There are two sides to the American dream

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2008)

There is one sequence in 'American Gangster (2007),' a very simple choice of editing, that perfectly captures the ever-expanding rift between crime and honesty. On the one hand, Frank Lucas spends his Thanksgiving with his family, in a warm, loving atmosphere with a delicious turkey sitting at their bloated dinner table. On the other hand, Richie Roberts spends the day at his empty apartment, his family having deserted him, cramming a few meagre morsels between two slices of bread. In an ideal world, it would be the dishonest criminal who is subjected to the latter scenario, a fitting reward for a lifetime of breaking the law and destroying innocent lives. However, reality has a bitter sense of irony: Frank Lucas, in fact, is a drug-dealer, one of the most powerful men in New York, and made wealthy through his substantial illegal dealings in heroin. New Jersey narcotics detective Richie Roberts is a straight arrow, a beacon of honesty in a law enforcement agency infested with corruption, and this lonely Thanksgiving snack is his punishment for a lifetime of unwavering dedication.
'American Gangster,' the latest film from director Ridley Scott, was based on a true story, adapted from Mark Jacobson's "New York" magazine story, entitled "The Return of Superfly." Frank Lucas is very much a real person {though I'm not sure to what extent writer Steven Zaillian took dramatic license with the events}, an African American who rose from humble beginnings to become one of the country's most powerful drug lords. From our very first glimpse of the man, we understand that he is not the sort of person you'd want to disappoint, and yet, channelled through Denzel Washington's acting abilities, he has an irresistible charm about him. If it were not for the illicit and lethal nature of his business, Frank Lucas might be considered a model American: a patriotic citizen, an ingenious capitalist businessman, and a dedicated family man. When the times become tough, he hands out food supplies to the needy Harlem people, and, every Sunday without fail, he accompanies his elderly mother to Church. Are these the actions of a bad man?
In playing detective Richie Roberts, Russell Crowe matches his co-star step for step. Though the characters do not actually meet until the end of the film {and, indeed, neither have even heard of the other until a fair way in}, there is a raw intensity to the cat-and-mouse game that they are both playing, and Ridley Scott enjoys creating stark contrasts between the two morally-conflicting characters. As far as human beings go, Detective Roberts isn't the most saintly man you're likely to come across. A neglectful father and husband, he regularly fraternises with criminal types, remnants from his unprivileged upbringing. However, Roberts, perhaps to compensate for his personal shortcomings, is deadly honest, a law enforcer who  to the incredulousness of his corrupt colleagues  uncovered $1 million in unmarked cash in the boot of a car, and actually handed it in. An interesting side-note at the close of the film proves dryly amusing, if very disconcerting: thanks to the co-operation of Frank Lucas following his capture, large numbers of law officers were found guilty of corruption, including three quarters of the special drug enforcement squad.
Though it runs for just under 160 minutes, 'American Gangster' moves along at a consistent pace, allowing for a lot of character and plot development, without ever getting bogged down with the details. The two leading players are, of course, excellent {and should be in contention come Oscar time}, and Josh Brolin also gives a strong supporting performance as Detective Trupo, a narcotics detective with a habit of using bullying tactics and accepting bribes. The one complaint I have with the film concerns its moral compass, as Scott expects us to sympathise with and admire Frank Lucas, as though it is acceptable to forget the death and misery that he caused to thousands of innocent victims. The closing intertitles also neglect to mention that, following his initial release from prison in 1981 {after serving a paltry five or so years}, he was again arrested and convicted in 1984 for further drug and parole violation charges. But, then again, I don't know what the man was like in real life perhaps he was a man whose capitalist skill ought to be admired, if only he'd directed his efforts towards a less despicable business.