American Gangster

Rating: 8/10 (27 January 2008)

"See, ya are what ya are in this world. That's either one of two things: Either you're somebody, or you ain't nobody."
This is the philosophy Frank Lucas lives his life by. When it comes to gangster films this sentiment is certainly true as the difference between a cult classic and a forgotten film is exactly the same as the difference between black and white. There isn't really a middle ground for those films that come in between, if they don't compare to such illustrious predecessors they are forgotten. Based on the true story of Frank Lucas' rise to notoriety and fall from grace, American Gangster is a tale of power of corruption set in Ridley Scott's graphic recreation of 1970s Harlem against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) was the driver and bodyguard to 'Bumpy' Johnson, an Italian styled black gangster who ran most of Harlem. Following his boss' death, Lucas emerged from the warring factions to become the heroin kingpin of New York. Importing 100% pure heroin from the suppliers in Asia, to cut out the middle man, allowed him to sell better quality at a lower price. However, his reserved manner and economical lifestyle allowed him to swoop under the radar of the law. Business boomed for the Lucas Empire as the blaxploitation era of the 1970s raged. Enemies began to appear from all walks of life, but he was untouchable  or so he thought.
On the other side of the law was Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), a detective battling his way through a law degree at night school whilst battling for custody of his son. Richie is an idealistic and honest cop who earns the distrust of his corrupt colleagues which leads to him becoming an outcast. The reputation he gains for being 'an honest cop' leads to him being put in charge of a newly formed drugs task-force. His ostracization from the force allows him to see Lucas' rise to fame and fortune from the streets. From here the game of cat and mouse that cop and criminal become engaged in begins.
The paradox of the ethical and family valued 'bad guy' and the womanising, renegade 'good guy' leads to a blurring of audience's loyalties. The two share a rigorous dedication to their ethical codes that means they are set apart from their colleagues allowing for the growth of a mutual respect towards each other. Washington is particularly good as the calm and assured crime lord, only occasionally displaying the ruthless streak that underlined his authority. Crowe plays the dogged detective struggling to maintain his honest approach when his private life is crumbling. The fact that the two central characters only finally meet 20 minutes from the end is the result of an atmospheric tension that builds throughout the film with the stories of both men gradually being drawn together, in a way that is reminiscent of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Heat. Whereas some gangster films rely on shoot outs and special effects to raise pulse rates, American Gangster, like its protagonist, is much more reserved in showing how Lucas dominated the landscape without much bloodshed. The few scenes that do display his violent streak are powerful in their sparsity. However, the problem is it just seems to drag on for a little too long with not enough happening to keep the viewer gripped to their seats. The running time of 2 hours and 37 minutes could easily have been cut down to around the 2 hour mark and there would not be much of a difference in the story. It is well dialogued, brilliantly acted and powerfully shot but the thing with American Gangster is that it just doesn't quite have enough to make it a 'somebody' but it's too good to be dismissed as a 'nobody'.