High and Low

Mifune stars as a wealthy industrialist, Kingo Gondo, whose family becomes the target of a ruthless kidnapper in Kurosawa's exemplary film noir. When Gondo's son is kidnapped, he is of course willing to pay the ransom to ensure his safe return. However, when it's discovered that it was accidentally the son of his chauffeur that was abducted, is the cost of the child's life still worth it? Based on Ed McBain's detective novel King's Ransom, High and Low is both a riveting thriller and a brilliant commentary on contemporary Japanese society.