American Gangster (film)

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American Gangster
Theatrical poster
Directed byRidley Scott
Written bySteve Zaillian
Produced byBrian Grazer
Ridley Scott
StarringDenzel Washington
Russell Crowe
Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Josh Brolin
Lymari Nadal
CinematographyHarris Savides
Edited byPietro Scalia
Music byMarc Streitenfeld
Distributed byUniversal Studios
Release dates
November 2, 2007
Running time
158 min.
(Theatrical)
175 min.
(Extended)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
BudgetUS$100 million[1]
Box office$245,007,299

American Gangster is a 2007 crime film written by Steve Zaillian and directed by Ridley Scott. The film stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Washington portrays Frank Lucas, a real-life heroin kingpin from Harlem who smuggled heroin into the US on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War. Crowe portrays Richie Roberts, a detective attempting to bring down Lucas' drug empire.[2] Filming was done on location in New York City. American Gangster was released in the United States and Canada on November 2, 2007.

Plot

Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson, a disciplined and intelligent black gangster, runs much of Harlem and imparts his wisdom onto his former driver turned right-hand man, Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington). Johnson dies of a heart attack in 1968, at an electronics store. Frank dislikes the new, flashy gangsters and decides to take control. To gain money and power, he travels to Bangkok, Thailand, and with the help of his cousin who is an Army Senior NCO, strikes a deal with a Chinese nationalist general in the Golden Triangle of Southeast Asia, who supplies him with pure heroin. Starting with a first shipment of 100 kilograms, Frank has the drugs transported back to America via military service planes. His final shipment comprises two tonnes hidden in the coffins of seven dead U.S. soldiers from the Vietnam War.

Frank’s unique drug supply enables him to sell potent drugs (“Blue Magic” heroin) at low prices - undercutting his competition which, the film suggests, is largely heavily cut (diluted) heroin stolen and redistributed by corrupt narcotics police officers. He quickly makes a fortune and buys several nightclubs and apartments. He moves his family from North Carolina to New Jersey, where he purchases a large estate for his humble mother. His five brothers are enlisted as his lieutenants in the NYC drug trade – forming “The Country Boys,” who work together to traffic and sell dope on Harlem streets. During his rise, Frank meets and falls in love with Eva, a Puerto Rican beauty queen. Through his discipline, organization, and willingness to kill those in his way, Frank quickly rises to the top of the Harlem drug and crime scene.

Meanwhile, Newark, New Jersey detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is juggling a failing marriage, late-night law school classes, and his police career. When Richie and his partner, Javier Rivera, discover nearly $1 million in unmarked bills in a car, Richie resists temptation and turns the money in. His rare honest ways make him a hated member of his precinct, causing his partner to be exiled from the force, while Richie's rampant womanizing behavior leads his wife to seek a divorce and custody of their son. After his exiled partner dies from overdosing on Blue Magic, Richie's honesty catches him a break when his superior Captain Lou Toback (Ted Levine) puts him in charge of a newly created task force to stop drug trafficking in Essex County, New Jersey and New York City. Richie handpicks honest cops and gets to work on finding who is supplying Blue Magic.

As Frank's business prospers, he makes a point of operating quietly and dressing with a modest conservatism both as a sign of strength and to avoid attracting the attention of the law. However, Frank disregards this habit for his wife for one ostentatious night out, attending a Muhammad Ali boxing match with several known mobsters in a gaudy fur coat and hat, and with a ring-side seat. As it happens, Roberts is on duty observing the event and sees this unknown, but obviously wealthy, person associating with high-level criminals, as well as having better seats than the Italian mafia. Roberts becomes suspicious, and he begins to investigate this unknown (to him) figure in New York organized crime.

Even as Frank realizes he has exposed himself to police scrutiny, he must make deals with the Italian mafia and fend off corrupt NYC detectives, such as Det. Trupo (Josh Brolin), who extort and threaten him. Trupo's dislike of Frank is capped when his prized Shelby Mustang is bombed before his eyes. He must also contend with local crime figure Nicky Barnes (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), who is taking some of Frank's product, diluting it himself, and selling it under Frank's "brand" name. Unidentified assassins try to kill Frank’s wife, further destabilizing him and worsening his unsteady marriage. Things finally turn to the worst when Frank sees the U.S. Military vacating Vietnam, which in turn cuts off his primary heroin transportation.

Richie catches another break when his men witness the driver of one of Frank’s top soldiers shooting a woman. They use the driver’s bad predicament to get him to wear a wire. The wire allows Richie and his task force to discover when a plane carrying drugs is landing. Meanwhile, Trupo leads his band of police officers to Frank's mother's mansion where they take Frank's emergency cash supply. When the plane lands, Richie and his men follow the drugs into Newark's projects and obtain a warrant. A huge group of police and detectives attack the drug apartments en masse and a large shootout occurs. Frank is at church when the bust goes down, but he is arrested after the service ends. Frank and Richie finally meet, and Frank’s attempts to bully Richie are unsuccessful.

With no other options, Frank decides to provide names of numerous other criminals, including his and Richie’s common enemies: corrupt NYC detectives. Numerous corrupt cops are arrested; a distraught Trupo kills himself to avoid arrest. Richie, having passed the Bar Exam, prosecutes Frank, but he leaves the prosecutor's office after the Lucas trial. The first client he takes after becoming a defense attorney is Frank. Because of his cooperation, Frank receives a relatively light sentence of 15 years rather than the original 70. At the film’s end, he steps out of jail to the sounds and era of the 1990s, significantly older and out of place.

Cast

Development

In 2000, Universal Studios and Imagine Entertainment purchased the rights to "The Return of Superfly", a New York magazine story by Mark Jacobson about the rise and fall of the 1970s heroin kingpin Frank Lucas.[3] In 2002, screenwriter Steven Zaillian brought a 170-page script to director Ridley Scott, who expressed interest in making two films from it. However, Scott did not immediately pursue the project. In November 2003, Universal and Imagine entered negotiations with Brian De Palma to direct Tru Blu, with a script by Zaillian based on Frank Lucas.[4] Zaillian interpreted the story as one of "American business and race", focusing the script thematically on corporate business.[5] Production was initially slated for a spring 2004 start.[4] In March 2004, the studio entered new negotiations with Antoine Fuqua to direct, as well as Denzel Washington to star in the film as Frank Lucas.[6] The following May, Benicio del Toro entered negotiations to star as Detective Richie Roberts, who brought down Lucas. Production of Tru Blu was reset to begin in early fall 2004, with the film slated for a release date of June 3, 2005.[7] In September 2004, Dania Ramirez entered negotiations to join the cast of the film, now titled American Gangster.[8]

Universal Studios reported that it greenlit American Gangster with a budget of $80 million, which escalated to $93 million, with $10 million for development costs and $3 million for the delay of the production start date. Sources close to the director insist that the budget was $93 million from the beginning. The studio also sought for American Gangster to be produced in Toronto rather than New York City to save money, but Fuqua resisted the re-location. The studio's parent company General Electric received tax credits in New York City, so production was moved to the city. The move, however, inflated the budget to $98 million. Fuqua's camp insisted that it was seeking ways to reduce the budget, but the studio contended several aspects of the project under him. The director had wanted to film a Vietnam sequence in Thailand and to cast notable names such as Ray Liotta and John C. Reilly in minor roles. To add to the studio's budgetary concerns, Fuqua was rewriting the script during the preproduction process. The director also did not have a shot-list, final locations, and supporting actors signed to initiate production.[9]

Fuqua was fired on October 1 2004, four weeks before principal photography would begin.[9] The studio cited creative differences for the director's departure.[10] After Fuqua's departure, the studio met with Peter Berg to take over directing the film, and Denzel Washington had approved of the choice.[9] Due to the search potentially escalating a budget already in the US$80 million range and the difficulty in recouping the amount based on the film's subject matter, Universal canceled production of American Gangster, citing time constraints and creative elements for its reason.[11] The cancellation cost the studio $30 million, of which $20 million went to Washington and $5 million went to del Toro due to their pay or play contracts. Entertainment Weekly reported that the sources close to the director that Fuqua's ambition to produce the film was primarily based on the prospect of an African-American director and an African-American actor leading a big-budget film that would potentially be nominated for Oscars.[9]

In March 2005, American Gangster was revived as Universal and Imagine entered negotiations with Terry George to revise Zaillian's script and direct the film, which was to be financed with a target budget of US $50 million.[12] The following May, Don Cheadle was approached to replace Washington as Frank Lucas, though an offer would be held off until George completed his revision of the script.[13] Producer Brian Grazer and Imagine executive Jim Whitaker decided against pursuing George's attempt and to return to Zaillian's vision.[14] In February 2006, Ridley Scott entered talks with the studio to take over American Gangster from George, returning to Zaillian's draft as the film's basis. Washington returned to his role as Lucas, and Russell Crowe was attached to star as Roberts.[2]

Production

Writing

Scott had discussed the script with actor Russell Crowe as they worked on A Good Year (2006) in France, and then they sought to take on the project. The director reviewed Zaillian's script, Terry George's rewrite, and a revision by Richard Price during the project's incarnation with director Antoine Fuqua. Scott preferred Zaillian's approach and chose to follow it. In realizing the project, the director encountered a challenge in the script since the characters Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts do not encounter each other until twenty minutes before the end of the film. The director sought to flesh out the private universes of the characters that would evolve and have scenes cut between the two characters to provide a balance. Elements like Frank Lucas's interaction with his family and Richie Roberts's dysfunctional marriage were written to add to the characters' backgrounds.[15]

Casting

File:Washington and Crowe in American Gangster.jpg
Denzel Washington, left, and Russell Crowe, right, both met the real-life figures that they portrayed for American Gangster to capture their voices and mannerisms.

Scott chose to direct American Gangster based on the paradoxical values of Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts. The film focuses a bit on the comparatively ethical business practices of the "wicked gangster" and the womanizing and failed marriage of the "do-gooder" police detective. Washington, who was not normally a fan of gangster films, chose to portray Lucas when he saw "the arc of the character" had ended with prices that Lucas paid for his actions.[3] Crowe was drawn to the project based on his previous work with the director on Gladiator and A Good Year.[16] Production was slated in summer 2006.[2] To prepare for their roles, the actors met their real-life counterparts. Washington acquired Lucas's Southern accent, and Crowe practiced to match Roberts's manner of speaking and body language, requesting tape recordings of Roberts to assist in his preparation.[3] The following March, the studio rehired Zaillian to rewrite the script for American Gangster.[14] It was rumored that Washington got paid another $20 million for when the project was greenlit again, that rumor proved to be false. According to Variety, he only signed on for his gross.[17]

Filming

Director Ridley Scott produced television commercials from the 1960s to the 1980s, which entailed visits to New York City in the same time period in which the film's story took place. The director sought to downplay a "Beatles" atmosphere to the film and to instead create a shabbier atmosphere. Scott described his perspective of the setting, "Harlem was really, really shabby, beautiful brownstones falling apart."[15] Production and costume design was emphasized, transforming the location into the rundown streets of upper Manhattan from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Denzel Washington, as Frank Lucas, went through 64 different costume changes.[18]

The director filmed American Gangster in 180 locations, an unusually high number for production, throughout New York's five boroughs. Approximately 50 to 60 locations were set in Harlem alone. The director also found several interiors that had been untouched since the 1940s and despite sanitary concerns, chose to film scenes in these locations. All the locations in the film were authentic, with the exception of Frank Lucas's coffee shop, built as a set at the northeast corner of 122nd St and Lenox Avenue. Scott found filming in Harlem to be difficult, describing it as "an area of wide-avenued boulevards" whose concrete pavement and lack of trees provided poor opportunities for shooting angles.[15]

Release

Box office performance

Over two weeks before the release of American Gangster, a screener for the film leaked online.[19] The film debuted in the United States and Canada on November 2 2007 in 3,054 theaters.[20] In its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, American Gangster grossed $43,565,115,[21] placing first in the weekend box office.[22] Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo reported that the film is the first crime saga to gross over $30 million its opening weekend and the film also had the best opening weekend for Denzel Washington as well as Russell Crowe.[23] As of January 31,2008, American Gangster is estimated to have grossed $130,164,645 in the United States and $114,842,654 in other territories for a worldwide total of $245,007,299.[21]

Critical reception

The film received generally favorable reviews from critics. At the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of 182 reviewers approved of American Gangster.[24] On the similar site Metacritic, 37 accumulated reviews gave the film an average score of 76 out of 100. [25]

American Gangster has been observed as a candidate for the Oscars based on the film's style and the performance of the actors, including the possibility of an Academy Award for Best Director for Ridley Scott.[26] However, the recently announced nominations for the 2008 Academy Awards had no mention of Scott, Washington, or Crowe, partially due to disputes surrounding the credibility of the film. The subject of the movie, Frank Lucas, has admitted that the film is only 20% accurate.[27]

Top ten lists

The film appeared on fifty[28] critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007.[29]

Awards

Wins

  • African American Film Critics
    • Best Supporting Actress (Ruby Dee)


Nominations

  • Image Awards
    • Outstanding Motion Picture
    • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Ruby Dee)

Soundtrack

Untitled

Between April and May 2007, composer Marc Streitenfeld recorded the musical score for American Gangster by using an 80-piece orchestra recorded in sections as well as acoustic pre-records, performed by Streitenfeld himself.[33] Additional score material was composed and recorded by Hank Shocklee.

The official soundtrack album for American Gangster was released by Def Jam Recordings within a week of the film's release. In addition to Streitenfeld and Shocklee's score material, the soundtrack album also features 1960s/1970s period songs by blues and soul musicians such as Bobby Womack, The Staple Singers, Sam & Dave, and John Lee Hooker.[34]

Denzel Washington originally pressed for film producer Brian Grazer to have rapper and Def Jam president Jay-Z compile a soundtrack for the film, but Grazer and director Ridley Scott resisted because they wanted an authentic 1970s feel to the film. As a result, only two new vocal songs, both done by soul singer Anthony Hamilton's in a 1970s style, were recorded for the film. "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)", a Jay-Z song from his 2001 album The Blueprint, was included in the film's trailer. Instead of directly recording for the film, Jay-Z released an album inspired by the film, similarly titled American Gangster, in conjunction with the release of the film.[34]

Track listing

  1. "Do You Feel Me" – 3:56
  2. "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" – 3:46
  3. "No Shoes" – 2:24
  4. "Across 110th Street" – 3:47
  5. "Stone Cold" – 4:06
    • Performed by Anthony Hamilton
  6. "Hold On I'm Comin'" – 2:31
  7. "I'll Take You There" – 4:34
  8. "Can't Truss It" – 4:39
  9. "Checkin' Up on My Baby" – 2:12
  10. "Club Jam" – 3:10
    • Performed by Hank Shocklee
  11. "Railroad" – 2:20
    • Performed by Hank Shocklee
  12. "Nicky Barnes" – 3:11
    • Performed by Hank Shocklee
  13. "Hundred Percent Pur" – 2:13
    • Performed by Marc Streitenfeld
  14. "Frank Lucas" – 2:40
    • Performed by Marc Streitenfeld

DVD and HD DVD release

The film will be released on DVD and HD DVD February 19, 2008. The DVD realese of American Gangster will include a 2-Disc Unrated Extened Edition with 17 minutes of unseen footage and 3-Disc Collector's Edition which includes the 2-Disc Unrated Extened Edition with a bonus disc and a supplemental collectable booklet chronicling the production period of the film.

Works inspired by American Gangster

Main article: American Gangster (album)

The film inspired the rapper Jay-Z to create a concept album, also titled American Gangster. Jay-Z had been shown the film at an early screening, which had "tremendous resonance" to him. The rapper recorded tracks that were prompted by specific scenes in the film. The album American Gangster is a rarity among inspired-by albums because only one artist is recording it, especially a major artist that had no role in the film. The New York Times speculated that the album's release in conjunction with the film would attract young moviegoers and help Universal Pictures generate profits to recover from the film's troubled development history.[34]

References

  1. ^ Kelly, Kate (2007-01-08). "Hollywood Tests a Dynamic Duo" (subscription required). The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b c Fleming, Michael (2006-02-13). "'Gangster' redux". Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ a b c Kleinknecht, William (2006-10-05). "FROM FOES TO FRIENDS AND NOW ON TO FAME". The Star-Ledger. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b Fleming, Michael (2003-11-05). "U is re-Imagined". Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Leland, John (2006-10-29). "Gross National Product". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Snyder, Gabriel (2004-03-15). "'Tru Blu' has liftoff at Imagine". Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Fleming, Michael (2004-05-23). "Del Toro's 'Tru' calling". Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Ramirez Joining Fuqua's American Gangster". ComingSoon.net. 2004-09-13. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b c d Rebecca Ascher-Walsh (2004-10-22). "'Gangster' Wrap". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2007-11-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Fleming, Michael (2004-10-03). "Fuqua ankles 'Gangster'". Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Fleming, Michael (2004-10-06). "'American Gangster' pic rubbed out by U". Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Fleming, Michael (2005-03-13). "U's still high on 'Gangster'". Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ Fleming, Michael (2005-05-30). "Thesp's 'American' dream". Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ a b Fleming, Michael (2006-03-23). "U gets going on 'Gangster'". Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ a b c Edward Douglas (2007-10-25). "Ridley Scott's American Gangster". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 2007-11-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ Morris, Wesley (2006-11-05). "Russell Crowe learns to smile". The Boston Globe. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ Thompson, Anne (2007-10-17). "American Gangster: A Grazer Tale". Thompson on Hollywood. Retrieved 2007-11-04. Denzel Washington had already gotten paid his upfront guarantee pay-or-play, so he signed on just for his gross.
  18. ^ Schwartz, Robert (2007-04-24). "'Gangster' puts hit on gentrification". Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "'American Gangster' Leaked Online a Whole Week Early!". New York. 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2007-10-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ Pamela McClintock (2007-11-01). "Buzz builds for fall box office". Variety. Retrieved 2007-11-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ a b "American Gangster (2007)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  22. ^ "Crime pays at box office for 'American Gangster'". Reuters. 2007-11-04. Retrieved 2007-11-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ Brandon Gray (2007-11-05). "'American Gangster' No. 1 with a Bullet". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2007-11-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ "American Gangster". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  25. ^ "American Gangster (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  26. ^ Paul Harris (2007-09-30). "Why drug lord fascinates US". Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2007-11-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ "American Gangster" Makes $46 Mil Debut, Real Life Characters Say Movie Based On Lies | Daily Hip-Hop News | SOHH.com /
  28. ^ www.criticstop10.com
  29. ^ "Metacritic: 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  30. ^ "MCN Top Ten". MCN. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
  31. ^ David Germain (2007-12-27). "'No Country for Old Men' earns nod from AP critics". Associated Press, via Columbia Daily Tribune. Retrieved 2007-12-31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ Travers, Peter, (December 19, 2007) "Peter Travers' Best and Worst Movies of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-20
  33. ^ "Marc Streitenfeld scores Ridley Scott's American Gangster". SoundtrackNet. 2007-05-15. Retrieved 2007-05-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ a b c David M. Halbinger (2007-09-20). "For Jay-Z, Inspiration Arrives in a Movie". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

Bibliography

External links

Template:Box Office Leaders USA

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