'American Gangster's' Greensboro roots
The past weekend's box office champion was the Ridley Scott-directed "American Gangster," which whacked Jerry Seinfield's "Bee Movie" at the box office with $43.6 million in ticket sales.
Starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, the movie chronicles the rise and fall of Greensboro native Frank Lucas, who built a crime empire based on heroin sales.
Washington plays Lucas and Crowe his police nemesis.
The key to Lucas's success:He sells a higher-quality "product" -- which he gives a brand name -- for less by eliminating the middle man and dealing directly with overseas suppliers.
Both men follow strict codes of honor -- Crowe as a good cop who is ostracized by other cops for refusing to become corrupt and Washington as an ingenious criminal mastermind who gives out Thanksgiving turkeys to the community even as he pumps heroin into the black community.
There is, as I recall, one scene set in Greensboro in the movie, though it obviously wasn't shot here.
As for my assessment of the movie, the first two acts are excellent. The third fizzled for me.
Still, it is well-made, very well-acted and entertaining.
One wonders what might have happened if Lucas had directed his genius as a businessman to legal enterprises.
Update/correction: The movie apparently got Frank Lucas's hometown wrong. He's from LaGrange, N.C., near GOLDSboro. Same state, different color. Thanks to JR and Susan Ladd for pointing that out.
Comments (10)
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"One wonders what might have happened if Lucas had directed his genius as a businessman to legal enterprises."
I've wondered that about many criminals, particularly those engaged in white-collar financial crimes.
The ingenuity of some criminals is mind-boggling, and they often spend more time pursuing ill-gotten gains than law abiding businessmen spend making an honest living.
Posted on November 7, 2007 9:32 AM
Very interesting, Allen.
Allen, did the movie feature any newspaper columnists helping get rid of law enforcement people that were trying to bring Lucas and his corrupt infra-structure down?
Posted on November 7, 2007 9:54 AM
No, but the cop played by Russell Crowe makes it clear that he won't break the rules to enforce the law.
Posted on November 7, 2007 10:45 AM
Whose rules would Crowe not break, Allen--generally accepted rules for law enforcement officers or rules from a City Manager motivated by racial politics and assisted by a racially motivated newspaper reporter?
Posted on November 7, 2007 11:12 AM
Jaycee:
Maybe we should agree to disagree? I'd really like to get back on topic ... to the movie.
Posted on November 7, 2007 11:31 AM
So, you're saying Crowe in the movie never used a line-up book that due to circumstances happened to have indidviduals of one particular race in it. Never had a crazy lady claiming he was running a brothel out of his house because his sister visited or had an officer asssigned to a stakeout on an unrelated case happen to be near the subject of another investigation?
Sounds like Russell was maybe busy actually doing something like...(drum roll please....) TRYING TO CATCH CRIMINALS!!!!!
Posted on November 7, 2007 11:33 AM
Allen, get back on topic?
Ah, Allen, the movie you want to discuss is about a smooth criminal who exploits the system who happens to be black and has links to Grnsboro. And you're saying Jaycee is off topic?
I know you can't admit it, but you want to talk about this subject. Just like Doug wants to but somehow can't, so instead it's subverted and sanitized into movie talk or Duke or Matthew Sheppard so neither of you have anybody marching into your office and making you their mitch.
Posted on November 7, 2007 5:10 PM
I think it is a crying shame that even we as black people want to glamorize a gangster,and murderer. After I saw his interview on BET I am convinced he has no remorse. I don't care how smart he was, what he did was wrong and we don't have any better sense than to want to show our already misguided children how it's alright to be a criminal . I am very disappointed in Denzel for even playing this part. I guess when enough of us are out there copying this mess everyone will be satisfied even the newspaper writers and television news people who seem to love it.
We don't need any help being criminals.
Wake up people.
Posted on November 14, 2007 4:12 PM
I think it is a crying shame that even we as black people want to glamorize a gangster,and murderer. After I saw his interview on BET I am convinced he has no remorse. I don't care how smart he was, what he did was wrong and we don't have any better sense than to want to show our already misguided children how it's alright to be a criminal . I am very disappointed in Denzel for even playing this part. I guess when enough of us are out there copying this mess everyone will be satisfied even the newspaper writers and television news people who seem to love it.
We don't need any help being criminals.
Wake up people.
Posted on November 14, 2007 4:12 PM
I think it is a crying shame that even we as black people want to glamorize a gangster,and murderer. After I saw his interview on BET I am convinced he has no remorse. I don't care how smart he was, what he did was wrong and we don't have any better sense than to want to show our already misguided children how it's alright to be a criminal . I am very disappointed in Denzel for even playing this part. I guess when enough of us are out there copying this mess everyone will be satisfied even the newspaper writers and television news people who seem to love it.
We don't need any help being criminals.
Wake up people.
Posted on November 14, 2007 4:13 PM