By Kashvi Raj Singh,News18

Copyright news18

Denzel Washington and Spike Lee’s cinematic journey stretches back over three decades, beginning with Mo’ Better Blues (1990) and now finding its latest chapter in Highest 2 Lowest. Over the years, the two have collaborated on powerful films such as Malcolm X (1992), He Got Game (1998) and Inside Man (2006). Their connection, however, extends far beyond movie sets.
Spike Lee reflected on this long-standing friendship by noting that he doesn’t think of people in terms of how much time has passed. “I didn’t know that 35 years of knowing each other had expired till someone brought it up. We’ve seen each other through that time, and our children have worked together. But I don’t think our relationship is based on how much time we’ve spent together. So, I didn’t think about it like I’m a prisoner hooked to a clock on the wall and drawing X’s on paper,” he said in an interview with SCREEN.
Denzel on Aging and Choices
Washington, now approaching his 70th birthday, admitted that time has changed the way he sees both life and work. With humour, he quipped, “We’ve gotten older, our knees hurt more!” Yet beneath the laughter lies reflection. He explained that with age comes the awareness of life’s limits: “As I approach my 70th birthday, and understanding that there’s an end to life, I thought of who would I like to work with before I finish.”
He believes it is “no coincidence” that he has reunited with Lee before collaborating with Fernando Meirelles on Here Comes the Flood for Netflix and has even revealed he is part of Ryan Coogler’s upcoming Black Panther 3. He also hinted at conversations with filmmaker Steve McQueen.
Lee interjected with his trademark humour, asking, “So, you’re going out with a bang, ya?” to which Denzel responded with a knowing smile.
Revisiting Kurosawa Through a New Lens
When the script for Highest 2 Lowest reached Denzel, he immediately thought Spike Lee was the only filmmaker capable of adapting Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low into a modern-day American story. Lee, who has long admired Kurosawa, revealed how influential the Japanese master was in his own career. “Greats don’t have a nationality, my brother! A great is a great,” Lee said, stressing that his reinterpretation is not a remake but a cultural reimagining set in present-day New York.
A Bold New Storyline with ASAP Rocky
In Highest 2 Lowest, Denzel plays David King, a New York City music mogul whose son is kidnapped by one of his most devoted fans—a young rapper named Young Felon, played by A$AP Rocky. Unlike Kurosawa’s original, the son here is on the cusp of adulthood, giving the drama a modern and emotionally charged angle.
Denzel explained the choice: “The boy is at the cusp of manhood because all those dangers are there. He can see and understand what his father is or is not doing. And we get to see the world through the eyes of the young people today.”
Lee, who cast Rocky after seeing his work in Monster (2018), defended the rapper’s acting chops. He said, “Historically, there have been musicians in films, I understand that, but he’s a serious actor. He would have not been in the film if that wasn’t the case, if he couldn’t stand upright in a scene with Denzel Washington.”
Fame as the New Currency
The director also used the film to examine the cultural obsession with fame in the digital age. “We may be all fuddy-duddies, but it’s true that in terms of money, it’s fame over talent. That’s at least how the entertainment world runs today. To be discovered, you had to go to either New York or Los Angeles back in the day. But now, you may be anywhere with a phone and Instagram,” Lee remarked, noting that he even discovered some of his cast through Instagram.
Denzel countered that this was not a new phenomenon. He said, “Even in the studio system 100 years ago, you didn’t have the most talented actors. The system just knew how to make stars out of them. Now, the wannabe stars can make themselves stars.”
On Artificial Intelligence and Art
Both Lee and Washington are skeptical about AI’s growing role in creative industries. In the film, Denzel’s character joked, “I don’t care about this AI, or IA, or A-I-E-I-O!” Lee laughed about writing the line years ago but made his position clear: “A machine doesn’t have a heart and a soul. We human beings have that. We curate great, great things.”
Denzel added that while technology has always changed storytelling—from radio to television—true art still comes from human experience. “We can be hurt, we can react and create based on our pain. I don’t know if machines can do that yet,” he said.
Streaming Now on Apple TV+
With Highest 2 Lowest, Denzel Washington and Spike Lee have once again proven their ability to merge art with cultural commentary, while also bringing new energy into their legendary partnership. As Lee put it with his trademark humour: “Denzel and Spike, the dynamic duo! Like Batman and Robin! I know I’m Robin.”
Highest 2 Lowest is now streaming in India on Apple TV+, offering audiences a gripping modern reimagining of Kurosawa’s timeless tale.