Film delves into ‘70s drug scene

Based on the times of a larger-than-life organized crime kingpin of the ‘60s and ‘70s, “American Gangster” is a gripping look into power and how one person with enough intelligence and drive can upset natural order and become legendary.

The movie follows Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), as he transforms from former bodyguard and driver to the boss of his time, and Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), an average cop living and working in New Jersey. “American Gangster” seems to start in two unrelated places but shows how fate and a line of cocaine put Lucas in front of the police.

Once it picks up speed, it does not slow down, placing one plot twist after another. Thanks to a large family and many cousins, Lucas is able to use his connections to cut out the middleman and buy drugs straight from the source. As his operation swells, so does Lucas’ power. It is the same power that triggered the beginning of the end and put Roberts on a crash course with a man who was cheered by the black community.

Yet there is much more to the film than a suspenseful plot. The setting is in the middle of the nationwide antiwar campaign of the ‘70s. The historical backdrop of the events that took place during and after the Vietnam War mirrors the emotions that run through Lucas’ career.

However, every television and radio clip foreshadows the eventual downfall of his business. There comes a point when even Lucas knows all good things must come to an end, but he does not change. The way Washington portrays Lucas’ addiction to power and luxury is fascinating to watch.

Excessive drug use, accompanied by cameras zooming in on needles and twitching junkies walking the streets, is the only part that could have been toned down. There are moments in the film where no part of Harlem seems to be untouched by drug abuse. But drug abuse does have an essential role in the story, which is understandable and only avoidable if viewers cover their eyes.

While “American Gangster” does glorify Lucas’ life in his prime, the film is very clear on portraying him more as brilliantly insane instead of a hero or role model. He “represents progress,” Roberts says, when in fact he beats his own brothers and cousins when they make bad moves.

Aside from well-placed foreshadowing, parallels are drawn between the rich quality of life for the corrupt and the poorness of the morally upright. On Thanksgiving, Lucas treats his family to a glamorous meal in the huge mansion he bought for his mother, while Roberts crouches over a kitchen counter with turkey meat and potato chips pressed together on white bread. Good cinematography offers glimpses into the glaring differences between Lucas and Roberts’ lives.

Overall, “American Gangster” does not disappoint. It’s armed with thrills to draw in the curious viewer and those looking for a new gangster movie to adore, but it’s the psychological aspects and the qualities that have double meanings that move this film from great to outstanding.