Kurosawa's masterful High and Low is both a gripping thriller and a diabolical, social commentary on postwar Japan.

Toshiro Mifune is unforgettable as Kingo Gondo, a wealthy industrialist whose family is targeted by a cold-blooded kidnapper. High and Low is a highly influential domestic drama and gripping crime film based on Ed McBain's pulp novel. Wealthy industrialist Kingo Gondo (Toshiro Mifune) has scraped together money to acquire a majority stake in the shoe company where he has worked for most of his life.

His plans are threatened by the kidnapping of his son's playmate - a mistake, because the kidnapper actually had his son in mind. Paying the ransom would mean Gondo's financial ruin. The dark film cemented Kurosawa's international fame and was highly influential. To this day: this summer Spike Lee's adaptation Highest 2 Lowest will be released, starring Denzel Washington in the role played by Kurosawa's regular actor Toshiro Mifune in the original.