There’s a reason why Spike Lee‘s latest, “Highest 2 Lowest” opens with “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'” from “Oklahoma!” playing over swooning aerial views of the high-rises of New York. The oldest of five kids,

Spike's latest joint is a love letter to three things he adores: New York City, Denzel Washington and director Akira Kurosawa.

From the opening moments of “Highest 2 Lowest,” Spike Lee’s remix-as-remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film “High and Low,” you should know that the filmmaker is here primarily for a good time, and he’s asking us to play along.