da best police procedural: 'High and Low' (Kurosawa, 1963)
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Crime
Paul P. Powell — 6 months ago(September 12, 2025 03:47 AM)
I saw it for the first time this past summer.
Had long heard of its reputation, of course, but –you know how it is –it's always hard to believe something can be as good as it sounds. "Hype" is never real.
Nevertheless, my thoughts keep returning to it in the months which have passed since.
Not sure I can do it justice in these brief paragraphs.
Basically:
As many thrillers as I've seen, there are very few which (as the saying goes),
"had me glued to my seat"
. This one did.
I experienced that very rare sensation,
"unable to tear myself away".
Know what I mean? This is exactly what happened.
It's highly unusual for me to encounter a movie –and airing it in my own crib –would keep me fixed to the story unfolding.
Usually, there is always something to tend to which makes me rise and dart to another room, dart back. Even if just to refresh my drink, or dash to the loo to drain a whizzle.
Allow me to repeat what I stated above. I've seen scads upon scads of crime thrillers, piles upon piles of detective dramas, acres upon acre of police procedurals.
But the plot in this instance is so riveting, so brisk, so rapid-fire that I didn't want to break the spell. The story moves at express-train speed.
So. Thinking back over all the different varieties of police thriller I've seen, I am prepared to stand behind this flick as '
best of breed
'.
This is no small potatoes. I don't ladle out such lavish praise very freely.
Unreserved, unstinting kudos in this case. Best crime drama I've ever seen.
Paul P. Powell, Pool Player -
Paul P. Powell — 6 months ago(September 15, 2025 03:01 AM)
I see three replies to my OP so far but I have no idea what their content is. These posters must be on my blocked list.
That must mean they are very wayward, lawless reprobates indeed.
Paul P. Powell, Pool Player