Excellent portrayal of the human condition

Rating: 8/10 (4 November 2007)

Unlike other reviewers, this movie resonated w/me on more of human level and less on the gangster theme. It's as if Ridley Scott used the latter as an excuse to explore the duality that is inherent in all of us and the often subtle shades of gray between what is considered good and bad in our society.
The story itself was beautifully portrayed by Denzel Washington as the family-oriented yet ruthless drug dealer and Russell Crowe as the straight but womanizing cop and neglectful parent. The story raises the question of what is 'good' vs 'bad'? Are they merely a social construct impeding our natural human tendencies, or perhaps, simply one and the same inherent in all living beings. Afterall, how do we reconcile the behavior among very human primates who lovingly care for their young but will not hesitate to brutally kill and eat the young of other primates? American Gangster is one of the few Hollywood gems that explore the deeper, often contradictory nature of human behaviour, and in my opinion, far surpasses other films in the same genre.