High and Low
A wealthy businessman is told his son has been kidnapped and he will have to pay a very large sum for him to be returned safely. It is then discovered that his son is safe at home: the kidnapper took his chauffeur's son by accident. The kidnapper says this makes no difference: pay up or the child dies. This leaves him with a moral dilemma, as he really needs the money to conclude a very important business deal.
Despite its tight budget of $9.4M, High and Low became a commercial juggernaut, earning $60.0M worldwide—a remarkable 538% return. The film's compelling narrative attracted moviegoers, illustrating how strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
3 wins & 3 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
High and Low (1963) reveals carefully calibrated plot construction, characteristic of Akira Kurosawa's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 23 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.9, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Kingo Gondo
Chief Detective Tokura
Takeuchi
Reiko Gondo
Aoki
Detective Arai
Main Cast & Characters
Kingo Gondo
Played by Toshiro Mifune
A wealthy shoe company executive facing a moral crisis when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped instead of his own.
Chief Detective Tokura
Played by Tatsuya Nakadai
The methodical police inspector leading the kidnapping investigation with patience and strategic thinking.
Takeuchi
Played by Tsutomu Yamazaki
The kidnapper, a disturbed medical intern driven by class resentment and nihilism.
Reiko Gondo
Played by Kyoko Kagawa
Kingo's wife who supports her husband through the moral and financial crisis.
Aoki
Played by Yutaka Sada
Gondo's chauffeur whose son Jun is kidnapped, placing him in a position of helpless gratitude.
Detective Arai
Played by Kenjiro Ishiyama
Young detective who goes undercover to infiltrate the drug underworld.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Gondo's luxurious hilltop mansion is established, showing his position of wealth and power as he meets with his business associates to discuss a hostile takeover of National Shoes.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when A phone call interrupts: a kidnapper demands 30 million yen for Gondo's son. The horror transforms to confusion when Jun walks into the room - the kidnapper has mistakenly taken Shinichi, the chauffeur's son, instead.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 32 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 22% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Gondo makes his irreversible choice: he will pay the ransom for Shinichi, sacrificing his entire fortune and his dream of controlling the company. He chooses moral integrity over wealth, crossing into a new world of financial ruin., moving from reaction to action.
At 64 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 45% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. Notably, this crucial beat The film shifts dramatically from the claustrophobic mansion to the sprawling city. Gondo's sacrifice is complete - he has lost everything. The focus turns entirely to the police procedural as they hunt the kidnapper through Yokohama's underworld. False defeat: the criminal seems to have won., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 96 minutes (67% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Takeuchi murders his accomplices with pure heroin to eliminate witnesses. The detectives find the bodies. The whiff of death is literal - innocent people have died because of the kidnapper's cold calculation. The evil at the heart of this crime is fully revealed., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 102 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 72% of the runtime. The police set an elaborate trap using a decoy addict to catch Takeuchi attempting to obtain more heroin for another murder. The synthesis of patient detective work and moral commitment comes together for the final confrontation., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
High and Low's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping High and Low against these established plot points, we can identify how Akira Kurosawa utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish High and Low within the crime genre.
Akira Kurosawa's Structural Approach
Among the 5 Akira Kurosawa films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 5.5, showcasing experimental approaches to narrative form. High and Low represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Akira Kurosawa filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional crime films include The Bad Guys, Rustom and The Whole Ten Yards. For more Akira Kurosawa analyses, see Ikiru, Ran and Red Beard.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Gondo's luxurious hilltop mansion is established, showing his position of wealth and power as he meets with his business associates to discuss a hostile takeover of National Shoes.
Theme
During the business meeting, the executives debate quality versus profit in shoemaking. Gondo declares he won't compromise quality for money, establishing the film's thematic exploration of moral choices when wealth is at stake.
Worldbuilding
The world of corporate power struggles is established. Gondo reveals his plan to mortgage everything he owns to buy controlling shares and save the company from executives who want to produce cheap shoes. His wife Reiko and chauffeur Aoki's son Shinichi play together with Gondo's son Jun.
Disruption
A phone call interrupts: a kidnapper demands 30 million yen for Gondo's son. The horror transforms to confusion when Jun walks into the room - the kidnapper has mistakenly taken Shinichi, the chauffeur's son, instead.
Resistance
Gondo faces an agonizing moral debate: should he pay the ransom for another man's child and lose everything he's worked for? The police arrive, led by Chief Detective Tokura, who becomes a guiding presence. Gondo wrestles with his conscience as his wife pleads with him to pay.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Gondo makes his irreversible choice: he will pay the ransom for Shinichi, sacrificing his entire fortune and his dream of controlling the company. He chooses moral integrity over wealth, crossing into a new world of financial ruin.
Mirror World
The police investigation becomes a parallel story of methodical justice. Detective Tokura and his team represent institutional morality working alongside Gondo's personal sacrifice, their dedication mirroring his own commitment to doing right regardless of cost.
Premise
The tense ransom delivery unfolds on the bullet train. Gondo throws the briefcases of money from the express train as instructed. The police wire the operation, planting tracking devices. Shinichi is recovered safely, but the kidnapper escapes with the money. Gondo is now ruined.
Midpoint
The film shifts dramatically from the claustrophobic mansion to the sprawling city. Gondo's sacrifice is complete - he has lost everything. The focus turns entirely to the police procedural as they hunt the kidnapper through Yokohama's underworld. False defeat: the criminal seems to have won.
Opposition
The meticulous police investigation unfolds across Yokohama's slums, bars, and drug dens. The detectives trace clues from the pink smoke of the burned briefcase to identify the kidnapper as Ginjiro Takeuchi, a poor medical intern who lives in a sweltering room with a view of Gondo's mansion. The class divide becomes viscerally clear.
Collapse
Takeuchi murders his accomplices with pure heroin to eliminate witnesses. The detectives find the bodies. The whiff of death is literal - innocent people have died because of the kidnapper's cold calculation. The evil at the heart of this crime is fully revealed.
Crisis
The police must find hard evidence linking Takeuchi to the crime before he can kill again or escape. Gondo, now working in a small shoe shop, remains haunted by the ordeal. The tension builds as the investigation reaches its critical phase.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The police set an elaborate trap using a decoy addict to catch Takeuchi attempting to obtain more heroin for another murder. The synthesis of patient detective work and moral commitment comes together for the final confrontation.
Synthesis
Takeuchi is arrested in the drug alley. The police have won through methodical, ethical police work. Gondo, though financially ruined, learns the public has rallied to support him and his creditors have given him time. His moral choice has been vindicated by society.
Transformation
In the devastating final scene, Gondo visits Takeuchi on death row. Takeuchi reveals his hatred was born from watching Gondo's comfortable house from his sweltering room. As the metal shutter slams down between them, both men see their reflections merge - high and low, victim and perpetrator, forever connected by the injustice of class division.