High and Low
From Zanecorpwiki
Summary
There's things to like about this movie, and for viewers with interest in 1960's Japanese cinema or if you want to see the Japanese version of Ransom (1956), then you'll probably enjoy this movie. At least the first 2 hours.
The movie is well paced for the first two hours, and moves along smoothly. Then in the last 30 minutes or so (it's a long film), it's as if all the wind goes out of the sails and the thing just drags before finally veering into a bit of social commentary. The title of the film is based on the idea of the high and low in society, which is a subtle backdrop for most of the film. The attempts to bring the conflict center stage, however are clumsy and seem almost tacked on. This is too bad because up to a point, this really was a good film.
Aw shit. It's still a really good film. For what it works, DishTV gave it 4/4 stars and I wouldn't argue with that. I'd say 3 1/2, but who's counting. It really comes down to the fact that the end did not work for me at all, and held against the standard of what had come before, The quality of the majority of the movie made the failing of the ending that much more stark.
Details and Notes
Spoilers ahead.
The film plays in three very distinct parts, and the first two work very well. The first part seems very much inspired by the 1956 verstion of Ransom. The driving action--the kidnapping--takes place off screen while the visible action is largely limited to the protagonist's living room.
Whether because this isn't a modern film, or for some other reason the viewer can't count on whether or not the kidnapped child is alive or what Mr. Gondo--the protagonist--will do. The tension is well balanced. The characters are believable. The action is realistic.
Eventually, they get the kid back. The second act follows the police as they try and get the Mr. Gondo's money back and catch the kidnapper. Aesthetically, the two parts play well together and complement each other well. For all the Law and Order, NYPD Blue, and cop movies I've seem, this was one of the most realistic depictions of cracking a case that I've ever seen. Much more realistic than the true crime shows on Aamp;E. Maybe it's all the cops walking around in bad button up shirts, absolutely soaked with sweat. Welcome to pre-AC Japan in the summer. Not dogma 95, but there's something very real about this part.
The cops painstakingly piece together evidence that leads them to the kidnapper's accomplices only to find that they've been killed an they're back to square one. Eventually, they find the kidnapper, but without pinning the murder's on him, he'll only get 15 years. The cops set up a sting in order to prove that he did the murder's as well.
And that's where it just falls apart. The final capture just takes too long and the little morality dialog at the end feels so injected. It's just simply not supported by the rest of the film which, despite the title, says nothing about class divisions. Gondo is too likable, the kidnapper doesn't have any redeeming qualities. Despite the verbal justification, there are just no actions to back any of it up. Since I'd rather the last bit was cut anyway and I can ignore the title, whether or not the morality plays is secondary.
