Spike Lee (Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods) is a filmmaker I adore in magnitudes that words would only fail to describe. He’s a filmmaker so driven on putting his entire being into their film is commendable and should be celebrated more.
High and Low, the masterpiece from Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Ryūzo Kikushima, and Eijirō Hisaita, didn’t need reinvention. With Highest 2 Lowest, the modern spin from executive producer Spike Lee and Alan Fox, Lee doesn’t seek to reinvent, but rather inject himself in the things that he loves. Music, ownership, creativity, New York City, the New York Yankees — all things that he has never been shy about sharing his love of. With Highest 2 Lowest, we get an intimate look into the mind of Spike Lee. Fortunately, we also get a pretty good movie to go with it.
Discussion
Highest 2 Lowest follows music executive David King (Denzel Washington) as he is about to embark on a journey of self-reflection, reinvention, and crime-fighting after an unknown individual steals his chauffeur’s son and asks for a large ransom. The original plot of High and Low is mostly intact. That is, until it goes into a different direction after the initial issue is resolved. I won’t divulge details to not impede on your personal experience with the film. However, the change was a welcome addition that makes sense in terms of the themes being explored within the film itself.
Spike Lee’s Cinematic Rhetoric
What sets the original High and Low apart from Spike Lee’s spin is intentionality. High and Low is a slick police thriller that examines ideas of envy, corporate greed, and the valuation of a human life. Highest 2 Lowest examines these ideas while adding ideas of artistic ownership, creative intent, and responsibility to oneself and others. While everything shines through as it should, no theme is truly nailed or sticks with viewers once the credits roll. Highest 2 Lowest is about a lot of things, to a fault. Yet, it doesn’t negate the quality of the moments within the film itself.
The entire film takes place in modern-day New York City. As someone who resides here, specifically around the area where most of the film takes place in Brooklyn, it was a surreal viewing experience. The way things were shot and panned over by director of photography Matthew Libatique (She Hate Me, Inside Man, Chi-Raq) washes the viewer in the love Spike Lee has for the city. Even the Bronx staircase that most people know from Todd Phillips and Scott Silver’s Joker was in the Highest 2 Lowest (and frankly, the Bronx staircase was done better in this movie). The ‘Boston Sucks’ chant, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, shots of each train station along the subway line — all working within the plot.
The High and Low of Highest 2 Lowest
In the case of Highest 2 Lowest, there is an issue of ‘two movies’ occurring during the runtime. Furthermore, the movie seemed to have ended multiple times, marking it for inconsistent pacing as it comes to a close. The first half is overly drawn out, the dilemma at hand taking a lot of time to settle in. It isn’t that far off from the original High and Low, which examines human value and class disparity. However, it seemed to make little sense in Highest 2 Lowest, which involves the protagonist and one of his lifelong friends. After that, and once the subway sequence begins, the movie begins to throttle until everything is wrapped up. At which point, it is a jerking ‘start and stop’ feel until the credits officially roll.
Highest 2 Lowest isn’t Spike Lee’s tightest film, but it is him at his most personable. It’s as if Spike brought us in and told us all about the things that he loves. He does so without reservation, and as eagerly as he can. Spike Lee’s other films never shy away from expressing his love for New York, music, or whatever else. With that in mind, it has never been so on display before. To an extent, the expression of love is messy, inconsistent, and doesn’t serve a greater purpose here. But Spike is known for meandering at times, much to the benefit of the overall charm of the film. It’s not entirely lost here, either. Highest 2 Lowest is a stylish and charming movie, faults and all, and is one that benefits from a rowdy crowd (preferably in New York City if you’re in the area).
Final Thoughts on Highest 2 Lowest
How does this compare to High and Low? If you, like me, watched this for the first time a week prior to watching Highest 2 Lowest, it is an unflattering side-by-side. Kurosawa blows out Lee and Fox’s rendition by a country mile. With that said, Highest 2 Lowest‘s charm and energy are incredible and are big drivers as to why I would wholeheartedly recommend this. You’re not going to come out of this profoundly knocked off your feet. Still, you won’t come out of it having taken nothing away at all. The themes are surface-level yet ponder topics of great modern importance. Highest 2 Lowest is a showcase of Spike Lee’s talent and command behind the camera. Moreover, it’s a slam dunk at the movies and should be seen before being dumped onto Apple TV+.
RATING: 7/10
Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest is now playing in select theaters and will stream via Apple TV+ on September 5th!
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