A Lesser-Known Gangster Story

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2015)

In 1970s America, a detective works to bring down the drug empire of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), a heroin kingpin from Manhattan, who is smuggling the drug into the country from the Far East.
Although the "Black Mafia" is not as well-known as its Italian counterpart, the names of Nicky Barnes and Bumpy Johnson have achieved widespread recognition. Frank Lucas, not so much. Though, if this film is close to reality, Lucas may have been even more successful than Barnes, Johnson or many of the Italian mobsters. (A scene even has an agent in disbelief that a black gangster could be so powerful, as he was too focused on the Italians to see other threats.)
This film is tense, well-plotted and fascinating. Everyone loves a good crime film, and this is a very good crime film. Somehow, today (2015) it is not considered one of Ridley Scott's bigger films, but perhaps it should be. This easily rivals "Gladiator", for example.