High and Low

High and Low

1963

Known for his historical epics, director Akira Kurosawa was also a fan of American film noir and detective novels -- which explains why he based High and Low (also known as Heaven and Hell) on an Ed McBain story. Toshirô Mifune plays a wealthy corporate boss who must choose between saving his company and paying the ransom for his chauffeur's kidnapped child. Kurosawa uses his brilliant visual style to reinforce the film's sociological themes.

142 Screenful Minutes of Thrills and Suspense!

JBscale
93
Superior

Film Detail

Genre
Crime - Drama
Length
2 hrs. 23 mins.
US Theatrical Release
November 26, 1963
US Box Office
No Data Available
Global Office
No Data Available
Rating
NR
Not Rated

Collection Detail

Edition
Single Disc Criterion Collection # 24 & Digital
Resolution | Digital Platform
iTunes
Aspect Ratio
WS 2.35:1
Audio
Japanese: DTS-HD Master 4.0
Studio
Criterion
Released
July 26, 2011
Acquired Date
December 9, 2014
Times Seen
0 Times
Last Watched
Haven't seen it yet.

Actors

Toshirô Mifune
Toshirô Mifune
Tatsuya Nakadai
Tatsuya Nakadai
Kyôko Kagawa
Kyôko Kagawa
Tatsuya Mihashi
Tatsuya Mihashi
Isao Kimura
Isao Kimura
Kenjiro Ishiyama
Kenjiro Ishiyama
Takeshi Katô
Takeshi Katô
Takashi Shimura
Takashi Shimura
Jun Tazaki
Jun Tazaki
Nobuo Nakamura
Nobuo Nakamura

Directors

Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa

Producers

Ryuzo Kikushima
Ryuzo Kikushima
Tomoyuki Tanaka
Tomoyuki Tanaka

Writers

Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
Ryuzo Kikushima
Ryuzo Kikushima
Hideo Oguni
Hideo Oguni
Eijirô Hisaita
Eijirô Hisaita

Awards & Accolades

  • 2019 IMDB Top 250: Film - Rank: #79
  • 2022 IMDB Top 250: Film - Rank: #87

Special Features

Commentaries
  • Akira Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince
Documentaries
  • Making of High and Low - A 37-minute documentary on the making of High and Low, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
Other
  • New video interview with actor Tsutomu Yamazaki, who plays the kidnapper
  • Rare video interview with actor Toshiro Mifune, conducted by TV talk-show host Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
  • Audio Commentary
  • Featurettes

Other Recommendations

User Reviews

Ratings

JB Users
--
 
RT Fresh
96%
Tomatometer
24 votes
RT Fresh Certified
95%
Popcornmeter
548 votes
METASCORE
90
16 votes
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
57,879 votes

Additional Info

  1. IMDb
  2. Kids-in-Mind
  3. Common Sense Media