Culture
‘Highest 2 Lowest’ is a rare remake of a classic that stands on its own
By: Gordon Briggs
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I had serious doubts when I heard that Spike Lee was remaking Akira Kurosawa’s classic High and Low. However, I’m happy to report that this re-imagining is both a sharp and entertaining thriller. There’s a lot that works about Highest 2 Lowest, but much of the credit goes to a superb performance by Denzel Washington and director Spike Lee’s vibrant sense of style and setting.
While the original was built around a wealthy shoe manufacturer, this remake sets the caper in the world of music. Here, a powerful music mogul (Denzel Washington) is targeted by a ransom plot. However, after the kidnappers grab the wrong kid, he is forced to fight for his family and legacy while caught up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.
Should he keep his family and empire financially stable or pay a hefty ransom for a child that isn’t his own?
First off, the movie works as a thriller. By turning New York City itself into a character and making its musical elements so prominent, the movie can create a great deal of tension between Washington, his family, his business partners, and the kidnappers who want a hefty ransom. For example, a ransom drop scene intercut with a Puerto Rican day parade is a visually well-mounted chase that spirals through the back alleys and chaos of the city.
Of course, I can’t leave Washington out of discussion of this film. While the actor has always been a charismatic presence in movies, this movie is noteworthy because it gives him various beats to play. He’s a concerned father, calculating businessman, and streetwise hustler, who has a scene in a recording studio with a kidnapper that is just a blast to watch.
True to form, Spike Lee has energized this story by tapping into certain racial and economic fault lines, showing how, in an increasingly digitized world, the idea of “wealth” and celebrity have become more complicated. Unfortunately, the movie has been given a paltry theatrical release, so please seek it out on streaming this September.
Rating: ★★★1⁄2