Whilst I am a big fan of the Akira Kurosawa films that I have seen, there is a lot in his filmography that I am yet to catch up on, particularly outside of his historical epics. As my favourite author is probably Ed McBain, it is an egregious admission of mine that I had not seen the 1963 classic High and Low, which was based on McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom, part of the brilliant 87th Precinct series that comprised 56 books published between 1956 and 2005.
With the release of Spike Lee’s remake, Highest 2 Lowest on Apple TV+, it seemed like a good opportunity to watch both versions. High and Low can be rented to watch at home and is also available on DVD and Blu Ray.
Kurosawa’s version, High and Low, was co-written by him, Hideo Oguni, Eijirō Hisaita, and Ryūzō Kikushima. His frequent collaborator, Toshiro Mifune starred as Japanese businessman Kingo Gondo, struggling for control of the major shoe company at which he is a board member. He plans a leveraged buyout of the company with his life savings and large loans, when a kidnapper mistakenly abducts his chauffeur’s son, rather his own, to ransom him for 30 million yen.
There are three distinct, but not equal in length, parts that fall into different genres. First up, there is a slow burning business and family drama as we see Gondo negotiate with the company executives and then deal with the kidnapping, all of which is surprisingly close to the book. There then follows a superbly tense sequence on a fast moving train as Gondo tries to deliver the ransom, as the film moves into thriller mode.
The longest section then kicks in, a meticulously detailed police procedural as the cops, headed by Detectives Tokura (Tatsuya Nakadai) and Bosun (Kenjiro Isiyama), who are clearly based on Carella and Meyer Meyer from the books, try to find out who is responsible. These days, investigations are mostly based on DNA evidence and CCTV gathering but here the detectives have to be much more inventive and ingenious. There is one extraordinarily staged scene where various perspiring cops provide updates on their lines of enquiry in a sweaty room.
My only very minor criticism, in what is an almost flawless movie, comes towards the end when a scene in a club goes on a little too long. Otherwise, this is exceptional film making by Kurosawa and writing by all concerned. Mifune has never been better, Nakadai is fantastic and Isiyama bring lightness to his role.
In Highest 2 Lowest, Denzel Washington plays David King, a music mogul, who is about to sink every cent he has and can borrow in an attempt to buy back control of the record label he founded. When his friend and chauffeur Paul’s (Jeffrey Wright) son is kidnapped by mistake, David has to decide whether to still pay the ransom.
So, the same basic plot structure is used which is a good thing as even someone as talented as Lee cannot outdo Kurosawa. It is very glossy, and, in isolation is adequate but pales in comparison to the original in every way.
I did not find David’s financial dealings as interesting so the stakes did not feel as high. The train sequence is moved to the subway and the tension is dissipated by frequent cutting to a live music performance. But the second half is where it varies most from the original film and the book. The police are side lined and, instead, David tries to track down the kidnapper and get his money back. It is all very routine and falls quite flat. There is a prison meeting like in Kurosawa’s version but then the film drags on more with a dire musical performance.
Washington is decent without being outstanding. A$AP Rocky plays the kidnapper and he is an average actor, but judging by the dreadful track of his on the soundtrack, he may be better at acting than rapping! The best performance comes from the impassioned Wright.
Lee has made some great movies but this is not one of them. Kurosawa’s version is better in every department and is one of the finest films of the 1960’s.
Ratings out of 10:
High and Low: 9.5
Highest 2 Lowest: 5