Personality Zone

American Gangster

Director's Masterpiece

Ridley Scott aimed for a film that combined the realism of the French Connection with the operatic feeling of the Godfather in the real-life story of African-American mob boss Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) and the detective-turned-attorney Richard Roberts (Russell Crowe) who brought down his criminal enterprise. He succeeded with this blockbuster that makes for a pretty sure bet for date night, whatever your partner's type. For the Idealist, there are nuanced characters who are sympathetic even when they are brutal, and who eventually overcome their enmity to serve the cause of justice. For the Artisan, there are plenty of action scenes as well as virtuoso performances not only from the actors and director but also from amazingly graceful cinematographers and sound engineers. Rationals should identify with the exquisite intelligence possessed by both villain Lucas and good guy Roberts. The family lives of both men, and their sense of their responsibilities to family, feature prominently in character development.  

A New York magazine article about Lucas inspired the film. He bests the competition in the New York heroin market through the elegant strategy of importing pure goods direct from Asia, employing the U.S. military (at war in Vietnam) for connections and transport. Roberts is chosen for special investigator duty because of his unshakeable integrity. (He earns the scorn of his peers for actually turning in nearly a million dollars in unmarked bills he found in the trunk of a car.) He trusted his nose over the common wisdom about the ethnic hierarchy operating in the world of organized crime.

Verdict: Join the crowds to see this one; you won't regret it. There is lots of violence but none of it is gratuitious.