High and Low

Year: 1963

Runtime: 143 min

Language: Japanese

Director: Akira Kurosawa

DramaMysteryThrillerCrime

A wealthy industrialist’s life is thrown into turmoil when his son is kidnapped and a ransom demanded. Faced with an impossible choice, he must decide whether to pay the exorbitant sum or sacrifice the boy to protect his company and his family's future. This gripping thriller, directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune, explores themes of class, morality, and the devastating consequences of desperate choices in post-war Japan.

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Timeline & Setting – High and Low (1963)

Explore the full timeline and setting of High and Low (1963). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Last Updated: January 18, 2025 at 14:33

Main Characters – High and Low (1963)

Meet the key characters of High and Low (1963), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Last Updated: January 18, 2025 at 14:33

Major Themes – High and Low (1963)

Explore the central themes of High and Low (1963), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: January 18, 2025 at 14:33

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Moral dilemma thrillers like High and Low

Stories where a single devastating choice defines the character's fate.If you liked the impossible choice in High and Low, explore more movies like it where characters face devastating moral decisions. These similar tense dramas and thrillers explore the heavy cost of high-stakes choices, often pitting personal ethics against external pressures.

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Narrative Summary

The story is constructed around a single, pivotal decision point that creates immediate, high-stakes conflict. The plot unfolds as a direct consequence of this choice, exploring its emotional, ethical, and practical ramifications on the characters and their world. The focus is on the deliberation and the fallout.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a central narrative engine: an impossible moral choice. They are united by their intense focus on character ethics under extreme pressure, the heavy emotional weight of the consequences, and a tone of serious, often tense, deliberation.

Procedural crime thrillers like High and Low

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a logical, often linear progression as characters work through a problem systematically. The drama comes from the meticulous details, the small breakthroughs, and the mounting pressure as the procedure unfolds. It's a journey of deduction and persistence against obstacles.

Why These Movies?

These movies are connected by their reliance on a procedural structure to generate tension. They share a steady, deliberate pacing, a tone of focused realism, and a satisfaction derived from watching a complex problem being methodically unraveled, often against a clock.

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High and Low Summary

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High and Low Timeline

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High and Low Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About High and Low

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