American Gangster: The Epic
there's more than one master at work here
2007-11-06
By Sergio Mims

CAST:
Denzel Washington, Common, Russell Crowe, Carla Gugino, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr., Josh Brolin, Idris Elba, Ruby Dee, RZA, Tip (T.I.) Harris, Clarence Williams III
WRITTEN BY:
Steve Zaillian
DIRECTED BY:
Ridley Scott

RATED R
*** ½ - THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS

Now at age sixty nine, director Ridley Scott is making films with more originality and vibrancy than other film directors half his age. Starting with his first feature, the 1977 Napoleon era drama, The Dualists, after a career of directing commercials  (which he and his director brother Tony (Déjà Vu, Man On Fire, Crimson Tide) still make on occasion) his range of subject matter is amazing. From epic period films like Gladiator and Kingdom Of Heaven, suspense thrillers like Hannibal (not a shining cinematic moment); dramas (Thelma and Louise); action films (Black Hawk Down and Black Rain), and even sci-fi (Aliens and Blade Runner),  Scott’s range has eclipsed Spielberg’s. Now he tries his hand at the epic urban crime drama and though there are some slight missteps along the way, American Gangster is a riveting, compelling drama as well as a fascinating character study of two polar opposites.

Clearly inspired by William Freidkin’s grimy cop thriller, The French Connection and its better 1975 sequel directed by John Frankenheimer, Gangster chronicles the life story of New York drug kingpin Frank Lucas (Washington), who began his life of crime as the driver and right hand man of the legendary Harlem gangster Bumpy Johnson (Williams).

Eventually, Lucas established his own drug syndicate and, literally, controlled the drug trade in New York from the late 60’s to the mid-70’s. Despite problems from rivals, corrupt cops (lead by Brolin) squeezing him for a piece of the take and envy from the Italian mob, Lucas’ main headache eventually arrives in the form of Richie Roberts (Crowe) a Jersey cop facing career ruin and pegged as the pariah of the entire force for turning in nearly $1 million earmarked for police payoffs.

The film neatly tells these two conflicting stories of the black crime lord with strong family ties and the burned out cop whose family life and career is falling apart before his eyes until it inevitably comes down to just the two of them, victory going to whoever is left standing.

Using a washed out, muted color palette to invoke the similar visual look of the popular 1970’s New York crime thrillers such as Prince of the City, Across 110th Street or The Seven-Ups, Scott approaches the story from a clinical, matter-of-fact point of view. Yet, Scott never backs away from showing the ugly ravages of the drug trade and it’s victims.  Despite its over two and half hour length, Gangster’s pace never becomes tedious right down to the exciting, brutal, kinetic final shootout.

Overall, the performances of the two lead actors are solid. Washington, with his stiff-backed strut, gives a rather aloof performance as Lucas. Scott and Washington clearly took a calculated risk in their decision to have Washington portray a man who is completely ruthless and amoral. Unlike his charming, sinister dirty dealing cop in Training Day, Lucas is a cold blooded, amoral creature capable of killing a rival without flinching an eye. It’s only when the two adversaries come face to face in the last 20 minutes of the film does that patented Denzel charm come to the surface.

Crowe as Roberts gives a more intense performance even though he seems miscast as the Jewish Jersey cop, speaking with a weird polyglot accent that sounds like Melbourne by way of Bayonne.

All of the supporting performances from familiar faces like Broiln, Gugino, Elba, Ejiofor, Dee, who not surprisingly has one of the stand-out scenes in the film, as well as not-so-familiar faces are right on target , including a great supporting turn by Gooding as the notorious Nicky Barnes that makes you wonder how Gooding’s career ran off the rails so badly.

There will, no doubt, be comments about Washington again playing a villain and the eternal debate about negative black images on the screen. But Washington has played, in the course of his career, probably more heroes than any other actor, so the occasional bad guy is not the earth shattering event  some people will no doubt make it out to be. And the film does not for one moment approve, sensationalize or glorify what Lucas and his gang did, destroying lives and a whole community in the process.

In spite of whatever controversy American Gangster may or may not cause, it’s  a must see if only to watch a master director at the top of his game.

Film critic, lecturer and festival consultant Sergio Mims covers all things film from the city that works, Chicago. He is a regular contributor to ebonyjet.com