With ‘Highest 2 Lowest,' Stars Perfect the Art of Friendship
By reimagining a far more intimate dynamic between mogul and chauffeur than in Kurosawa's version, Lee puts on full display the nuanced depictions of Black men's kinship, intergenerational strife and class conflict that have been a hallmark of his career. (Early on, some critics pointed out how many of his female characters did not have the same complexity). But, even more compelling now is how much the thematic shift in 'Highest 2 Lowest' turns the story into a powerful cinematic monument to the friendship that Lee and Washington have nurtured on and off the big screen for more than 35 years — a tribute that's especially moving because Lee has hinted at Cannes that this might be their final film together.
In between my two viewings of 'Highest 2 Lowest' this month, I decided to rewatch all five of their collaborations: the jazz infused 'Mo' Better Blues' (1990), the historical epic 'Malcolm X' (1992), the father-son sports drama 'He Got Game' (1998), the bank thriller 'Inside Man' (2006), and now, after a 19-year gap, a money heist. This mini-festival gave me an even greater appreciation — and anticipation of nostalgia — for the cumulative effect of their body of work and how their chemistry, shared political concerns and incredible talent not only redefined our expectations of the leading man forever but also resulted in some of our most ambitious and meaningful films.
From the very beginning, their movies felt fresh — significant departures from the hyper-respectability required of Sidney Poitier during the civil rights era, as well as the racial militancy associated with Blaxploitation cinema. Not only did 'Mo' Better Blues' introduce Lee's signature double dolly shot, in which a character appears to be gliding rather than walking, but it also revealed Washington's genius at embodying deeply flawed characters.
Before leading that drama as the seductive, emotionally conflicted jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam, Washington had mainly played comedic or stoic figures. Moreover, the film's aesthetic immediately set it apart by featuring the dynamic sounds of the jazz musicians Terence Blanchard and Branford Marsalis on the score and casting Lee himself as Giant, Bleek's colorful sidekick and gambling-addicted manager. With its witty dialogue, bold style and polemics about art vs. commerce, 'Mo' Better Blues' announced that this new generation of Black male filmmakers was bent on remaking cinematic form and content.
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