HIGH AND LOW: THE CRITERION COLLECTION - DVD review

The Criterion Collection often collaborates with cable channels in exhibiting must-see classics during "theme" nights. On 30 January and 31 January, The Independent Film Channel (IFC) will show "High and Low", "Tokyo Drifter", "The Honeymoon Killers", "Branded to Kill", "Alphaville", and "Man Bites Dog". For more information and TV listings, please visit the websites for The Criterion Collection (www.criterionco.com) and The Independent Film Channel (www.ifctv.com).

Akira Kurosawa is known in the West primarily for samurai flicks such as "Ran", "Throne of Blood", and yes, "The Seven Samurai". Non-Japanese may even know him for directing "Rashomon", a film with a title that has come to be used in many languages to describe muddled situations that can never be resolved. Still, given Kurosawa's "creative relationship" with Hollywood and Western cultures (his adaptations of Shakespeare and Hollywood's re-makes of his movies as "The Magnificent Seven" and "A Fistful of Dollars", a re-make of "Yojimbo"), it should be little surprise to anyone to discover that the director adapted Ed McBain's detective novel "King's Ransom" with great success and to great effect.

In "High and Low", a young man kidnaps a boy whom he believes is the son of Gondo (Toshiro Mifune), a wealthy industrialist in the shoe-making business. The kidnapper demands a ransom of thirty million yen, a sum that Gondo is willing to meet until he realizes that the kidnapper abducted his chauffeur's son and not his own child. The first fifty-or-so minutes deal with Gondo's moral struggle and takes place within the walls of Gondo's hilltop mansion. The second half of the film deals with the police force's efforts to bring the kidnapper to justice.

You know how you don't really feel anything when you watch a Michael Bay orgy of explosions and gunfights? Well, there are no explosions in "High and Low", and while the policemen do wield guns, no weapon is discharged during the course of the film's 143-minute running time. Yet, the film is incredibly tense, and I found myself leaning forward towards my TV as I was drawn in by the emotional turmoil experienced by the characters. Before I saw the movie, I already knew that the first half took place in one setting while the second half involved a search through much of the Tokyo area. Still, the narrative and the filmmaking style gripped me and did not let go of me until the film's final five minutes.

Do you want to know how good Kurosawa was? The story begins with Gondo in a meeting with four of his colleagues from the National Shoe Company. The five men debate the future of the company's products as well as a possible ouster of National Shoe's current CEO. Now, you're thinking, what could be exciting in a talk about shoes? Well, the men aren't just talking about shoes; in a sense, they're debating the conflict between Western capitalism and Eastern respect for societal elders, quality of craftsmanship, and values such as honor and loyalty. Everyone at the meeting presents persuasive arguments, and I watched with rapt attention to see who would win the discussion. The characters may sell shoes, but their souls are on the line.

Kurosawa knew how to put master shots to great use. In fact, he primarily used master shots because he could draw great, sustained performances from his actors and because he did not have to distract viewers from the material with clever editing. (George Lucas is a big fan of Kurosawa, but alas, he never learned how to use master shots as effectively as his idol.) What's amazing about Kurosawa's use of the 2.35:1 composition is that he manages to make Gondo's luxurious home feel cramped and prison-ish. Also, despite the fact that a 2.35:1 rectangle can capture more people in one frame than a lesser frame, the filmmaker manages to isolate every person within the camera's view. Existentialism may be attributed to the Europeans, but Kurosawa knew how to express it as well as Camus.

A literal translation of the Japanese title yields "Heaven and Hell", and while "High and Low" doesn't ring as many allegorical bells as "Heaven and Hell" does, the Westernized title accurately reflects the film's themes. The film's first half takes place in Gondo's world of wealth and privilege. It's noted that he's one of the few private citizens with air-conditioning (the film is set in the 1960s). However, once the police begin to close in on the kidnapper, the camera reveals the ugly, destitute side of seedy Japan. Gondo himself came from poor origins, and the contrast is made between his ability in getting himself out of hell and those who do not share his good fortune.

Video:
An early effort from Criterion, "High and Low" (Spine No. 24 in a 220-plus series) doesn't look good on DVD. The 2.35:1 non-anamorphic widescreen image isn't entirely stable as the frame jumps up and down occasionally, and the "The End" sign that appears at the very end of the movie even shifts horizontally from right to left for no reason. The print that was used for the transfer isn't clean because it's full of scratches, speckling, and other physical damage. What's more, you can even see reel-change "burn" marks in the top-right corner of the frame every twelve to fifteen minutes. Still, the print is watch-able and even acceptable once you get used to looking at it. It helps that the transfer is extremely sharp, even if it is a non-anamorphic one.

Audio:
You may notice that I rated the audio a "5" while I rated the video a "6". However, bear in mind that the highest rating that I give to mono soundtracks is a "6", so don't be surprised to read that I think that the Dolby Digital 1.0 Japanese audio track fares better than the DVD's video. Dialogue is always appropriately audible, and the vast majority of the film's sound effects and ambient noises are reproduced clearly. The not-so-good news is that the track doesn't handle music well; the jazz-influenced music sounds rather shrill and harsh. Otherwise, the DVD provides a decent sonic experience free of the pops and hisses that one associates with films made before 1985.

Optional English subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
The disc's only bonus material is a screen of color bars that can be used for adjusting monitors to proper levels.

Since Criterion has begun to re-do some of its older releases, maybe the company will find time to upgrade "High and Low" sometime in the near future.

--Miscellaneous--
A mini-booklet provides an essay about the film, chapter listings, film production credits, and DVD production credits.

Film Value:
"High and Low" is an amazing film that generates tension without ever resorting to overt violence. The legacy of the division between the "interior drama" of the first half and the police procedural of the second half can be seen in shows like "Law & Order" (in which a crime is examined from two very different angel). Furthermore, the film examines the huge divide between people dealt good and bad hands by life. What's fair? What's justice? It's hard to say, though Kurosawa forcefully suggests that amorality/immorality isn't the answer.