High and Low (1963), directed by Akira Kurosawa.
First review
The literal title is "Heaven and Hell".
Hard working millionaire Kingo Gondo (ToshirĂ´ Mifune) lives in an air-conditioned mansion high above the city ("heaven") while a smart but ruthless kidnapper watches him from the sweltering slums below ("hell").
In the first act, Gondo is maneuvering to take over the shoe company where he works. Crisis: his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and the extravagant ransom will ruin Gondo if he pays it. Should he or shouldn't he? Gondo is a pretty good guy, but we see a weakness of the strong-willed man of business: he always has a reason for what he wants to do, which clouds his judgment.
This part culminates in a riveting money drop from a train.
Act 2 is about the intensive, detailed police hunt for the criminal. We have a horrific visit to Dope Alley, where the junkies look like the living dead. At the end we get back to Gondo. He says he is the same man, but he actually seems a better one now. Such transformations are very expensive.
The criminal is an enigma to the end: was it money or envy? Mental illness or intentional wickedness? Society's fault or his own?
Adapted from Ed McBain's King's Ransom (1959), part of the long running 87th Precinct series. McBain claimed to have invented the type of police procedural novel where the squad room itself is like a main character and individuals rotate in and out. In the 1980s he started adding humorous jibes at Hill Street Blues, saying they were stealing his ideas and owed royalties.
Criterion DVD with a detailed and wide-ranging commentary track.
Since I began posting thumbnails, this is only the third scope aspect ratio black and white film I remember. The others were The Innocents (1961) and The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961). (Later: I encountered many more after this).
Second review
Notes:
It begins with what seems like the fashion trivia of women's shoes, but quickly moves into corporate warfare and takeover strategies.
Gondo is shrewd at this type of fighting, but -- unlike his associates -- he also loves the craft and wants to make a good product.
He wasn't going to call the police for his own son (too dangerous) but immediately does so when it turns out the chauffeur's son has been kidnapped.
Note that the police ignore the chauffeur when they first arrive. It is the rich man's show.
His dilemma is excruciating: pay the ransom and face ruin, or don't and sacrifice his chauffeur's son. His employee is a survival of the feudal retainer into the modern low-trust age. Loyalty goes both ways, bonding the master and servant.
The boy becomes a pawn in the corporate power struggle. The commentary track points out that those are yakuza calling in their loans. They will take his business.
Gondo turns the corner when he decides to pay and for a moment seems happy when he gets out his old shoe-making tools and fits the briefcases up with tracking packets. The police begin to appreciate him.
Unexpectedly, after the exciting money drop from the train Gondo leaves the story for a long time and the second act is a police procedural.
And it is a great story! The meticulous, inventive police work, the breakthrough and then the steady closing in on the criminal. As given in Casablanca (1942): Strasser: "In this case, you have no sympathy for the fox, huh?" Rick: "Not particularly. I understand the point of view of the hound, too".
Something you rarely see in film: the amazing types of knowledge ordinary people have. Here the train-men recognize the line just from a recording of background noise. It is obvious to them, the song each train and track make.
The police let their target drift for a while so they can build the case of a more severe crime against him. They didn't intend it, but this means another murder.
Finally: neither Kurosawa nor the police nor the audience are particularly fond of the rich businessmen in the story. Does this ally us with the criminal? His resentment drives the whole plot.
Available on Blu-ray from Criterion. The commentary track by Stephen Prince is carried forward from the DVD. It covers a lot of ground but is particularly strong on the visual design and camera work.