3 Brilliant Moments of Blocking (in Kurosawa's High and Low)

As much as camera movement is important to the storytelling of a film, blocking plays an equally vital role in communicating points of focus and attention. We're analyzing 3 brilliant moments in the beginning of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low.
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[@abhinavtiku4501]

When you see a Kurosawa film, you realize so many modern movie directors don't know how to stage drama.

[@Njbear7453]

That’s because there are no good Modern filmmakers

[@ignatiusjackson235]

​@@Njbear7453 Accurate hot take.

[@AlonsoRules]

@@Njbear7453 Paul Thomas Anderson is an example but he's more into epic films not stage drama

[@sebvaldez3467]

Hope they get a chance to be tutored by you

[@nbeutler1134]

@@Njbear7453 pretentious ass take lmao

[@mr.phillips]

Please more of this. The "Brilliant Moments" episodes that focus solely on one piece of the craft are my absolute favorite. It fills the hole that Every Frame a Painting left.

[@AugustGallmeyer1998]

Did that channel die or is it still going, last i checked they haven't uploaded in a few years.

[@mr.phillips]

President Theodore Roosevelt yea, sadly it’s done. Tony released a letter announcing it a while back.

[@MariaVosa]

@@mr.phillips I refuse to stop subscribing to him - I will hold out hope for another video til I die.

[@YouDice]

Absolutely. Best film channel on youtube. Hands down.

[@saiashwin26]

@@MariaVosa He did some video essays for filmstruck and some of them are included in Criterion releases too

[@Dmdmello]

this film is so criminally underrated it hurts

[@qtticus]

my favorite film of all time and no one has heard of it 😭

[@katmag8]

There is a 'remake' in the making. What the hell for.

[@clarkness77]

It's generally rated among his best films I don't find it underated at all

[@thengakola]

Kurosawa's most underrated film. Seven Samurai might be his most famous and influential, but this is a hidden gem. Even better film.

[@AugustGallmeyer1998]

I dunno, my personal favorite has always been "Ran" but I consider "Seven Samurai" to be his greatest achievement. But "High and Low" is definitely well crafted, and perhaps that's an understatement.

[@saiashwin26]

Kurosawa has several underrated films, I'd say Stray Dog is even more underrated. Great blocking in there too.

[@SamritpalSingh]

It's hard for me to choose my favourite of his film. Agree that Seven Samurai is his greatest achievement. If I had to choose one to be my personal favourite, it'll be Throne Of Blood.

[@jakobkristensen9445]

Both great films, but to me Rashomon is his Magnum Opus. It says so much about humanity and truth, and the storytelling is genius!

[@frandovian]

Ran and The Hidden Fortress is my favorite of his. but the majority of his work is a piece of art. i love that 50-60s feeling of quiet scene

[@bencarlson4300]

Kurosawa is most known as the “samurai guy” to most people, but some of his best works are in the crime drama genre, like this film, the Bad Sleep Well, and Stray Dog. Edit: and Drunken Angel

[@SLIDESPOT]

I agree but would add Drunken Angel to that mix

[@manojajithpanicker1691]

Finally someone said this. His noir movies are something else. More memorable than his samurai movies imo.

[@Andrew-jw4vc]

Aoki's positioning in this movie is so genius, he occupies the same space on screen that he occupies in Gondo's mind. He is always there, in a position that obviously places him in the background, but also in a space that our eyes can't help but continuously be drawn to. We can't help but keep glancing at him to see his reactions, even as he is simply standing there helpless for a chunk of the movie, he is still there, a visual representation of the human stakes of the story. It is the same for Gondo, Aoki's presence and grief is always hovering over him, never quite out of sight as he attempts to make a single decision that will determine his future. This movie, and Kurosawa in general, does such an incredible job at representing these things visually in a way that looks so flawless and natural

[@Brendan_0wl]

I'm not sure which is more incredible- Kurosawa's skill or the quality of the analysis by this channel; from one movie nerd to another: thank you

[@SergeGolikov]

I am a movie nerd since my teens and have always been a Director groupie. Kurosawa's "Dersu Uzala" and "Kagamusha"' remain my perennial favorites. I have to agree with your comment, is this a case of reading intention into something ipso facto? After the event!

[@42kellys]

You have to have a masterpiece first to be able to analyse it, don't you think? No question about it, it is Kurosawa's skill, but nonetheless we do appreciate this brilliant analysis.

[@Jimmy1982Playlists]

@@42kellys Thank you... But great analysis, great subject chosen! Nothing I love more than great analysis, except for great films... and Kurosawa, and _High & Low_ is just a *masterpiece.*

[@Jimmy1982Playlists]

@@SergeGolikov _Dersu Uzala_ is such an underseen gem... a maestro, in his later years, painting with the camera. Like most, I prefer the earlier work, but there's something about late-period Kurosawa that's so magnificent. I put him up there as one of the all-time greats, with Fellini, Kubrick, Welles and Bergman.

[@inacio2007]

lol youre fucking shitting us right.. the youtube review is great and all.. but do you really want to compare it to the work of one of the best directors of all time? LOL

[@kevinl20082008]

I read it some where that Kurusawa shots his films in a way that the editors rarely have to do too much edit. Amazing.

[@danortiz]

because he was his own Editor.

[@LuisSierra42]

@@danortiz Hehe, he was kind of an obsessive person, like Fincher or Kubrik

[@Emanuel-oz1kw]

Just like John Ford

[@Njbear7453]

A lot of his dialogue is exposition also

[@xanderfuhrer5736]

Akira Kurosawa is one of my favorite filmmakers. Always a joy to see videos on his work.

[@garrison6863]

The first twenty minutes of High and Low is almost an object lesson in how to direct a set piece. No flashy cutting, no off beat camera angles, no camera on dolly or steadicam. Kuroasawa does this by grouping and actor movement. When you see this on the widescreen, and if you understand cinema, its a real treat for the eye. Not to say the remarkable acting. Toshiro Mifune was one of the finest actors to ever grace the screen.

[@Waynimations]

I have not watched enough Kurosawa

[@jasondoe2596]

Thankfully, that can be rectified easily! _High and Low_ is an excellent intro to his gendai-geki films.

[@YouCallThataKnife253]

I agree with Jason, High and Low is a great starting point. I would also highly recommend _Stray_ _Dog_ , if you want to stay out of the samurai genre. My personal favorite film of his, is _Red_ _Beard_ , although I might save that one for when you're more accustomed to his work.

[@hitachicordoba]

Ikiru is another postwar era masterwork. Bring lots of Kleenex.

[@adamyribarren3753]

I would highly suggest Ran. Best movie epic of all time. Completely changed my perspective of what film can and should be.

[@quents]

seven samurai BORED me #overrated

[@georgevalley1319]

Kurosawa, one of those directors who doesn't even need an editor...badass.

[@IsakIsakov]

This movie is mindblowing in details. The telephone scene at the beginning, I think it is almost 10 minutes long, captured in one take. Amazing work by all actors, especially Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai. High and Low is one of my favorite Kurosawa films and, yes, it is probably the most underrated he's ever made. I guess the reason is it's set in then modern 60's Japan era and people mostly associate Kurosawa with samurai themes. Another modern film - The Bad Sleep Well, which is less entertaining than High and Low, is full of legendary shots and still it goes unmentioned. For me it is a directing masterpiece. Thanks for this video, I'm definitely watching this film again these days, haven't seen it in almost a decade.

[@johntaylor8463]

Got a feeling Kurasawa was massively into theatre.

[@tl8211]

The Bad Sleep Well is fantastic technically and each shot is amazing (with one of the best performances I have seen in Kurosawa too), but I think High and Low has much more heart and less cynicism. It just made me angry.

[@coopersavva2689]

Can you turn this in to some sort of Kurosawa series? Please!!! Maybe videos on performance, editing, scripting, composition, anything! Awesome video btw

[@gjford1951]

Kurosawa's women!

[@sw3aty_forte]

@@gjford1951 ?

[@user-hm5zb1qn6g]

High and Low is exemplary in the way Kurosawa moves his characters around in the high rise. If you're watching it even as a lay observer you know something special is going on. But this youtube essay does an amazing job of breaking down why it's so great. Bravo!

[@thekingofcool2105]

Probably Kurosawa's most underrated piece. I don't like how the movie wraps up, but High and low sure is the perfect example for blocking theme.

[@jasondoe2596]

I *love* how it wraps up, because the tonal change is unexpected and even jarring, but _interesting_ and thematically coherent. I can see why someone wouldn't like it, though. Anyway, yeah, a masterpiece.

[@MitchellHammond]

Agree Jason, love how it wraps up and especially that final shot.

[@cinemacola6398]

I love the way it wraps up! It made me sympathize with the bad guy and get where he was coming from.

[@JohaQ]

Fun fact: The wire that the kidnapper, Takeuchi, grabs during the last scene was electrified, unbeknownst to the actor, Tsutomu Yamazaki.

[@st3amb0a7]

I also love the ending and generally adore how the second act shifts in to police procedural, only to return to Gondo as a very different person.

[@martinlauzon1971]

With the last example, I feel too many modern directors would have been afraid of the audience's attention span, or try to over-stylise, and resort to a multitude of short closeups and awkward angles. Very nice video, Cinefix at its best!!

[@yasao_art]

I don't even know half of the movies you are talking about, but I always watch your videos nonetheless. It teaches me so many things I can also use as an artist to plan my compositions. Thank you ♥

[@jasondoe2596]

Composition is key to Kurosawa's films - he was also a painter after all!

[@JPGoss]

I'd actually rather watch videos on movies I don't know about yet. I've still not seen any (heavily recommended by CineFix) Tarkovsky films, but they're high on my to do list.

[@audiovisual51]

You should seriously watch some Kurosawa if you haven't already.

[@yasao_art]

@@audiovisual51 So far I only watched his masterpiece "Seven Samurai" and I loved it. I also plan on watching "Yojimbo". :)

[@Barot8]

High and Low is so underrated. It's excellent.

[@sagarsaxena6318]

'High and Low' is such an under-rated Kurosawa movie. Such a tight script and so engrossing. I watched it without any breaks!

[@Alenthas]

i don't know much about filmmaking, i knew blocking was a thing but i never knew how much meaning you can infer just through blocking. things like this are very inspiring and humbling

[@saiashwin26]

The entire first 1 hour of High and Low (1963) is a masterclass in staging,blocking,drama,tension on the whole great storytelling.

[@donavin51]

WOW! This brilliant explanation was amazing. I nearly cried just watching those scenes.

[@TheRulerRoderickSutton]

Kurosawa is my Favorite Director of ALL TIME. "HIGH & LOW" is my favorite film by him ("Seven Samurai" a close second).

[@SamritpalSingh]

One of my favourite Kurosawa film. First half was just in the studio, 2nd half outdoor. The best detective crime story ever.

[@WildeFyre69]

As someone who binge-watches channels like yours after I find them, you should know that having your list in reverse chronological order makes it MUCH easier to watch your shows from beginning to end.

[@Beofware]

I just saw this movie for the first time 2 days ago, and I have been religiously watching the extras on the Bluray and watching KZbin videos about it. This is one of the most superb films I've ever seen. Everyone in this film plays their role so perfectly. The camera work (as you show) is fantastic. The screenplay is actually a bit more interesting and nuanced than the source material. Bravo, Mr. Kurosawa. Bravo.

[@chitown1782]

Amazing performances from Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai!

[@KBrianO]

12 Angry Men and Rope are the first movies came into my mind while watching High and Low

[@eliocurybenazzi6438]

Cinefix is one of those channels that puzzles me... When I'm pretty sure I'm kidda saturated of your lists and tops, there is a brilliant analises of KUROSAWA's BLOCKING! I means come on, this video was way to good... keep up, Cinefix, you guys know what you are talking about! Cheers

[@carlosarata8645]

CineFix , you are truly the best of what KZbin can be. You put on a masterclass of a video essay with this one. Well done gang 👏

[@Kavilion]

This is my favorite channel, and this might be the finest work you’ve done. Thank you to everyone involved in these wonderful videos.

[@CH-sl5eq]

Videos like this make me want to go to film school. Even though I generally love movies, I never knew that much thought went into virtually every single frame. I just thought you had your set, got your actors, everyone said their lines, the cameraman filmed it and the director yelled action and cut.

[@ysucae]

feed my addiction to good craftmanship and in-depth analysis please

[@MrBeastknows]

5:38 thank you for that amazing use of example. Really solidified your point even more. Loved that.

[@beccaandrews3160]

Kurosawa and Mifune were truly two of the greats! High and Low is criminally underrated. If its not already, this should be taught as a lesson in how to master blocking and craft a great crime thriller!

[@angelkalathas]

The commentary of the third scene gave me goosebumps. So many subliminal messages. It's genious!

[@eartha6110]

So excited when I realized there was a new movie list. Made my day!! I really enjoy the in-depth dissection of scenes, whole films, character arcs, basically all of it! Looking forward to more content

[@JohaQ]

For a long time I considered Seven Samurai my favorite Kurosawa film, but then I watched High and Low one day and that changed immediately. Having seen the entirety of Kurosawa's filmography at this point, High and Low still ranks as #1 for me. I still have a lot to learn about the nuances of filmmaking, and there are still hundreds of phenomenal films out there that I need to watch, but I know that High and Low will forever remain among my top five favorite films of all time. Thank you for another profound analysis, Cinefix. These videos (along with those by other great channels) are my film school, and I will definitely be rewatching these for years to come.

[@jderrida69]

The whole if High and Low is an education.

[@ronin_0421]

Thank you cinefex I am always drawn to the placement of the characters and how they tell their own story throughout those scenes in his living room!! Classic

[@oktg91]

came home drunk night to my parents house years back, this movie was on tcm, ended staying top til 5 am watching the whole thing. one of the few movies I actually own, such a classic poor Aoki

[@liefonthewind]

I like this kind of deep dive into specific subjects

[@lore0001]

You can't understand how much I love this channel

[@hosseinjozjavadi2806]

Only God Knows how many times I got to watch these groundbreaking movies to focus on just one distinctive element and learn more! Great job, so many thanks CineFix!

[@Jared-qy1jh]

Great video, and a fantastic Film. I recently watched High and Low and was enthralled by the blocking in the first half of the film. I couldn't explain why it was so good, but this video was a great brief analysis into it. Time to go watch it again!

[@anthonyeaton9049]

Fantastic video on the whole, but this format is also excellent. Focusing on a singular mechanism, tool, or trend of cinema with key examples. Would love to see more like this.

[@noticias6111]

Part of me would not be surprised if what is said about blocking here can be re-applied to analyzing anime.

[@drewbrumfield2254]

I love how you guys can entertain and teach me at the same time. Love this channel

[@SpaceStormy]

Who else got a bit emotional watching this

[@Nimbereth]

Kurosawa was a genius.

[@YouHaveBeenWatchingFilms]

I love Kurosawa and it's clearly been too long since I last saw High and Low. Definitely need to re-watch it. Really appreciate seeing more videos on blocking of scenes on KZbin too, would love to see Cinefix do more.

[@greebo7857]

What a brilliant channel this is. KZbin's recommendations usually suck, but this one is gold.

[@fenrisulfr88]

Kurosawa is truly a master. Loved this vid

[@Williambo218]

Bloody brilliant! Dare I say this is the best one you've made so far? (and I've been following the channel since the early days)

[@Corndog4382]

The production value here is top notch. Fantastic video

[@arashsani6719]

the way you describe and analyse movies makes me so hype!! thank you for great videos

[@mikelombard21]

These videos and this channel are my favorite things on youtube is so informative and superbly made i cannot speak more highly of the quality and content. Love you guys and gals! Great video as always.

[@ivaraaroy]

This is the kind of video that made me instantly sub to CineFix. Your analyzing of movies, has made me even more of a movie lover. Thanks for your fantastic work

[@itsadaoj]

absolutely exceptional work

[@matthewharris3898]

Fascinating. A Master of his craft doing his work masterfully.

[@user-fx6xt3gs4e]

Thank you for uploading this vid! It is much more helpful than those courses in film schools. Specially in the theories and examples you point out. Good vid bro!

[@thirdeyeunltd]

Thank you for making such nuances visible

[@Akamos11]

Kurosawa’s films have always startled me with with how well intentioned every scene, movement, line, etc is. It’s pure joy to watch.

[@xanderfuhrer5736]

I love this new style! Great first video of 2019. Thanks Cinefix!

[@nedwilliamson5444]

I’m so excited High And Low is getting some well deserved attention. Great Job Cinefix

[@joroman2k]

I think the fact that you are able to dissect this scene the way you did is just as impressive as Kurosawa creating it. He is brilliant indeed Thank you for such amazing insights. It will be difficult to view films the same way after seeing this video (that's a good thing :)

[@TheGoodfella2012]

Spectacular stuff Cinefix!!

[@TheCreepypro]

not just a good video but further lets me appreciate how good a film maker Kurosawa is things like these three shots are so rare now a days in most films

[@hector6715]

Cinefix is the best film teacher I've ever had, and probably, ever will have!! ❤

[@shensong8271]

I really love this video. It shows the techniques in an understandable and approachable way. I need more of these kind of videos to teach me how to appreciate movies.

[@Mattteus]

The final scene of this movie scared the crap out of me. It should for anyone who spends time online.

[@MoarRushPl0x]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us and putting in the effort to share your thoughts.

[@Brehat29]

Totally awesome demonstration. Brilliant !

[@ceeryle]

Blocking and staging are some of the most underutilized techniques in film. More directors should take note of this and apply it. Simply masterful.

[@ceeryle]

@Akash Akks Go watch a standard Hollywood movie and observe how the characters use the space and how they move throughout it. If you pay attention, you'll see how little movement there is. Most of it is just wide shot-> medium shot-> reverse shot, rinse and repeat. very little movement or dynamism from the actors, the camera, any of it. Kurosawa understood the power of characters filling the space and taking advantage of every single inch of the frame, which is a skill even other masters of film ignore.

[@georgemorley1029]

You can stop the very best films at any point in time and the image you are looking at is composed as beautifully as a painting.

[@fffUUUUUU]

Brilliant. Breathtaking.

[@dragonsrkool]

Loved this video on blocking. If you guys decided to make more I would be happy to watch them.

[@horrornado9121]

These are some of the best Film essays on KZbin. So glad those old videos have stopped (Badass and Filmstip). This stuff is great!

[@st3amb0a7]

Thanks for highlighting this. High and Low is one of my absolute favourite films and is criminally ignored for the most part. If you felt like doing something on The Bad Sleep Well that would be ok with me too!

[@buddyvillaruel]

Speechless.

[@Hundeputzmunter]

I'm already looking forward to the rest of the blocking videos....and I never thought I'd ever say that

[@haineshisway]

What you of course fail to mention is that what he's doing here (Kurosawa) is all the more remarkable because he's filming this sequence with multiple cameras. That's the real genius, blocking for multiple cameras, not just one angle.

[@dantebad]

is mesmerizing how a simple take one can see as any normal shot on a movie you guys make it so amazingly profound and make us understand a little better about how amazing (and complicated) the work of a film director is. I wanna thank you Cinefix. without you guys.... I would stick to keep watching the same movies over and over again.

[@JK-ot6kb]

I didn't know what the term "blocking" meant in theatrical terms before watching this video. Leaning new things everyday, Thanks CineFix!

[@kdshow82]

Thank you for the great videos, you open our eyes for things we see but dont notice

[@1989eol]

THIS is what I subscribed for! Good work!

[@andrewkigen]

That was awesome! Thanks for this!

[@mimoooo]

great video, great analysis, great topic, one can see you take your time on doing these, keep doing that

[@RileyZilla1001]

Thanks guys, you do not disappoint.

[@micr0chap]

A masterfully effective and dynamic shot.

[@Mickey-bo6cv]

High and Low is amazing and this video is really well made. Thank you.

[@technotaoist72]

One of the questions of 360 VR filmmaking is how to get the audience to look where you want. This shows that a director/ cinematographer/ editor have more options than just the frame to guide the eye.

[@dzejlav1324]

CineFix coming through with quality content again 👌

[@tatomoreno6482]

This is the best blocking video i've seen, Thank you!

[@davidlevy4291]

Some of the greatest blocking/mise en scene in film history. The spacial relations between the characters are never contrived and always develop organically out of what the characters would most plausibly do in relation to the action and narrative while simultaneously maintaining symbolic connotations regarding their status and relationships to each other....Masterpiece

[@marmeecruz6191]

Well done and brilliantly explained! Kudos!

[@galichehe]

Gosh this was so educational and made me run straight to watch this movie, truly enhanced my experience thank you so much for this video

[@javisolis9781]

More Brilliant Moments of Blocking PLEASE!!!!

[@511dydy]

Thanks for the lesson Cinefix!

[@mamadoritos]

This was truly a great Cinema lesson. Thank you so much!

[@OneRedFeatherStudios.]

Great video once again. Huge...huge kudos.

[@andysimmons2648]

Thank you, that was a fantastic video explaining blocking wi some marvellous examples.