High and Low (1963)

The critic praises Kurosawa's adaptation of the Ed McBain novel for its clever use of contrasting locations and visual styles to explore class and moral themes, calling it among the director's most cinematic and satisfying works. Superb performances by Toshiro Mifune and Tsutomu Yamazaki, along with virtuoso cinematography, are highlighted as standout elements.

The review lauds the film as a masterful crime drama that bridges class divides through its rigorous procedural and social commentary. It singles out Kurosawa’s widescreen framing and shifting perspectives for creating a complex exploration of wealth, poverty, and redemption.

The film is called a true thriller that takes itself seriously and is well worth taking seriously. Kurosawa is commended for his confident, leisurely pacing, beautiful rendering of police detection, and ability to sustain interest over nearly two and a half hours without a dispensable scene.

The critic hails it as one of the best detective thrillers ever filmed and a model of the genre. Kurosawa is praised for transforming the source novel into a suspenseful, artistic work with strong characterizations, moral depth, and masterful police procedural sequences.

The review highlights High and Low as a masterclass in technique, transforming an American kidnap thriller source into a meditation on unbridled capitalism in Japanese society. It praises the verité-style pursuit sequences and overall execution, agreeing with the New York Times that it is one of the best detective thrillers filmed.

Kurosawa adapts an Ed McBain novel into a hybrid thriller and morality play. The first half explores a tycoon's moral dilemma in a single room while the second half shifts to an exciting police procedural hunt, with connections that reach Dostoevskian depths.

The critic finds the first half compelling for its moral dilemma and Mifune's performance, while the second half's police procedural is well done but lacks tension until a strong finale. Overall, it is a fine example of Kurosawa's craft though not among his masterpieces.

The review praises the improved hi-def transfer of Kurosawa’s 1963 film and its strong use of widescreen visuals in a kidnapping procedural. It highlights how the story critiques Japanese society by contrasting upper and lower classes through the businessman’s moral dilemma.

The critic calls High and Low one of the best crime movies ever and possibly Kurosawa's finest work, praising its gripping police procedural and deep exploration of moral and ethical dilemmas in a kidnapping gone wrong. They single out the film's intense phone conversations and suspenseful evidence-gathering sequences for particular praise.

The critic finds the film a bit dull despite its subtext of Japanese class issues and social commentary. It lacks tension after the central dilemma is revealed early, resulting in an uneven experience overall.