As an enormous fan of Spike Lee, I’m wanting ahead to seeing his newest movie, Highest 2 Lowest, as a part of the 2025 film schedule. Earlier than I see it, can I simply rave concerning the 1963 Akira Kurosawa movie that impressed it, Excessive and Low?
Whereas I usually love Spike Lee’s characters, and I like just about every part Denzel Washington does, I’m having a tough time believing that the 2 of them will be capable of match and even surpass the work of Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune. Excessive and Low is, fairly frankly, one of many best motion pictures ever made.
Fortunately, Highest 2 Lowest has been getting fairly nice critiques as of late (not like Lee’s different adaptation from an Asian film, Oldboy, which we gave a reasonably low evaluate on the time), and I’m wanting ahead to watching it. Nevertheless, earlier than I do, let me simply inform you concerning the excellent unique.
Excessive And Low Is One Of The Extra Attention-grabbing Toshiro Mifune Performances In A Kurosawa Movie
You realize, there are some actor/director pairings which are so noteworthy that individuals get up and take discover. For example, I’ve already talked about the various motion pictures between Scorsese and Robert De Niro (in addition to the flicks between Scorsese and DiCaprio – with De Niro and DiCaprio BOTH starring in Killers of the Flower Moon). I’ve additionally talked about Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, who made 8 motion pictures collectively. That’s loads.
However, are you aware what number of motion pictures Toshiro Mifune and Akira Kurosawa made collectively? Sixteen. You heard that proper. Mifune and Kurosawa made double the flicks that Burton and Depp have made.
And, of these 16 motion pictures, most individuals are in all probability accustomed to Kurosawa’s “samurai” motion pictures (Also referred to as Jidaigeki movies, which mainly interprets to “interval dramas”). You realize, movies like Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and The Hidden Fortress (which is the film individuals affiliate with Star Wars). These varieties of flicks.
That stated, Mifune made quite a few movies with Kurosawa that weren’t Jidaigeki, akin to Stray Canine, Drunken Angel, and sure, Excessive and Low. Of those movies, I discover the latter essentially the most attention-grabbing. The story of a businessman within the shoe business who’s about to make a significant deal when he will get a name a few kidnapping, Excessive and Low takes the viewer far and wide, and by no means settles on anyplace comfy.
You see, Mifune’s character doesn’t need to pay the ransom at first, since though he initially thought his personal son was kidnapped, he learns that it’s his chauffeur’s baby who’s been taken, which adjustments his tune. He ultimately decides to pay since he’s guilt-tripped into doing it, however what follows is a tangled net that’s approach totally different from many different Mifune/Kurosawa pairings, which I’ll get into subsequent.
It is A Movie Noir Traditional
Right here’s an attention-grabbing factor that you simply won’t find out about Kurosawa. It’s stated that he was initially seen with larger esteem within the West than he was in his homeland. This truly tracks, since his work was typically influenced by tales from the West, like Shakespeare with Ran and Throne of Blood (diversifications of King Lear and Macbeth, respectively), or sure, Excessive and Low, which was loosely based mostly on the 1959 novel, King’s Ransom, by American writer, Ed McBain (which was the pen identify of Evan Hunter).
And, for those who watch a lot of Japanese cinema like I do, you then’ll discover that different Japanese administrators make very totally different movies from Kurosawa.
Nevertheless, even for those who watch the extra in style Kurosawa motion pictures, like Rashomon, Kagemusha, and Seven Samurai, you won’t remember that Kurosawa truly delved into the crime drama fairly a bit, with Excessive and Low being his movie noir masterpiece.
In plenty of methods, Excessive and Low is a police procedural, as Tatsuya Nakadai performs the chief investigator within the kidnapping. His plan is to search out the id of the kidnapper, and he includes Mifune’s character to find him.
That is an attention-grabbing flip since Mifune’s character begins out because the reluctant protagonist who’s simply attempting to overhaul the shoe firm that he works for, solely to get embroiled in against the law. So, for those who’ve solely seen Kurosawa’s Jidaigeki movies, I encourage you to take a look at this movie noir basic. I guarantee you, you may be impressed.
Nearly All Of The Characters Are Morally Gray
I really like unlikeable characters, particularly once they’re our protagonist, and in the beginning of this movie, there’s in all probability no extra unlikeable character than our “hero,” Kingo Gondo, performed by Mifune.
From the very begin, he needs to make use of his personal earnings in a leveraged buyout to get extra management of his firm. And, when the kidnapping happens, he feels extra vexed about it than frightened, particularly as soon as he learns it is not his baby. He decides that he will not meet the calls for.
Plus, when the hostage is ultimately returned, Kingo makes use of it towards his firm, as if the child have been only a pawn. He goes straight to the paper and makes it in order that he comes out a hero, making his firm look dangerous, as they have been attempting to vilify him over the kidnapping.
I imply, he’s not a pleasant man. And, Inspector Tokura (Tatsuya Nakadai) would not precisely have his coronary heart in the fitting place, both. In a bid to get the kidnapper’s id, the police put a false story within the newspaper to get him to return out of hiding, and he winds up killing any person with uncut medicine within the course of. So, that’s blood on the law enforcement officials’ arms as properly.
And, you know the kidnapper has malicious intent, but it surely’s largely as a result of he is jealous of our protagonist and purposely focused him. On this approach, all the main characters are morally grey, which makes this film really feel soiled, but additionally extra reasonable due to it.
By The Finish Of It You Really feel Like No person Wins
Excessive and Low is a type of motion pictures the place no one wins out ultimately. I imply, you are not anticipating a cheerful ending, however I wasn’t notably ready for the dour conclusion that we get ultimately, both.
As a result of the kidnapper, performed by Tsutomu Yamazaki, is apprehended and brought into custody. After we study why he did the kidnapping (it is as a result of he was envious of Gondo’s way of life) we each detest him, however considerably perceive him. Sure, he was flawed, and sure, he ought to undergo the results, however we additionally form of get his reasoning, since we have all been envious at instances.
In flip, Gondo is perplexed as to why the kidnapper would go to such lengths simply due to jealousy, however he would not even notice the lengths he himself went by way of simply to get larger up within the firm (even prepared to sacrifice a baby simply because it wasn’t his).
On this approach, by the tip of the movie, you’re feeling like no one’s discovered a lesson, and that everyone is way worse off than they have been once they initially began, which sticks with you much more than if issues had ended positively.
It is a masterpiece in worldwide cinema, and I am excited to see if Spike Lee and Denzel Washington can come anyplace near matching its excellence. Solely time will inform.