Movie_Rating_n_Ranking

I'm sad to admit that this is the first film I've seen by the master Akira Kurosawa, but I'm overjoyed to know that I've finally started watching some of his filmography. Even better after seeing this great 1960s piece full of suspense, mystery, and Japanese gallantry.

Directed and edited bordering on perfection, Kurosawa's adaptation, which Spike Lee would later remake horribly in 2025, is a masterpiece of film composition and direction for the ages. Almost theatrical choreography from a well-trained cast; an editing that knows exactly where to hit the gas and where to hit the brakes; enviable photography for a black and white film; and, of course, a spine-tingling soundtrack, all make High and Low rise to the Olympus of 1960s films.

Believe me, I now understand Spike Lee better, and at the same time, less, with his Highest 2 Lowest. But hey, cinema knows about successes and failures.

For names like Spike Lee, we should expect bigger and better things. Lee has the resources, the contacts, the connections-everything to make more notable films, however Highest 2 Lowest is a poor story. It's an unnecessarily long film, with editing as irritating as the main piano on the soundtrack. I completely understand the intention of repeating shots like greetings, hugs, or other lesser-impactful actions to enhance the film's atmosphere. But having sloppy and careless continuity becomes distracting and ends up being a problem. Mostly in the first and second acts, the editing inexplicably focuses on shots like characters opening doors, going from one room to another, descending stairs, or anything else that was completely unimportant. The soundtrack is a clear homage to '80s crime films, but every time the drama kicked in, the most anticlimactic piano I've ever heard came in. For a film about the music industry, it has a pretty bad soundtrack.

The acting is okay. Nothing to say. The third act becomes a bit more interesting, but only because of the action itself, which also doesn't reach entirely entertaining levels. There's good dialogue in the climax, there's good cinematography, there's good sound editing, and that's it.

A disappointing Spike Lee film.

Without a doubt, one of the most challenging films I've ever seen. Ari Aster laughs at everyone. In fact, he invites the viewer to laugh with him. And everything means political fanaticism, conspiracy theorists, cult creators, social media users, social media creators, deniers, pro-gun people, and a long etcetera. If all of this seems impossible to cram into a single story, well, it isn't, given Eddington's creation, which, despite its slow pace in the first two acts, manages to be entertaining, interesting, intentionally controversial, and funny. Yes, funny, because everyone tries to fix the world, everyone tries to raise hell, but in the end, all those attempts end up making things worse and become mere obstacles to real solutions. Now, it's not that the film tries to propose solutions either. It's far from that. And perhaps that's one of its enormous flaws. It ends with a rant and rave, making fun of everyone, but it lacks solidity, cohesion, and perhaps a more rounded, less chaotic idea.

Ultimately, Eddington isn't one of Aster's best films, but it manages to be controversial enough to remain in the spotlight.