Frank Lucas is the epitome of the self-made man – the American dreamer who forms an empire through persistence, hard work and a level head. Richie Roberts is the epitome of the good cop, a livelihood that prevents him from living comfortably at all. American Gangster is where they meet.
In the early 1970s, Lucas (Denzel Washington) constructs a heroin empire in Harlem by cutting out the middleman and buying directly from Southeast Asia, utilizing Americans stationed there to transport his product safely into the country. His incredible rise is tracked by Roberts (Russell Crowe), who leads the investigation that seeks just who is in control of New York City’s drug market.
Lucas and Roberts are similar in that they are polarizing figures, who both exhibit incredible determination. Lucas is determined to expand his control, but remains dedicated to his family and community. Roberts, on the other hand, is dedicated to the force, but little else. His personal life is wrought with as many problems as Lucas’ profession.
American Gangster is essentially two parallel stories. Lucas and Roberts share roughly the same screen time, and there is never a noticeable drought of one or the other. A turn with either the drug lord or the honest cop proves equally satisfying, as Washington and Crowe deliver some of their best and most believable performances.
At 157 minutes, American Gangster is definitely longer than it needs to be. Director Ridley Scott ensures that not a moment is wasted, however, in stark contrast with his other recent two-and-a-half hour epic, 2005’s mediocre Kingdom of Heaven. There is no shortage of brief scenes that could have gotten the boot, but with each cut the film would ultimately lose out. The extra half hour in many regards moves American Gangster from “great” to “epic.”
The film’s score and pacing, along with the sound acting, editing, and writing render all words but “epic” inappropriate. Through the full exploitation of all of its strengths, and exposure to none of its weaknesses, American Gangster succeeds where most comparable films stumble, trip and collapse.
-Steven Berger
