Akira Kurosawa is one of the greatest Japanese directors in history. Not just Japanese. He is one of the greatest directors in history. Few directors have had not only his influence but also his recognition, popularity, and career. He is an absolute institution in every possible sense and a true rare bird. One of those indisputable directors whose even lesser-known films are worth discussing in depth. Or imitating with delight.
That is probably what Spike Lee thought when approaching his new film, as he has decided to make a remake and reinterpretation of one of Kurosawa’s most prestigious films: High and Low, or The Hell of Hate. A film perhaps not as famous as his samurai movies, but considered one of his greatest masterpieces.
A classic by Kurosawa that you must know
Based on the novel King’s Ransom by Evan Hunter, Kurosawa presents us in The Hell of Hate with a very interesting premise: a businessman struggling to control the shoe company of which he is part of the board decides to make a purchase financed by third parties with all the savings of his life. But this coincides with a great personal tragedy. In a way. A person in serious financial trouble mistakes his chauffeur’s son for his own son, demanding a ransom of 30 million yen, which is a large part of his savings, putting him in a terrible personal situation. Does he value his career more or the life of an innocent child, even if he is not from his family?
The movie is a masterpiece, which you can also watch on Filmin, both technically and narratively. By holding up a mirror to Japanese society of the time, it seeks to show the existing conflict between human and economic values and the differences between social classes. All of this with great success.
Being a box office and critical success, it was also an absolute success outside of Japan. Considered one of Kurosawa’s great films, it was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes and was part of the Official Selection at the Venice Film Festival in 1964. Two notable achievements for a Japanese film of the time, even considering it was Kurosawa.
His Reinvention of Spike Lee: A Strong Contender for the Oscars
The remake and reinterpretation by Spike Lee closely follows the film, while giving it a contemporary twist. Replacing Toshiro Mifune with Denzel Washington, the movie follows a music producer who seeks to buy the majority shares of his record label, only to discover that his son has been kidnapped. Although like in the original, he will soon find out that the one who has been kidnapped is his son’s best friend, the son of his driver and best friend. This will lead him to the same situation we experienced in the original film: are personal and professional ambitions worth more than the life of a child?
Released on August 22 in theaters in the US, the film has been critically acclaimed. With a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, it is one of the highest-rated films of the year. Something that should already spark our interest.
Now premiering on AppleTV+, there is no reason not to give a chance to one of the films with the greatest potential to become one of the movies of the year. Especially when it is a strong contender for the Oscars, both due to its release dates and because it has been backed by critics. And if you don’t want to have to rush to catch up on everything you’ve missed when it gets nominated in a few months, now is the perfect time to watch this From Heaven to Hell.
