Akira Kurosawa's -Tengoku to jogoku -1963 "High and Low" (Heaven and Hell)

A modern thriller, this movie is yet another masterpiece of the late great Japanese Film Director, Akira Kurosawa. The story is Based on a pulp thriller “King’s Ransom” by Evan Hunter, who released it in Japan under the name of Ed McBain. The story is a pop genre piece, a detective story, and its greatest claim to fame will ever be this movie, High and Low made in 1963.

Gone for this movie are the period and elaborate heroic stories of Japan’s feudal past for which Kurosawa is best known. This movie is pure film noir, and it ranks with some of the best of that genre. It was released in a Criterion Collection DVD, but this one is without any extras, or biographers unloading their point of view on the viewer by way of a commentary. The most I know of the reaction of audiences of the time, is that certain Kurosawa detractors in Japan gave him fits about the movie’s distinctly Western orientation.

The bottom line is, who cares? The movie has survived without their approbation, and I for one am very happy for it. The DVD was released in October 1998, and is a bare bones edition. The best feature is the stunning video and sound transfer to DVD from the anamorphic film.


When we sat down to view this flick, I expected it to drag, especially if we were going to have to endure an elaborate exposition before the action got under way. What I found instead was a dynamic piece, in which the tension rises, and falls, rises and falls, with the net effect of building to a climax which may leave you scratching your head, even if it doesn’t itch.

The background story doesn’t account for the impression this film made upon me, or the interest it generates. Even Granniemose stayed wide eyed and alert through this one!
In his peerless use of film to tell a story, Kurosawa managed to develop a mystery where we think time and again we know the answer, but in the end we do not. So you won’t be hearing the whole plot for this one. I will give you some particularly impressive scenes to watch for. You won’t be disappointed.

FILM ELEMENTS

The cinematography was done by Asakazu Nakai, who also filmed Seven Samurai and Dersu Uzala, one of the most beautifully filmed movies ever made. The spaces in this movie are manipulated with such brilliance, at the direction of Kurosawa, and used to such great effect to set emotional scenes, emphasizing the dramatic points that once again, I can only admire it. The fact that rarely is there any breathtaking scenery to set it off merely intensifies my admiration.

Let me direct your attention to a couple of scenes to watch for. The early part of the film takes place entirely in the home of the Industrialist, and it sets up the main theme of the movie, which is a kidnapping. At one point Kingo Gondo (Toshiro Mifune) has to decide whether or not to pay the ransom. As he struggles with his decision, the camera at first has him centered, and a larger than life view of the rich and powerful man is shown. As he is clearly in torment with his choice, the people in the foreground gradually become larger, and he becomes smaller-until the angle and perspective becomes so skewed that he is a miniature man, isolated physically and emotionally from everyone else in that scene, who are physically in the same plane. It was an emotional effect so powerful that you barely notice the transition. It was brilliantly done.

In another scene, we watch the kidnapper go home to his apartment, our first view of this guy. In one long shot, accompanied by a tinny interpolation of a Schubert piece, the kidnapper makes his way to a tiny apartment. He reads the newspaper’s version of the kidnapping story, and through his window we can see the industrialist’s house high on a hill, looking down on this all too tawdry scene. A telescope is pointing out the window. The contrasts between the spacious house and the tiny crowded apartment are reiterated often throughout this flick, in pictures, words and action scenes as well.

There is another extremely impressive scene toward the end of the movie, and it is nearly completely dark, using slashing diagonal shadows to emphasize the action, as well as a face hidden behind mirrored sunglasses.


The music was contributed by Masaro Sato, who did The Hidden Fortress as well. He learned at the feet of Hayasaka, the composer who scored Rashomon and created the Bolero-like sub theme for that movie. Sato did a similar theme manipulation with Schubert’s “Trout “ quintet, but this time it is deliberate and meant to show by contrast, and distortion, the trashy scene in which the kidnapper lives.
The score was edgy, dissonant and totally appropriate for this movie. Sato, by the way, is the guy who did most of the music for the Godzilla movies, as well as about 300 other movies, being one of the most prolific composers ever to write for films.


HUMOR

Kurosawa’s stock comics appear in this piece, and are, as usual, very funny. You will recognize, I believe, Kamatari Fujiwara as the man who burns the briefcase, Nakadai (who played a passing Samurai in 'Seven Samurai') as the plump but lovable bald headed detective, and even Minoru Chiaki, although he is uncredited as a sleepy-looking journalist. These little humorous bits keep the movie from bogging down in the noir-ness of it all.

THE TIMES

Now here is where the critics of Kurosawa’s Westernization, should have to eat their words. The setting is post war Japan, rebuilding energetic, but changing in a way that Kurosawa definitely shows at its worst, with discos and drug addicts and poverty. Nothing Kurosawa does is done by accident. Even the motivation of the twisted kidnapper reflects Kurosawa’s disaffection for the changes taking pace in Post war Japan. It should not be lost on anyone that the Industrialist, through his losses, returns to simpler times and in the end, is the one who triumphs. A sort of joy is infused when Gondo pulls out his tool kit to “fix” a briefcase, using the simple craft of working leather that he learned long ago in the “shoe business”.


THE HIGHS AND LOWS

The title of this flick, which literally translates into “heaven and hell” is the real meaning of this movie, despite the superstructure of the plot provided by the novel. High and Low is a modern cinema event that brings contrasts into sharp focus, by using all the senses to accomplish it. The theme is repeated over and over, and finally resolves with a startling face to face of the two character representations of the high (Gondo) and low (Takeuchi). This is a brilliant resolution and final scene, as each of these characters, now changed into the bare bones of what they are in essence. Takeuchi’s face is a mask of evil, and becomes pathetic. Gondo’s face reflects a quiet dignity, even an elegance. Both faces have dramatically changed since first we saw them. Gondo is no longer ruthless, Takeuchi’s face reflects his defeat, almost a caricature of the man we first saw.

The highs and lows of wealth and status are represented graphically in presenting the spacious and elegant home of the industrialist, cool and comfortable, against the living conditions of the kidnapper, who lives in a slum, a poor medical student. He lives in the midst of a world of drug addiction . The drug addicts scene is the most disturbing of the entire movie . This contrast is reinforced time and again , even once by the detectives who look up from the slums at the house and say “It’s almost like it is looking down on us”

The highs and lows we see are also even reflected in each of the two characters individually. In Gondo, the extremes occur in the first half of the movie, where his selfishness and ruthlessness is reflected at the time when he is in the peak of his success, and refuses to pay ransom for the son of his servant. No amount of begging will move him to change his mind. It is the selfless act of sacrifice of his chauffeur which will move him to evolve into a better human being. The transformation is a key plot point.

The low character Takeuchi shows an evolution a little less obvious. It is reinforced by the fact that we know little about him for the first half of the flick (If we had it would have been a different story.) At first his crime of kidnapping is merely a crime, (only a misdemeanor, as he taunts on the phone) and we assume it is greed or payback, never knowing the real motive.

Even when we meet the kidnapper, Takeuchi, we assume he has returned the child unharmed and ripping off the industrialist is all he has accomplished. Then, we watch his face transform as he reads the papers that talk of Gondo’s heroism in saving the child. And as the detectives learn more, we find he has become, instead of a person whose mission was to help humanity (a doctor), in well defined stages, a monster, even stooping to murder, not once but several times. Unraveling his character and reducing him to his basic flaw was done brilliantly, even if it was a rapid downward spiral.


THE PLOT

Kingo Gondo is a wealthy Industrialist, an executive of the prospering national Shoe Company. He is meeting with some other executives in his home, which is an impressive modern home with a panoramic view of the city. They are suggesting some changes to the production of the product, cheap shoes. They want to oust the old man” the( CEO before such words were invented) and they want Gondo to join them by using his stock with theirs to force the old guy out of the company. Gondo refuses, saying he will not be a party to putting out a shoddy product.

They are leaving. He has not even shown them the courtesy of seeing them out in person. His right hand man is approached by this greedy group, to help sell him out. They promise him power in return. He says nothing, but comes back to the house and reports to his boss.

Gondo, though has something up his sleeve. He has mortgaged everything to get enough shares to take control of the company. He is triumphant, the deal will be made that night and he is sending his assistant to do it. As a true executive of the new order, he tells his sun Jun, who is playing “cowboys” with the chauffeur’s son, to sneak up and ambush the sheriff, and win! (The other kid, the sheriff, is the chauffeur's son). Gondo would appear to be a ruthless westernized man of the new order!

Before Kawanishi can leave on his errand to Osaka, Gondo gets a phone call. It is a kidnapper, who says he has his son, and wants 30 million (yen?) In ransom money . Oh no! Gondo calls the police But it turns out the kidnapper nabbed the wrong kid. He has Sinichi, the chauffeur’s son.

The police arrive disguised as movers, van and all, and stay behind the drapes, thinking the kidnapper may be watching that big window.



When the kidnapper calls back, Gondo says he won’t pay the ransom. It will ruin him he says. Making shoes is all he knows. He will be out “on the street”, destroyed.

The chauffeur, a pitiable widower , however, begs him to pay the ransom. Gondo is a tortured man, fighting with knowing that paying the ransom will ruin his deal and ruin him. In the morning he is still resolved to refuse to pay. But he has spent a sleepless night. Guilt and conscience overwhelm him. But what convinces him is the chauffeur, who finally urges him not to pay it, knowing what it will cost his boss. At the same time no one expects the kidnapper will give up the child unharmed. Gondo changes his mind. He does as instructed, but not without tagging that suitcase with devices to be sure the police will find out if it is discarded, put in water or burned, by dragging out his old shoemaker kit and sewing the devices into the lining . This s the turning point of the movie, as Gondo knows he will have to start over, without the ransom money.

We, the audience don’t know the kidnapper or his motive. It could be anybody.

The Obvious suspects are the other executives that vowed to get even It could be Kawanishi, who sold him out the greedy executives. At this point we have only two possible suspects, but before the movie is quite over the suspects include nearly everyone. Kurosawa plays us just right by leading us to clues, obvious ones, that go nowhere in style. Even when the kidnapper is identified, we are looking for a motive consistent with what we know. And we assume, wrongly that at least in the last scene all will be revealed . The ending will be a little unexpected.



The police in solving this case, especially when they are chatting, are reminiscent of the fellowship and camaraderie in The Seven Samurai, although there are only 4 of them. It is interesting to watch their perception of Gondo change throughout the progress of the plot, and fascinating to watch Gondo himself evolve.


My suggestion is that you watch this movie once, and go back and watch it again to see all the clues and details you missed the first time. I did, and it made it a whole lot less confusing the second time around.

Don’t miss the pink smoke scene. It will blow your mind!


THE CAST

Toshiro Mifune as Kingo Gondo. This movie clinches it for me. I now believe that he was one of, if not THE best actor of the last century. His performance is restrained and subtle, something I did not expect. His fury is restrained. His face ages dramatically during the movie, and his character LOOKS his worst as he desperately tosses his life savings out the window to the kidnaper. It is a marvelous performance, one that makes you realize that great art and great performances are universal.

Yutaka Sada as Aoki the Chauffeur. This pitiful little man wants to be a dutiful servant, but his love for his son makes him first willing to beg,. Then understanding what paying the ransom would do to his employer (and therefore showing his own nobility) is willing to sacrifice, even as he breaks down sobbing on the stairs. This character is important to the plot so don’t dismiss this excellent performance as superfluous.

Takashi Shimura as director. We needed this well known and much beloved Kurosawa regular in here somewhere, and he dutifully appears in what is actually a very minor role.

Yoshio Tsuchiya as Detective Murata. This has to be one of the most interesting of the young actors that was promoted early in his career by Kurosawa , whom he called one of his “fathers’ (The other was Honda). In the Seven Samurai, he was the young farmer who was most willing to fight, in case you didn’t recognize him. He attended medical school before turning to acting, He too radiates intelligence, and gives a marvelous supporting performance, as he puts together the case, with painstaking detail, against the kidnapper. He was quite handsome as well. He turned to the stage after 1970, and has been a well known author as well. His face is better known in some Sci Fi flicks of the day.

Hiroshi Unayama as Detective Shimada.. Hmm, not much to say here, sorry.

Tsutomu Yamazaki as Ginji Takeuchi the twisted villain. This actor was unknown art the time, and his performance also resolves in the final scene, but it is a disturbing presentation of baser human emotions. An excellent performance. He would go on to become a star. You may remember him more recently in Tampopo (1999) as Goro.

Kenjiro Ishiyama as detective Taguchi . Drawing a blank on his fine points. I guess I was too busy watching the others.

Susumu Fujita as Commissioner. I don’t believe he said anything at all, but his face should be known from the Godzilla flicks.

Kyoko Kagawa as Reiko, Gondo’s wife. This was a very nice subtle performance. She sometimes wears a kimono, representing symbolically, her aristocratic origins. Contrasts play in her as well, as she appears in the traditional dress of a dutiful wife, but then shows a Western attribute of disagreeing and questioning her husband. Later, when they have lost everything, her quiet dignity is once again intact, although now she is dressed in Western attire. Interesting performance.

Takeshi Kato as Detective Nakao

Isao Kimura as Detective Arai

Tatsuya Mihashi as Kawanishi-this character resolves as the second villain character, who turns against his employer misusing his trust. His character does a complete 180 degree turn, and he represents the worst (the lowest) of the post war japan’s emphasis on profit and greed. A pretty good performance.

Koji Mitsui as a reporter.

Tatsuya Nakadai as Inspector Tokura. (Called ‘Bos’n’ by his peers.) This guy puts in another performance worth watching. He played a passing Samurai in Seven Samurai. He is, I think the best representative of the audience, the one to watch to get a birds’ eye interpretation of the meaning of events. And he has some delightful moments as well. One of my favorite scenes involving this character occurs when Gondo throws Kawanishi out, when the latter comes to offer him a job without honor. The two detectives (Murata and Bos’n, as he is called) listen, their faces attentive . When the creep gets tossed, they light up cigarettes, a gesture of completion and satisfaction. Better than sex, right?


FINAL RECOMMENDATION

This was totally unexpected. It is quite simply another masterful film by Kurosawa, and he uses his genius to express much more than the story. Watch it, especially if you want to see a movie that expresses the best of the art of cinema. You won’t be disappointed.