If you’ve wondered what's in Spike Lee’s art collection, his new movie “Highest 2 Lowest” provides a peek.
A reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime drama “High and Low,” the thriller (now in select theaters, streaming Sept. 5 on Apple TV+) takes viewers inside the lush Brooklyn penthouse of music mogul David King (Denzel Washington). Around his family’s pad are some impressive works, including Basquiat’s Charlie Parker tribute “Now’s the Time,” Tim Okamura’s portrait of Toni Morrison, and pop art of Muhammad Ali by Andy Warhol.
“A lot of that great art comes from my home,” Lee says. Not the originals, though – reproductions were used because, well, film crews mess stuff up.
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It was a way for Lee to show King’s wealth and "influence" in the film’s opening scene. As he's heard talking on the phone, the camera goes to the top of the OlympiaDumbo. “You go inside and see the Basquiats and all this stuff,” Lee says. So the audience knows this guy got money. It's a very quick shorthand.”
