I spoil something significant that happens halfway through this film, so don't read this before watching it if that bothers you. The film opens with credits over a few atmospheric shots of a smoky, crowded city set to somber music. We find ourselves in a house standing at the top of a hill overlooking the city. The owner of the home, and the main character of High and Low , is Kingo Gondo, an executive of National Shoes, played by Toshiro Mifune. He and the other executives of National Shoes argue over whether it's better to make flimsy shoes that will cost less to make, or durable shoes that will cost more. The other executives insist on the former, arguing that shoes are an accessory. But Gondo insists that shoes need to be more than that: a shoe must carry all of a person's weight. This film could have also been called " Hats and Shoes " based on this scene. It's not just that the other executives are so out of touch that they can't se...
"We are in the world, not against it." - Ursula K. Le Guin