Opposite Mifune as Inspector Tokura is Tatsuya Nakadai . He's a study in contrast to Mifune. An icy stare often creates a feeling of indifference in his characters, but Kurosawa uses the actor brilliantly. Tokura lays out the situation with dispassionate precision, emphasizing the chasm Gondo must straddle to retain his business. High and Low plays out mostly in the confines of the luxurious Gondo apartment overlooking the city.
Setting plays an important part in the film.
The cramped quarters act as a vise on Gondo, as the pressure builds. The camera work of the city includes one startling effect, borrowed by Stephen Spielberg in Schindler's List , but used to perfection by Kurosawa. Kurosawa's rhythms are superb. The intercutting between the kidnapper and victims builds tension, just as the music by Masaru Sato underscores the powerful drama. Ron Howard the Mel Gibson vehicle Ransom from the same material, but it's beefed up with action to suit the star.