I wonder why it hasn’t been further emphasized that Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster” marks the second meeting between Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Perhaps it’s because during “Virtuosity” Crowe was barely a star, or perhaps it’s because “Virtuosity” just wasn’t that good. True, this second meeting is not as notable as Paul Newman and Robert Redford’s, but I wish it were. We have a slew of incredible actors, some favorites, some up and comers, and two of the current best actors in Hollywood meeting. Yet again. The hook for this crime thriller is capitalism. Capitalism, Zaillian insists, however criminal or legal, is still nothing but deception and appealing to consumers in spite of the sleazy methods in which we act out the primary principle of business in America.
Frank Lucas, though the wretched monster he was, really was just another capitalist, the writers insist, and a true businessman who never practiced what he preached, in the end. He preyed on addiction, appealed to Vietnam vets with producing narcotics to feed their misery, and Ridley Scott provides an intriguing glimpse at crime, capitalism, and how they go hand in hand. “American Gangster” isn’t strictly the shoot em up crime drama but the exploration of two men who adhered to certain principles of capitalism. Frank Lucas was a capitalist who re-invented organized crime with his business-like practices, while his antithesis was the downtrodden man who attempted to play to play it straight and was ultimately bitten in the behind for it. In capitalism there are no morals and Zaillian juxtaposes the character of Lucas with the underlying message with interesting finesse.
First this is the story of the rise of Frank Lucas and how he took a business approach to every bit of organized crime he was involved in, which will help induce negative reactions by viewers expecting a full on remake of “Scarface.” Scott is focused on the intrigue of the inner city drug circuit, and then explores the chase of Richie Roberts on Frank Lucas as his accidental introduction into the public gave him a connection to the Italian mafia. “American Gangster” is a low-key and deliberately paced crime drama with no real notion to speed its pace to appease action hungry movie goers. Once again Denzel Washington gives an Oscar worthy performance as the vicious but charming crime boss who seizes control of his empire and learns the tricks of the trade that gets him through many tight spots, along with Russell Crowe whose performance is very downplayed.
He’s a humble and sleazy officer who feels a sense of redemption is at hand in bringing down Lucas once for all at the expense of his family. The chemistry between Washington and Crowe is as dynamic as ever, and when the two finally meet, it’s a fantastic interplay that will undoubtedly grab some Oscar nods. Lucas is and was a business man who was also a vicious monster who managed to outlive many of his contemporaries, and the primary function for “American Gangster” is to show that big business and organized crime go hand in hand, and Frank Lucas was merely a player who did it his way. Scott’s film is nothing short of excellence. Scott’s film is a slow boil crime drama that serves as an indictment on American capitalism and the hand in hand relationship of big business and organized crime. Though some may expect an action thriller, Scott’s crime thriller is a well paced, wonderfully acted entry into the sub-genre.