High and Low
天国と地獄
“Stark, intense drama almost beyond belief!”
Synopsis
A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
High and Low (1963) Original Trailer [4K]
Type: Trailer • Published 2023-06-30
Top Cast
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Toshirō Mifune
Kingo Gondo
Tatsuya Nakadai
Chief Detective Tokura
Kyōko Kagawa
Reiko Gondo
Tatsuya Mihashi
Kawanishi, Gondo's secretary
Isao Kimura
Detective Arai
Kenjirō Ishiyama
Chief Detective 'Bos'n' Taguchi
Takeshi Katō
Detective Nakao
Takashi Shimura
Chief of Investigation Section
Jun Tazaki
Kamiya, National Shoes Publicity Director
Nobuo Nakamura
Ishimaru, National Shoes Design Department Director
Yūnosuke Itō
Baba - National Shoes Executive
Tsutomu Yamazaki
Ginjirô Takeuchi - Medical Intern
Minoru Chiaki
First Reporter
Eijirō Tōno
Factory Worker
Masao Shimizu
Prison Warden
Yutaka Sada
Aoki - the Chauffeur
Masahiko Shimazu
Shinichi Aoki
Toshio Egi
Jun Gondo
Release History & Theatrical Window
Eiga-Sai Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
November 26, 1963
Wide Cinema Exhibition
September 20, 2008
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$250K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
Pending
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Akira Kurosawa
- Screenplay & Story
- Eijiro Hisaita, Ryuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, Akira Kurosawa
- Original Score
- Masaru Satō
- Original Title
- 天国と地獄
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 2h 22m
- Production Budget
- $250K
- Production Studios
- TOHO, Kurosawa Production
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Akira Kurosawa
Eijiro Hisaita, Ryuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, Akira Kurosawa, Evan Hunter
Masaru Satō
Takao Saitō, Asakazu Nakai
Akira Kurosawa
Tomoyuki Tanaka, Ryuzo Kikushima
Department Leadership Roster
Yoshirō Muraki
Production Design
Eijiro Hisaita
Screenplay
Takao Saitō
Director of Photography
Akira Kurosawa
Director
Ryuzo Kikushima
Screenplay
Hideo Oguni
Screenplay
Akira Kurosawa
Screenplay
Asakazu Nakai
Director of Photography
Miyuki Suzuki
Costume Design
Tomoyuki Tanaka
Producer
Ryuzo Kikushima
Producer
Masaru Satō
Original Music Composer
Akira Kurosawa
Editor
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
Suitable only for 12 years and over.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for High and Low.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring High and Low.
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films. Ranks narrative feature films by average member rating (minimum 25,000 ratings). Excludes documentaries, shorts, and TV series. Letterboxd 官方 Top 500 电影榜单： 根据用户平均评分排名的剧情长片（最低2.5万评价门槛）。已排除纪录片、短片及剧集。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-20 07:35:26 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-20 07:30:02 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About High and Low
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is High and Low about?
A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.
Who directed High and Low?
High and Low was directed by Akira Kurosawa.
Who stars in High and Low?
The principal cast of High and Low includes Toshirō Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Kyōko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Isao Kimura.
When was High and Low released and how long is it?
High and Low was released in 1963 with a total runtime of 2h 22m.
Who composed the musical score for High and Low?
The original motion picture soundtrack for High and Low was composed by Masaru Satō.
Is High and Low based on a book or true story?
High and Low is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Evan Hunter".
What is the age rating and content advisory for High and Low?
High and Low holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); GB: 12 (Suitable only for 12 years and over.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).