American Gangster Movie
American Gangster (2007) is a biographical crime drama directed by Ridley Scott, chronicling the rise and fall of Frank Lucas, a 1970s Harlem drug kingpin who smuggled heroin using US military planes. Starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, it depicts the collision between Lucas’s corporate-style drug empire and a relentless detective.
Why Did Denzel Washington Play Frank Lucas In American Gangster?
Denzel Washington played Frank Lucas in American Gangster because he was drawn to the complex, paradoxical "arc" of the character—a brutal, high-level heroin smuggler who was simultaneously a family-focused, quiet entrepreneur. Washington sought to portray the consequences of a criminal life, aiming to highlight how, despite the wealth and luxury, such actions lead to inevitable punishment.
Denzel Washington met with the real Frank Lucas while preparing for American Gangster. Lucas served as a consultant for the film, providing insights on his life, mannerisms, and habits, such as how he carried his gun, to help Washington accurately portray him.
American Gangster Trailer
My Analysis
The American Gangster movie depicted Frank Lucas life extremely well. According to Frank Lucas the film is 85% true. There's a scene in the film where a detective finds a stash of Lucas's money under a dog house and Frank Lucas said "I never buried no money at my house", in a Hot 97 interview with Miss Jones. Other than that most of the film is accurate. It's very common for some biopics to receive negative feedback from the real person, because they don't agree with the storytelling. In this case Lucas did not have any negative feedback for the film. I am big fan of the movie and I am happy that doing my research on the film enhanced my feelings on the script writing and production.
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