I mean, I did like it, it was decent, but...I mean, it's rated 9/10 on letterboxd as of now, and I don't really get it. Maybe I miss something.
Anyway, High and Low is the first Akira Kurosawa film I've watched. Kurosawa is probably one of the most critically acclaimed japanese directors of all time, and this is one of his most highly regarded films.
It tells the story of Gondo, a wealthy executive that tries to take over the shoe company in which he's an executive, National Shoes. He mortgaged everything in order to be able to by enough shares to vote his rivals out, but the night before the deal is closed - his chauffeur's son get kidnapped. The kidnapper calls and demands a ransom of 30 million yen (which, if paid, can cost Gondo his deal and make him lose his job) , or else - the kid dies. The first half of this film is about the dillema and its consequences, and the second half follows the police in their search for the kidnapper.
I do like some things about this film. The cinematography is quite decent, and it gives everything weight during the first half and urgency during the final act. I like some subtle ideas that were communicated to the viewer throughout the film ("all we got is time", and later the watch in the living room - if you got it you got it), and the kidnapper has interesting personality and motives. The score isn't bad either, and I do like almost everything about the final act. The cinematography there is definitely in its peak for this film, and the story kept me interested throughout it all. The final scene is really great and thought-provoking too. The score is pretty abstract, but it feels very on-point as well.
BUT. I just didn't feel it throughout the whole film. I didn't have this spark, this click with the film. Especially during the search for the kidnapper, I feel like this movie can be quite exhausting. Not bad, just a bit slow. It's like those mind-battles in Death Note - it wasn't SUPER boring, but yet, at times, it was exhausting to watch.
So, yeah, maybe it doesn't feel that based, but these are my thoughts and feelings, and I did watch the film twice before writing the review, just in case I've missed something, and I do thing that I understand it and its moral take pretty well, but yet, the pacing around the middle of this film brings it down a little for me. I'm feeling a 7.5/10 on this one.
Anyway, High and Low is the first Akira Kurosawa film I've watched. Kurosawa is probably one of the most critically acclaimed japanese directors of all time, and this is one of his most highly regarded films.
It tells the story of Gondo, a wealthy executive that tries to take over the shoe company in which he's an executive, National Shoes. He mortgaged everything in order to be able to by enough shares to vote his rivals out, but the night before the deal is closed - his chauffeur's son get kidnapped. The kidnapper calls and demands a ransom of 30 million yen (which, if paid, can cost Gondo his deal and make him lose his job) , or else - the kid dies. The first half of this film is about the dillema and its consequences, and the second half follows the police in their search for the kidnapper.
I do like some things about this film. The cinematography is quite decent, and it gives everything weight during the first half and urgency during the final act. I like some subtle ideas that were communicated to the viewer throughout the film ("all we got is time", and later the watch in the living room - if you got it you got it), and the kidnapper has interesting personality and motives. The score isn't bad either, and I do like almost everything about the final act. The cinematography there is definitely in its peak for this film, and the story kept me interested throughout it all. The final scene is really great and thought-provoking too. The score is pretty abstract, but it feels very on-point as well.
BUT. I just didn't feel it throughout the whole film. I didn't have this spark, this click with the film. Especially during the search for the kidnapper, I feel like this movie can be quite exhausting. Not bad, just a bit slow. It's like those mind-battles in Death Note - it wasn't SUPER boring, but yet, at times, it was exhausting to watch.
So, yeah, maybe it doesn't feel that based, but these are my thoughts and feelings, and I did watch the film twice before writing the review, just in case I've missed something, and I do thing that I understand it and its moral take pretty well, but yet, the pacing around the middle of this film brings it down a little for me. I'm feeling a 7.5/10 on this one.