Akira Kurosawa’s film, High and Low, was a movie I had never watched. That is, until I knew I would be covering Highest 2 Lowest, filmmaker Spike Lee’s interpretation of the same story that inspired one of Japan’s more iconic filmmakers to adapt it for cinema. While watching High and Low, I was absolutely riveted. It was one of those films that I wished I had watched many years ago, and revisited multiple times after that. After experiencing the original movie adaptation of the novel, King’s Ransom by Ed McBain, I was ready to see what Spike Lee had to bring to his version of this story.
I love the work of Spike Lee. That is, I have enjoyed and respected several of his movies since I first watched Do the Right Thing back in the 1980s. That said. I like Highest 2 Lowest overall; however, Spike is often distracted by his style and the goals he wishes to accomplish for his legacy. Highest 2 Lowest is less a movie about a botched kidnapping and the implications of the characters involved, and is overshadowed by all of the elements that Lee wants to incorporate in his films. Spike Lee loves New York City, and I know he wishes to celebrate his home and recognize all of the things that make it great, in addition to its flaws. And that’s precisely what dillutes this movie from having the same impact as Kurosawa’s use of this story as an examination of Japan during the era in which it was released.
Denzel Washington stars as David King, a wealthy, powerful, and talented music mogul whose record company is going through some radical changes. Though his label has had great success for decades, the current state of the music business has taken a toll on his company. To salvage his label and his career, King decides to gamble his wealth and the money of some lenders to buy out the company before it gets sold to someone else. Right before the deal is about to happen, a botched abduction, intended to kidnap his son, Trey (Aubrey Joseph), ends up involving the son of his closest confidant and employee, Paul Christopher (Jeffrey Wright). This confusion proves to be a moral dilemma for King, as he must decide whether to pay the ransom for someone who isn’t his son or keep his record label as his own.
This film looks gorgeous. I enjoyed the cinematography by Matthew Libatique and the use of music in the movie. I even laughed at the use of some of Lee’s trademark elements for which he is known. However, because he tries so hard to give this movie his style, these elements overshadow the story’s core and its characters. We all get it, Spike. You love New York! You love the mix of cultures that thrive there. You love your New York sports teams, but shoving these loves down the audience’s throats does a great disservice to the source material. This heavy-handed love letter to NYC dilutes the impact of what could have been a commentary on generational differences and the division that exists between the wealthy and the impoverished.
That social commentary that Kurosawa delivers in his film (about Japan) could have had more impact had Lee not tried so hard to give this film his stylistic flavor. This movie feels like a Spike Lee Joint, but only superficially. There are so many moments in this adaptation that feel entirely out of place.
The movie does have its compelling moments and even some enjoyable scenes of great comedic writing and, of course, great acting. The acting, most of all, helps sell this movie solidly. Denzel, of course, is excellent. He is such a talented actor that he could have delivered this performance in his sleep. The same goes for Jeffrey Wright, who is always amazing in his movie roles. I also enjoyed the tremendous supporting cast. Despite the weakness of the writing and direction, the cast made this movie more watchable, enjoyable, and often riveting.
As far as my recommendation goes, I recommend that anyone interested in this story should watch Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low before watching Spike Lee’s take. Though it isn’t considered top-tier Kurosawa, it is still a remarkable and powerful police procedural that has inspired so many other films like it. Highest 2 Lowest is a movie I recommend watching at home after watching High and Low, especially for fans of Spike Lee. Even though I am still a fan of much of his work, this one is not one of his better movies. Spike needs to stop remaking movies that were already executed so much better.