Actor Denzel Washington, left, and director Spike Lee first teamed up for 1990s "Mo' Better Blues." Photo courtesy of IMDB.
Iconic director and actor duo, Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have teamed up once again for another film “Highest 2 Lowest,” a remake of the 1963 Japanese film, “High & Low.”
Set in New York City, Washington plays a powerful music mogul that has been targeted for ransom. Although the movie has received mixed reviews from critics, what has been stellar is the long collaboration between Lee and Washington.
The history of Lee and Washington began 35 years ago, when they worked on their first film “Mo’ Better Blues” in 1990. Since then, they have worked on three other classic films (“Malcolm X”, “He Got Game”, “Inside Man”), with their most notable film being “Malcolm X”. Lee and Washington have shared undeniable chemistry over the years where they are able to bring the best out of each other.
Robert Brandt, who teaches film study at CT State Manchester, is also a huge fan of Lee and Washington’s work, pointing to “Malcolm X” from 1992 as the pair’s best work.
“Spike and Denzel have a language of their own,” said Brandt. “That is why they blend so well together.”
Brandt pointed to other famous director and actor duos like Alfred Hitchcock and Grace Kelly and Quentin Tarantino and Leonardo DiCaprio. All of these duos share that same dynamic on film.
Mark Little, 55, of Hartford, has been a frequent movie goer since his early 20s and said he had the pleasure of watching “Mo’ Better Blues” when it was released in theaters.
“It’s remarkable that Spike and Denzel are still working together after all these years,” said Little.
Not only have Lee and Washington maintained a great work relationship, but they have maintained a true friendship, which can be very rare in Hollywood. Many relationships in the film industry are solely business, but Lee and Washington share a genuine friendship. In an article in Men’s Health magazine published Sept. 5 titled “Spike Has Two Words for You” by Evan Romano, Lee describes their relationship being built on “love and trust.”
These two things are what keep their bond strong. Even if they haven’t done a film in years, they always get back together like they never left. Lee and Washington also push each other to be the best they can be.
In a Vanity Fair magazine article published Aug. 14, titled “Denzel Washington and Spike Lee on Streaming, Retirement, and their Decade Long-Bond” by David Canfield, Lee said “Every time I’ve done a film with Denzel, I’ve learned.”
Director and actor duos are a common trend in Hollywood, from Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro – “Taxi Driver,” “Goodfellas” – to Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan – “Black Panther,” “Sinners” – but something about Lee and Washington is unique. Their work and bond have stood the test of time.
“Highest 2 Lowest” is in some theaters and available on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.