2008 Woodie Awards
American Gangster: A spectacular revolution
Matthew Howard
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Life!
Ridley Scott's new epic, loosely based on Mark Jacobson's New York Magazine article, "The Return of Superfly," tells the story of Harlem's most ruthless drug kingpin. American Gangster follows Frank Lucas' transformation from the driver of the infamous gangster, and his mentor Bumpy Johnson, into Harlem's most notorious gangster of the late 60's and 70's. Oscar season has officially arrived with the release of this probable Best Picture nominee.
American Gangster features spectacular acting performances by everyone, from Best-Actor Oscar award winner Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas, all the way down to the smallest of roles.
In the opening scene, Lucas commits one of the more vicious murders shown in movie history, and we know that we are going to be in for a brutal 2 hours and 40 minutes (the length of the film).
Russell Crowe, a Best-Actor winner as well, portrays the painfully honest detective Ritchie Roberts. Roberts is so honest that he even returns nearly $1 million in untraceable drug money, making him a pariah in the largely corrupt police force.
Lucas' success as a dope-dealing gangster results from his innovative way of getting the product into America.
He realizes that if he cuts out the middleman, the Mafia, in the dope deals and goes directly to the source of the product, he can sell heroin that is twice as potent at half the price.
His technique of getting the heroin from Southeast Asia into America is as depraved as it is genius. Through his innovative methods, Lucas becomes the most successful narcotics dealer in American History.
What separates this film from other gangster movies is how it portrays opposite worlds clashing. A source of great irony is that Lucas, the ruthless businessman with a nearly picture perfect personal life pits his wits against Roberts, the boy scout of a cop with a personal life in shambles. Another very interesting, very unique aspect of the film is the use of a common enemy, Detective Trupo, shared by both Lucas and Roberts.
American Gangster features spectacular acting performances by everyone, from Best-Actor Oscar award winner Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas, all the way down to the smallest of roles.
In the opening scene, Lucas commits one of the more vicious murders shown in movie history, and we know that we are going to be in for a brutal 2 hours and 40 minutes (the length of the film).
Russell Crowe, a Best-Actor winner as well, portrays the painfully honest detective Ritchie Roberts. Roberts is so honest that he even returns nearly $1 million in untraceable drug money, making him a pariah in the largely corrupt police force.
Lucas' success as a dope-dealing gangster results from his innovative way of getting the product into America.
He realizes that if he cuts out the middleman, the Mafia, in the dope deals and goes directly to the source of the product, he can sell heroin that is twice as potent at half the price.
His technique of getting the heroin from Southeast Asia into America is as depraved as it is genius. Through his innovative methods, Lucas becomes the most successful narcotics dealer in American History.
What separates this film from other gangster movies is how it portrays opposite worlds clashing. A source of great irony is that Lucas, the ruthless businessman with a nearly picture perfect personal life pits his wits against Roberts, the boy scout of a cop with a personal life in shambles. Another very interesting, very unique aspect of the film is the use of a common enemy, Detective Trupo, shared by both Lucas and Roberts.