In the first five seconds of “American Gangster,” Denzel Washington, playing the role of Harlem drug mogul Frank Lucas, sets a bound man aflame as he pleads for his life, then wordlessly fires a bullet into the man’s head.
Rest assured, the remainder of the two-and-a-half-hour film is equally brutal and unsentimental. “American Gangster” grabs you and shakes you with its smart, intense imagery and brilliant acting.
Set in Harlem in the 1970s, director Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster” follows the rise and fall of Frank Lucas, an obscenely rich heroin dealer who “organized” his “crime” so thoroughly that he put Italian mafia families out of the business. Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), a New Jersey police officer known for his professional integrity, gradually identifies Lucas as the source of a rapidly escalating drug trade, amid the rampant corruption in the police force.
Roberts and Lucas are the subject of an intriguing moral contrast ““ the morally upright cop who leads a hedonistic love life versus the crack dealer who kills thousands with his heroine but operates his business on principles of loyalty and respect.
Crowe illuminates the contrast between Roberts’ professional life as a good cop and private life as a bad family man, but lacks emotional realism in the scenes with his son, where he might as well be an estranged uncle talking to a pet dog.
On the other hand, Washington’s particular brand of charisma and neuroticism translates perfectly to the role of Lucas. He storms through Harlem, aggressively putting competitors out of business and slamming heads of debt defaulters against car doors. This is the role Washington fans been waiting to see him in ““ wonderfully dangerous and appreciably nuanced.
Besides the obvious talents of Washington and Crowe, Josh Brolin embodies sleaziness as the corrupt Detective Trupo, and the faces of rappers T.I., Common and RZA as the Lucas brothers lend a visual if not dramatic interest to the film for hip-hop fans. Additionally, Carla Gugino and Cuba Gooding Jr. show their faces briefly as Mrs. Roberts and flamboyant heroine dealer Nicky Barnes, respectively.
In addition, the cinematography is masterful, simultaneously smart and subtle. “American Gangster” brims with resonant imagery. In one memorable sequence, scenes of Lucas presiding over an opulent Thanksgiving spread with his family are interwoven with scenes of junkies overdosing on “Blue Magic,” the grade of cocaine from which Lucas’ organization profits. Children cry over the twitching bodies of their unresponsive parents as Lucas carves a 20-pound turkey with a hand-held vibrating knife.
Unfortunately, director Ridley Scott splits time equally between the two big-name stars, and the movie suffers for it. Frank Lucas is the “American Gangster,” and Washington is vastly more visually and sonically arresting on screen. As Washington slams his enemies’ heads in baby grand pianos, travels to Thailand and seduces beauty queens, the scenes involving Roberts’ personal problems seem like tedious, unnecessary interludes in comparison.
However, the spectacular cast In the first five seconds of “American Gangster,” Denzel Washington, playing the role of Harlem drug mogul Frank Lucas, sets a bound man aflame as he pleads for his life, then wordlessly fires a bullet into the man’s head.
Rest assured, the remainder of the two-and-a-half-hour film is equally brutal and unsentimental. “American Gangster” grabs you and shakes you with its smart, intense imagery and brilliant acting.
Set in Harlem in the 1970s, director Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster” follows the rise and fall of Frank Lucas, an obscenely rich heroin dealer who “organized” his “crime” so thoroughly that he put Italian mafia families out of the business. Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), a New Jersey police officer known for his professional integrity, gradually identifies Lucas as the source of a rapidly escalating drug trade, amid the rampant corruption in the police force.
Roberts and Lucas are the subject of an intriguing moral contrast ““ the morally upright cop who leads a hedonistic love life versus the crack dealer who kills thousands with his heroine but operates his business on principles of loyalty and respect.
Crowe illuminates the contrast between Roberts’ professional life as a good cop and private life as a bad family man, but lacks emotional realism in the scenes with his son, where he might as well be an estranged uncle talking to a pet dog.
On the other hand, Washington’s particular brand of charisma and neuroticism translates perfectly to the role of Lucas. He storms through Harlem, aggressively putting competitors out of business and slamming heads of debt defaulters against car doors. This is the role Washington fans been waiting to see him in ““ wonderfully dangerous and appreciably nuanced.
Besides the obvious talents of Washington and Crowe, Josh Brolin embodies sleaziness as the corrupt Detective Trupo, and the faces of rappers T.I., Common and RZA as the Lucas brothers lend a visual if not dramatic interest to the film for hip-hop fans. Additionally, Carla Gugino and Cuba Gooding Jr. show their faces briefly as Mrs. Roberts and flamboyant heroine dealer Nicky Barnes, respectively.
In addition, the cinematography is masterful, simultaneously smart and subtle. “American Gangster” brims with resonant imagery. In one memorable sequence, scenes of Lucas presiding over an opulent Thanksgiving spread with his family are interwoven with scenes of junkies overdosing on “Blue Magic,” the grade of cocaine from which Lucas’ organization profits. Children cry over the twitching bodies of their unresponsive parents as Lucas carves a 20-pound turkey with a hand-held vibrating knife.
Unfortunately, director Ridley Scott splits time equally between the two big-name stars, and the movie suffers for it. Frank Lucas is the “American Gangster,” and Washington is vastly more visually and sonically arresting on screen. As Washington slams his enemies’ heads in baby grand pianos, travels to Thailand and seduces beauty queens, the scenes involving Roberts’ personal problems seem like tedious, unnecessary interludes in comparison.
However, the spectacular cast and intense visual storytelling of “American Gangster” more than compensate for any shortcomings. Crowe and Washington together are not to be missed.
E-mail Shyong at fhyong@media.ucla.edu