Ryan McNeil
The American Dream believes that anyone can have anything they want if they are only willing to work for it. It makes us believe that nothing is impossible, that one can pick one’s self up off the mat and still win the fight. It was a dream that lured immigrants, and it is a dream that inspires every worker, entrepreneur, cop, and crook. A criminal will twist the American Dream into a way to get ahead, believing that if he keeps honour among his thievery, and portrays himself as a pillar of community, that his sins are somehow absolved. A cop- a good cop -keeps the American Dream in mind as he tries to stave off corruption, believing that by staying clean even in the face of temptation, that his rotten lot in life will improve. That’s the problem with a dream; it can be interpreted dozens of different ways…and often interpreted wrong.
AMERICAN GANGSTER is the story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), a drug smuggler from Harlem in the 70’s, who virtually comes out of nowhere to create an empire for himself. He starts out as a driver for a Robin Hood’ing kingpin, but when his boss dies he sees a window of opportunity. Lucas begins smuggling heroin in from Vietnam and selling it for an incredibly low cost. As his better product hits the streets at a lower cost than the competition, the money starts rolling in. Frank brings his family up to Harlem from South Carolina, and under the banner of honesty, loyalty, and integrity, he turns them into lieutenants in his newly formed operation.
Meanwhile, we also get the story of Richie Roberts, a New York police officer who seems to be one of the precious few honest members of the NYPD. Richie becomes a laughing stock when he and his partner confiscate almost one million dollars, and dutifully turn it in. Roberts’ is trying to better himself with night school courses, but his life is going nowhere. Despite his wife divorcing him, and taking custody of his son, he soldiers on, believing he can make a difference. Roberts does eventually get handed an opportunity to lead a federal drug investigation unit, but even then, he gets a lot of resistance to his suspicion that a black man has risen higher than the mafia in New York’s crime syndicate. After all, who could possibly believe the notions of a down-and-out boy scout like him?
Both Lucas and Roberts hold dear the notion that they can have whetever they want if they work hard for it. Both dearly want the opportunity to provide for their families. The question neither wants to answer, is how far is too far? Is the pursuit of a dream enough to forsake the lives of your friends, isolation from your family? Whether they realize it or not, both Roberts and Lucas have answered that question with their answers. For Roberts, the answer lies in the fact that he spends years fighting with his wife over custody of his son, trying to convince everyone- including himself – that his life is one fit to raise a child. For Lucas, the question is one of believing his own myth. He is driven by his competition and envy of The Mafia, and never seems to know when. He undeniably fulfills the American Dream, but can he understand the difference between quitting while he’s ahead, and merely quitting?
I’ve heard some disappointment over the fact that in over two-and-a-half hours of running time, there is only one ten minute scene between Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe. As the story unfolded, I began to understand why there was only one scene, and why it happens when it does. For those two characters to meet and know each other, one of two things would have to happen. Either Lucas would have to be a sloppy criminal- and he isn’t, or Roberts would have to be a crooked or very talented cop – and he isn’t, in either case. The scene happens the only logical place it can, in the only logical way.
Three weeks ago, I noted how much the movie’s poster reminded me of SCARFACE. As AMERICAN GANGSTER unfolded, I started noticing even more similarities between the two films. Both movies are a tad long, both of them focus on the rise of an outsider’s drug empire, both criminals talk about the importance of honour, and beyond the life of money and luxury, both drug lords hold dear the notion of family. The difference, is that while SCARFACE was firmly entrenched in The 80’s through its music, style, and fashion, AMERICAN GANGSTER will likely age better since it has a stronger sense of setting, and already feels like a well crafted look back and a bygone time. It’s equally lyrical and gritty, and besides SCARFACE, also honours other predecessors like HEAT, GOODFELLAS and THE GODFATHER, and in time may well take its place among those classics.