The highly privileged are never going to escape the harsh scrutiny of the underprivileged, no matter how benevolent they are — or appear to be. Some of us tend to rejoice when they are struck by misfortune. It’s human nature. Why should we feel empathy for the rich and powerful? They'll ask. We are the real victims, they'll say. But what if the individual sitting in his ivory tower is a Black man who arrived at that place after much struggle? What if this man has a sense of integrity? What if this man resists the impulse to fall prey to unhealthy modern trends such as AI and influencer culture, and instead chooses to follow his instincts as he once did?
Denzel Washington's David King is a music mogul who takes a while to get used to. Is he supposed to be a likable figure? Of course. But Spike Lee has always been a filmmaker who, through his stories, made us aware of the foibles of even the nicest people, and in the process, made us aware of our own egos, biases, and contradictions. The characters in his films may not always make the right choices. They may suffer some personal or financial losses. However, they are sincere and may have the talent for spotting and acknowledging real talent, as in the case of David King. In that regard, King is much like Toshiro Mifune's Kingo Gondo, the character from Akira Kurosawa's 'High and Low', of which 'Highest 2 Lowest' is a remake. And what a remake it is!
Given the knowledge of Lee botching the remake of another acclaimed foreign-language film, 'Oldboy', there was naturally an understandable concern when it was announced that he was going to do another. However, 'Highest 2 Lowest' is, to me, a case of a remake done right. Some Kurosawa purists may dismiss this film, but I found Lee's choices remarkable.
Take, for instance, how he approaches the film's original score (by Howard Grossin). On first listen, the first thought that's going to pop up: Is this really "thriller" music? I didn't find the choice awkward; rather, I welcomed the calming effect the film's soundtrack had on me. Some might find the idea of using such a score for a story that involves kidnapping, ransom, and policemen, ridiculous. I don't. Let's remember that the film comes from the same man who chose to open another one of his peculiar thrillers, 'Inside Man' — a film that involved a heist and a hostage situation — with the addictive "Chaiyya Chaiyya" from the A.R. Rahman-composed soundtrack of the Bollywood film 'Dil Se'. The music used in 'Highest 2 Lowest' isn't one that normally finds a place in a chaos-filled narrative. Can you imagine a brief music video featuring the main villain? Lee does just that. He doesn't give a f***.
And it's only fitting that Lee chose to be unconventional and original with regard to the music, because, after all, 'Highest 2 Lowest' happens to have a music mogul for a protagonist, who found success because of his original choices. At one point, King's teenage son mentions “50 Grammy award winners” who found a break because of his father. That's another area where Lee's remake is different from the excellent original (and, of course, Ed Bain's source novel 'King's Ransom'): the father-son bonds, to which Lee pays more attention, unlike Kurosawa, who focused more on the procedural aspects. Both welcome approaches, I’d say.
In this upgrade, the sons are not kids, but grown-ups who totally grasp the gravity of the situation, namely, the kidnapping and the after-effects that could potentially taint King's reputation and credibility. After all, Kurosawa's film didn't have to acknowledge the behaviour of social media when an individual of King's stature, who has been on multiple covers, is involved. At one point, he tells his son to ignore social media chatter. The son tells him it's impossible.
In depicting an "old-school" figure like King, perhaps Lee and his longtime muse are making a statement about their own positions in today's Instagram, TikTok, and X/Twitter-addled world. One character points out that "attention is the most valuable currency." How do a filmmaker like Lee and an actor like Denzel stay relevant? Will they get enough attention from youngsters who are yet to discover them? Or are they going to be relevant only in the eyes of the '80s and '90s kids who grew up mindblown by their cinema? Are they content with the fact that they don't have as many followers as some of the younger crop of actors and influencers (or influencer-turned-actor)? Do they believe in valuing relationships above wealth and fame?
As a 90s kid who is a hardcore fan of both, I've to say, 'Highest 2 Lowest' is more than just a showcase of Lee and Washington's talents—it's a thoughtful meditation on art, integrity, and the tension between old-school values and modern pressures. This makes it, in my view, not only one of their most accomplished works but also among the year's best. Grace, elegance, and old-school charm are found throughout, from thematically resonant establishing shots to the carefully staged character interactions. Suffice to say, cinematographer Matthew Libatique understood the assginment.
It also boasts some of the most striking production design I've seen this year. Interestingly, all the beauty presented before us starkly contrasts with the characters' emotions at any given time. Perhaps Lee doesn't want the music and images to influence or force unidirectional interpretations. I believe these were deliberate filmmaking choices to maintain a distance between us and the events, to allow our own individual interpretations. Had he done otherwise, it would've looked like every other film that has been coming out lately. With 'Highest 2 Lowest', Lee proves again why he is truly one of a kind.
Film: Highest 2 Lowest
Director: Spike Lee
Cast: Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, ASAP Rocky
Rating: 5/5