Movie Review - American Gangster

Exactly how much truth is in American Gangster is the subject of much conjecture. A whole bunch of ex-cops have sued the film's producers for defamation, as a significant part of the film, which is supposedly 'based on a true story', involves exploring issues of corrupt police. There have been further claims that much of the material regarding Lucas' mode of operating have also been drawn into question. Regardless of how much truth there is in the film, it is an interesting and impressive work.

American Gangster tells the story of how Frank Lucas grew to be an incredibly successful drug dealer in Harlem in the 1960s and 1970s. Using a new model of cutting out the middle man, Lucas purchases heroin direct from the opium fields in Asia and sells it on the street. Lucas is portrayed as a strong willed chap who has a sense of some sort of social justice. He learnt a lot of his trade from his old boss 'Bumpy' Johnson, who was also heavily involved in organised crime. 'Bumpy' laments early in the piece that the sense of community in Harlem has eroded, and no one looks after each other anymore. It is interesting then, that Lucas is somewhat inspired to look after himself, his family, and his community, by selling heroin in the neighbourhood.

Washington outshines Crowe in American Gangster Image; Universal

Washington is very smooth as Lucas. He captures a real passive-aggressiveness, and manages to bring some sense of morality and care to what is on face value a hard headed, uncaring, greedy character. In fact, Lucas as played by Washington is almost likeable. His scheme for importing the drugs, and his system of distribution and sale is impressive. He is thoughtful, he understands people, and he looks after his family. These are all good things. However, lurking below the surface is a sinister side, and Lucas is at times very brutal in his work.

Meanwhile, a young do-gooder cop named Richie Roberts, played by Russell Crowe, has been appointed to the federal drug teams trying to break the flourishing drug trade. Crowe's performance is not as slick as Washington's, but he certainly seems to fit into the era very well. Roberts has a chip on his shoulder, as his ex-partner OD's on Lucas' 'Blue Magic'. Roberts, and seemingly the entire law enforcement community, has no idea who is distributing Blue Magic, and the story follows Roberts' investigations which eventually bring down Lucas.

American Gangster is a very good story. Lucas and Roberts are very interesting characters, with lots of tensions internally, and also between themselves. Lucas can seem kind and caring, but also hard, violent and cocky. Roberts is a very dedicated to his work, but is a hopeless family man. He also faces difficulty within the police, as corrupt officers (or at least 'not quite as honest' officers) do not trust him, and are openly hostile towards him.

The scenery and sounds of this movie are great. While I was not around in 1970s Harlem, the film seems to portray a very real picture. The sound in the movie is incredible, one of my favorite things about the movie. There is good use of music and the environments really come to life with good attention to detail. Cars, trains, people, all sound great, and you really feel like you are in the middle of it all. Also, the scenes from the far East are well done, portraying the hustle and the bustle of Bangkok (I think) and also the contrasting peacefulness and beauty of the opium fields.

Something that I was not a huge fan of in this movie was a lot of the up close, in your face scenes of heroin use. I suppose you have to expect a bit of it in a movie like this, but it seemed to get to a point where it was just too much. If you are squeamish, you probably wont enjoy the scenes of people pulling the belt tight over their arm. But this sort of disturbing, confronting image lends depth to the character of Lucas and the dark world he inhabits.

American Gangster is a long movie. But it is the sort of movie where you dont realise how much time has gone by. It covers a few years, and really draws you in to the story. Some people have compared it to the Godfather, and I think it is a fair comparison. There are certainly some parallels between Frank Lucas and Don Corleone. The supporting cast do a very good job of creating the feeling of 'the family' and the tensions between rival gangs. I think that comparisons to the Godfather are probably more appropriate to this film, than comparisons to Frank Lucas' real life. The film is apparently inspired by an interview with Frank Lucas from 2000. In reading this article, you get the sense that Lucas is not really much like the Denzel version. It is apparent that Lucas enjoyed the infamy that his story brought him, and thus you have to wonder how much truth there is to it.

Overall, this was a very entertaining movie. The performances are strong, and the story is very good - who cares if it is true or not. I think that 'thought-provoking' is not quite the right description, but American Gangster does make you think a bit. There are a lot of ethical questions involved in the way Lucas does his business and in Roberts' approach to his career, and there are questions of what is the greater good what is really important in life?

The Good

The story, the acting, the scenery.

The Bad

The in your face scenes of heroin use, Russell Crowe's US accent (at times)

Score

8 out of 10. It will probably win some Oscars, and is certainly an entertaining movie.