The Swinging Bridge

Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Google Images

In American Gangster, Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, producer Brian Grazer, and director Ridley Scott (Black Hawk Down, Blade Runner) combine to tell the true unabridged success story of a cult figure from the streets of 1970s Harlem. We're quickly introduced to Frank Lucas (Washington), the quiet driver to one of the foremost African American crime bosses. However, after his boss dies suddenly, Lucas wastes no time in taking advantage of the breach in power to build his own empire.


Through cleverness and an austere business stance, he begins regulating the inner-city drug trade and flooding the streets with a purer product than any other. This "Blue Magic" comes at a better price since Lucas receives his heroin from a source in Vietnam shipped by Army agents. He assumes control over the leading crime organizations and becomes not only one of the main corrupters, but also a prominent member of the city's large and in-charge idols.


While creating his version of the American Dream, he runs into a law enforcement problem--an outcast cop, one who is just close enough to feel the drug world's shift of control. Richie Roberts (Crowe), a smart and newly learned detective from Jersey, believes someone is climbing the ranks in the inner-city and starts to suspect that a powerful black leader has unexpectedly come to dictate the scene. He's been nominated to lead an organization that is told to crack down on the region's major dealers. At first, he figures he'll have to tackle the mafia to do get the job done. But after seeing Lucas at a boxing match wearing an expensive attention-calling chinchilla fur coat, Roberts feels the need to explore his options of suspects.


These two lead characters share a principled policy that sets them apart from their fellow colleagues. Richie no doubt is a faulty cop with an honest streak and Frank doesn't ever use his drug to benefit himself; rather it allows him to buy a house for his mother, take care of his family, and get great seats at championship boxing matches. The fate of these two men becomes intertwined as they approach a confrontation where only one of them can come out on top.


The quality of the film itself wasn't the best, with the microphone boom ducks into the picture quite a few times, and the story line can seem chopped up. The film consists of several scenes where needles and crack homes are abundantly visible. Undressed ladies along with shivering and sweat drenched addicts are only a few things to look forward to during this two hour and thirty-seven minute R-rated film.


Walking out of the theater, a few others and I found ourselves asking who was overpaid in this big screen: Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington, the microphone guy? American Gangster gave good insight into the world of Lucas, but that was just the problem. The movie tries to present Lucas' spread of evil by its distressing representation of heroin users. Actors like Washington end up being characters viewers want to be like. Similar is life. If being bad wasn't so engaging, nobody would be.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools