“Highest 2 Lowest,” the newest joint from Spike Lee and longtime collaborator Denzel Washington, is about to hit theaters soon. As this new film marks the fifth time the creative duo have collaborated, it bears some similarities to their second (and perhaps most iconic) collaboration: 1992’s “Malcolm X.”
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Or at least, that’s the sentiment put forth by legendary actor Jeffrey Wright, who stars alongside Washington in this crime thriller. If you haven’t heard about it, the forthcoming film is a reinterpretation of famed filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller “High and Low,” now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City.
Without revealing too much, the movie centers around David King (Washington), a music mogul who gets hit with a ransom plot involving his son and is consequently jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.
Wright plays King’s chauffer and longtime friend who spent some time behind bars for his deeds in a past life but has now transformed into a more peaceful civilian (though a few negative proclivities seem to still linger, but that’s all we’ll say for now.)
Speaking exclusively to The Root, Wright likened his character in this new film to the late civil rights leader and explained how Washington’s portrayal and his, by extension, are a good representation of the plight of certain Black men in this country.
“‘Malcolm X’ is on a pedestal. And [he] relates to the character I play in this film because here’s a guy who’s been on the inside, who’s tried to transform his life, or the experience of being on the inside has led to certain transformations for the better,” Wright explained. “But he’s using that, as these brothers do, because he’s lost faith in certain of the institutions on the outside, they’ve crafted something that’s meaningful to them and healthy for them.”
Wright went on to praise Washington’s portrayal in the film: “The portrayal of that — that’s the greatest I’ve seen is Denzel as Malcolm X because Malcolm X represents the height of that type of transformation, which is a very specific…very powerful thing in the culture that is Black men in America.”
The intense moments between the different characters and both Wright and Washington’s characters drives the plot of “Highest 2 Lowest.” One in particular, sees the two come to a head over a very strong difference of opinion when it comes to the course of action that should be taken to deal with the ransom plot.
When asked how the two managed to bring some levity to themselves in between those hard scenes, Washington revealed that in some instances it’s better to keep that intensity going so as to not mess over the needs of the what the film needs.
“Who says you bring levity between takes? It depends upon on the scene and the circumstances. If it’s a scene about murdering your mother, I might not want to talk to you between takes or vice versa,” he told The Root.
Wright later said of the new film, “I think the best stuff raises interesting questions and doesn’t necessarily answer questions or think for the audience. But allows the audience to think and feel.”
“Highest 2 Lowest,” starring Washington, Wright, A$AP Rocky, Michael Potts and more hits theaters on Aug. 15 and AppleTV+ on Sept. 5.
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