced thriller as the police hunt down the kidnappers.  Interestingly, Mifune practically disappears in the second part.

I really enjoyed re-watching this film.  I also loved the widescreen cinematography.

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