Review of American Gangster (2007) by Neal K — 17 Mar 2012

Neal Kokatay.

4/6/12.

American Gangster Review.

For all black males ages 20-29 living in the United States, almost 1 in 3 are on probation, incarcerated, or on parole. For Latinos it is 1 in 8, and for white it is 1 in 15. It is no surprise that the War on drugs is responsible for an alarming rate in arrests for drug offense in recent decades. According to research African Americans constitute 13% of the drug users. 35% are charged with possessing drugs, 55% are convicted, and 75% are incarcerated.

Sadly the aforementioned facts are reality; however the story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) a Mafioso gangster in Harlem, New York who established an empire by smuggling and selling high quality heroin is also true. This is the story of American Gangster directed by Ridley Scott. The story offers a new twist on the crime drama genre which almost always portrays The Italian Mafia running the city through racketeering, extortion, and other illegal activities. The movieâ(TM)s opening scene is quite intense. Frank Lucas and his goons are in an alley with a rival of Frankâ(TM)s tied up in a chair, Frank proceeds to pour gasoline on the man and set him on fire. Before setting up a criminal empire Frank was the right hand man of Ellsworth Johnson, a cunning and disciplined gangster. Johnson shares his wisdom of the criminal enterprise with Frank before he dies. Frank takes this opportunity to rise to the top of the criminal underworld by distributing pure-grade heroin throughout the streets of Harlem. He eventually moves several members of his family from North Carolina to his mansion in New York, and recruits some of the older males into his drug trade further expanding the operation. Meanwhile NYPD detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) and several other officers have been assigned to a special task force whose sole goal is stop the epidemic that was heroin in New York by apprehending the supplier thought to be somewhere in New Jersey . Unbeknownst to them Frank Lucas received his product from the other side of the world. After the downfall of The French Connection, Lucas took full advantage by buying wholesale heroin at a cheap price. Throughout the movie Frank remains professional, dresses modest and handles his business quietly to remain under the radar of the law. At the same time The police are struggling to figure out the source of the heroin epidemic plaguing Harlem. Beneath the glamour of Frankâ(TM)s fortune, several addicts in the movie are shown overdosing and dying as a result of Frankâ(TM)s âproduct.â? This puts even more pressure on the already frustrated police who become determined to bring down whoever is responsible. American Gangster grabs you from the very beginning and grips tighter as the suspense escalates in the epic struggle between the gangsters and the police.

Crime-dramas take you on a journey into the dark, visceral, underworld of criminals. The crime-drama genre is littered with tales of the cops versus the crooks in the never ending fight between good and evil. The genre has been dominated with tales of the inner-workings of the Italian mafia such as âGoodfellasâ?, âThe Departedâ?, âCasino âor âThe Godfather trilogyâ?. They are all perfect examples of crime-dramas and they truly capture the essence of what a crime-drama should be. For example they have complex characters with hidden agendas, an excellent storyline crafted around the criminal lifestyle and the law working tirelessly to bring their nefarious activities to a halt. American Gangster fits right in with these Mafioso masterpieces yet it does enough to really make it stand out and shine. For example Frank Lucas, the criminal, and Richie Roberts, the cop, each have their own agendas and they are shown executing every move in a stylish, fast-paced manner leading up to an unexpected but satisfying climax. Whether it is the police conducting an investigation or gangsters hustling narcotics on a busy street corner, this movie has the substance of an inspired crime drama. American Gangster does change the formula up a bit but it was very successful. For example it is a nice change of pace from seeing the predominantly powerful Italian mafia calling the shots. In crime-dramas centered on black criminals, the usual fare is about gang violence or low level street crime. Yet American Gangster shows us what exactly would happen if an ambitious African-American begins his own organized crime syndicate. This is the first movie since âSuperflyâ? which portrays a black man rising to power and taking control of the city by means of organized drug trafficking. Although Frank Lucas is a black man he does not submit to âthe white manâ(TM)s worldâ?, instead he rebels by building a criminal empire and he takes guff from no man. One particular scene in shows Frank attending a boxing match to see Mohammad Ali; Frank is wearing an expensive suit, fur coat, and he has obtained better seats that the Italian Mob. Like I said before it does change formula but it is very successful. Another attractive draw of this movie is that there are several subtleties that keep you in suspense and on the edge of your seat. For example the line between good and evil is not black and white, there are shades of gray. For example, corrupt police officers are shown abusing narcotics and Frankâ(TM)s motive for his crimes seem noble at times such as when he moves his less fortunate family to live a lavish lifestyle with him. This may sound like a backwards world but in reality this actually does happen and the movie captures this harsh reality beautifully.

American Gangster certainly is a crime-drama masterpiece, perhaps one of the best crime-dramas of the decade. Once Again Denzel Washington does not disappoint, his performance is on par with his other successful films such as âGloryâ? and âTraining Dayâ?. His portrayal of Frank Lucas was so surreal that I felt as if I was watching a real gangster going about his daily life. Russell Crowe also did a terrific job. His performance as a down-on-his-luck, straight-laced cop amongst corrupt cops was phenomenal. The supporting actors and actresses all assimilated themselves into work of a drug-infested Harlem seamlessly and flawlessly. This made me feel as if I was actually in New York watching the events that took place during the heroin epidemic of Harlem from the perspectives of the cops, the criminals, and the addicts. The Musical Score was nothing short of intense; it captured every moment and really made the drug world of Harlem come alive. The 80-person orchestra set the perfect mood from a pivotal conversation all the way to frantic gun fights and chaotic moments. American Gangster has state of the art sound effects, exhilarating gun fights and a suspenseful story that grabs you and will not let up until the very end. A film for the ages that truly captures the plague heroin has caused for Harlem in recent decades and how cunning criminal minds can make a fortune off of it. At the filmâ(TM)s start you are thrown into the lionâ(TM)s den and the roars do not let up until the credits roll. There is no doubt in my mind that American Gangster will be talked about for years to come. The bar for crime-dramas has been set, 5 stars.