High And Low (1963) :
Brief Review -
Probably Kurosawa's best version of Tensed, organic, dark, social, suspenseful and thrilling drama in 60s. High and Low, in a way, was quite different from other Akira Kurosawa films i saw. Apparently, it may look a crime drama or Police procedural drama is the best word but somewhere the latest look given to entire narrative makes it different from other Kurosawa films. Mostly his films lied in period, ancient theories of pride and honour, history so High And Low being a completely modest film was a pleasant surprise for me. And may be that's why I found it thrilling and engaging even though the real thrill or suspense elements were not high. Some people called it a 'Hitchcock type Film' but i don't remember Hitchcock making something organically tensed like this (except for 'The Wrong Man'). Don't get me wrong but Hitchcock was almost done by 1960 with his popular thrillers and he was more concerned towards making dramatic and systematic thrillers with the use of Background music, plotting and accidental stuff whereas Kurosawa was more curved towards realistic tones of filmmaking. High and Low picks up quickly in the beginning and keeps the audience engage for next 2 hours until it loses the speed somewhere in the pre climax when ugly Drug Universe is shown. Except for that part, there are no loo breaks in the film. I literally had no complaints from the film untill the very predictable and trying to be honourable climax appeared. I sensed it 15 minutes ago and this is not done if i am finding the conclusion already. Rest be assured, the cast is Fantastic, screenplay is engaging and pacy, background score is decent, storyline drives smoothly and Direction is perfect. Legendary Kurosawa doesn't disappoint even with his Modern saga of moral but one or two things he definitely missed.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest
Probably Kurosawa's best version of Tensed, organic, dark, social, suspenseful and thrilling drama in 60s. High and Low, in a way, was quite different from other Akira Kurosawa films i saw. Apparently, it may look a crime drama or Police procedural drama is the best word but somewhere the latest look given to entire narrative makes it different from other Kurosawa films. Mostly his films lied in period, ancient theories of pride and honour, history so High And Low being a completely modest film was a pleasant surprise for me. And may be that's why I found it thrilling and engaging even though the real thrill or suspense elements were not high. Some people called it a 'Hitchcock type Film' but i don't remember Hitchcock making something organically tensed like this (except for 'The Wrong Man'). Don't get me wrong but Hitchcock was almost done by 1960 with his popular thrillers and he was more concerned towards making dramatic and systematic thrillers with the use of Background music, plotting and accidental stuff whereas Kurosawa was more curved towards realistic tones of filmmaking. High and Low picks up quickly in the beginning and keeps the audience engage for next 2 hours until it loses the speed somewhere in the pre climax when ugly Drug Universe is shown. Except for that part, there are no loo breaks in the film. I literally had no complaints from the film untill the very predictable and trying to be honourable climax appeared. I sensed it 15 minutes ago and this is not done if i am finding the conclusion already. Rest be assured, the cast is Fantastic, screenplay is engaging and pacy, background score is decent, storyline drives smoothly and Direction is perfect. Legendary Kurosawa doesn't disappoint even with his Modern saga of moral but one or two things he definitely missed.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest