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 small-scale budget of $9.4M, High and Low became a commercial juggernaut, earning $60.0M worldwide—a remarkable 538% return. The film's bold vision connected with viewers, proving that 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) exemplifies deliberately positioned dramatic framework, characteristic of Akira Kurosawa's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-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.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Kingo Gondo sits in his hilltop mansion overlooking Yokohama, negotiating a leveraged buyout of National Shoes with his allies. He is a self-made man at the peak of his power, about to control the company.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 17 minutes when A phone call: "We have your son." Gondo is told his boy Jun has been kidnapped and the ransom is 30 million yen—exactly the sum he needs for the buyout. His entire fortune hangs in the balance.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
At 62 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 43% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. Of particular interest, this crucial beat On the speeding bullet train, Gondo throws the ransom briefcases from the window as instructed. The exchange is made, but the police lose sight of who retrieved the money. False defeat: the kidnapper has won this round, Gondo is ruined, and they have no leads., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 94 minutes (66% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Two addicts die from pure heroin overdoses—collateral deaths caused by the kidnapper's callousness. The whiff of death: innocent victims murdered to create a diversion. The kidnapper's evil is fully revealed as motiveless malice born of class resentment., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 100 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 70% of the runtime. The police stage an elaborate trap, arresting Takeuchi with the marked ransom money. He confesses with chilling detachment: he kidnapped the child because he hated watching Gondo's wealth from his slum room. The trial proceeds; Takeuchi is convicted and sentenced to death., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
High and Low's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. 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, Batman Forever and 12 Rounds. For more Akira Kurosawa analyses, see Seven Samurai, Ikiru and Ran.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Kingo Gondo sits in his hilltop mansion overlooking Yokohama, negotiating a leveraged buyout of National Shoes with his allies. He is a self-made man at the peak of his power, about to control the company.
Theme
Kawanishi states: "Gondo's shoes are made with care and moderation in mind." The thematic question is posed: What is a man's moral responsibility to others when his own survival is at stake?
Worldbuilding
Gondo hosts fellow executives in his living room, planning to mortgage everything to gain control of National Shoes. His philosophy: make quality shoes, not cheap fashion. We see his wife Reiko, son Jun, and chauffeur Aoki's family living in the servants' quarters. The mansion's elevation symbolizes Gondo's rise from poverty.
Disruption
A phone call: "We have your son." Gondo is told his boy Jun has been kidnapped and the ransom is 30 million yen—exactly the sum he needs for the buyout. His entire fortune hangs in the balance.
Resistance
Initial confusion turns to devastating revelation: the wrong child was taken. The kidnapper has Aoki's son Shinichi, not Jun. Police arrive led by Inspector Tokura. Gondo debates whether to sacrifice his fortune for another man's child. His wife pleads for compassion; Aoki is paralyzed with guilt and desperation.
Act II
ConfrontationMirror World
Inspector Tokura and his team become Gondo's partners, representing society's moral structure. Their methodical police work contrasts with Gondo's emotional sacrifice, embodying justice and collective responsibility versus individual choice.
Premise
The police devise an elaborate plan to trace the ransom money. The kidnapper calls with instructions: Gondo must deliver 30 million yen on the express train to Osaka. Tension builds as they prepare briefcases with marked bills, install secret signals, and rehearse the exchange. The promise: a cat-and-mouse game between criminal and law.
Midpoint
On the speeding bullet train, Gondo throws the ransom briefcases from the window as instructed. The exchange is made, but the police lose sight of who retrieved the money. False defeat: the kidnapper has won this round, Gondo is ruined, and they have no leads.
Opposition
The film shifts from Gondo's mansion to the police investigation. Shinichi is released unharmed, but Gondo faces financial destruction and public resentment. The police methodically trace clues: the train route, a medical intern, heroin connections, and eventually surveillance of suspects in Yokohama's slums. The kidnapper remains ahead.
Collapse
Two addicts die from pure heroin overdoses—collateral deaths caused by the kidnapper's callousness. The whiff of death: innocent victims murdered to create a diversion. The kidnapper's evil is fully revealed as motiveless malice born of class resentment.
Crisis
The police intensify their dragnet through Yokohama's underbelly. Gondo, now destroyed financially, watches from the margins as society works to catch the man who ruined him. The investigation becomes a meditation on justice and inequality.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The police stage an elaborate trap, arresting Takeuchi with the marked ransom money. He confesses with chilling detachment: he kidnapped the child because he hated watching Gondo's wealth from his slum room. The trial proceeds; Takeuchi is convicted and sentenced to death.
Transformation
In prison, Gondo meets Takeuchi face-to-face through glass. The kidnapper breaks down, screaming that Gondo made him do it by flaunting his heaven while Takeuchi lived in hell. Gondo, now humble and stripped of wealth, walks away as Takeuchi is dragged to execution—a meditation on whether justice has been served or if both men are victims of inequality.