Entre le ciel et l'enfer

A very good crime movie based on a book by Ed McBain and at the same time probably the best movie by Kurosawa that isn’t set in the times of feudal Japan. The greatest asset of this movie isn’t so much the suspenseful story, but the marvelous actors and almost flawless storytelling structure. The first fifty-two minutes take place in one room with just a couple of actors. But this seemingly low-key story about a man in an insolvable situation turns into an exterior-set detective movie where we leave the original storyline and then follow the investigations on the case in great detail on all fronts, only to return to see what impact this has on the life of a single person. A charismatic Mifune excels in the role of rich man of affairs and the others aren’t very far behind him; which is refreshing in the middle part of the movie where Mifune almost makes no appearance at all. The first two hours of High and Low definitely deserve a full score. Unfortunately the creators didn’t know where to stop and so the last twenty minutes of the movie are unnecessary and needless. But even so, this must be one of Japan’s best ever crime movies. (07/02/2007)

The wily playmaker Kurosawa excels once again, this time in an unknown but still utter classic of the detective genre. The first half, set behind the drawn curtains of a single suite, is purely Hitchcockian in atmosphere, but even more psychologically refined than the master of horror; the characters behave very believably given the situation and show exactly the emotions a rational viewer would expect in any similar story. The second half is an unrelenting detective ride, where the process of investigation, gathering clues, interrogation and final follow-up is a far more significant experience than the vast majority of Sherlock Holmes films, thanks to a smart script, likeable actors and, of course, brilliant and brisk direction. And all of this is naturally interwoven with important ideas about the social hatred that the financial underclass suffered towards the staggeringly wealthy individuals of the time. In this case, Kurosawa has extracted a rather subtle, but bulletproof plausible criminal motive, for which a whole host of A-list screenwriters today would sell their soul to the Devil. In the end, not just a classic, but the top of its genre. 100% (24/09/2015)

The movie, contrary to many enthusiastic comments, didn't have as strong of an impact on me as I expected. As a detective story, it was somewhat straightforward, and the different cultural backgrounds also seemed disturbing to me. However, from the perspective of portraying cultural differences, especially collective perception, Heaven and Hell, along with Kurosawa's classic advantages - excellent camera work and editing, is a decent above-average film. Compared to Kurosawa's medieval films, I was pleasantly surprised by the civilian acting of his actors. Overall impression: 65%. (11/07/2008)