American Gangster tells the story of Frank Lucas (Washington), the inspirational tale of a man who works his way up through the ranks to become a master businessman. He went against the odds and did something no other black man had accomplished. So what if his business just happened to be the drug trade in Harlem? On the other side of the coin is Detective Richie Roberts (Crowe), an man ostracized due to his professional integrity, who vows to take Lucas down.
There is an interesting contrast between the lives of Lucas and Roberts. Both of them have worked hard for everything they have earned, but their lives appear to be greatly at odds beyond the simplistic explanation of being on different sides of the law. Lucas is portrayed as a strong family man who puts equal effort into his work and his family, always making sure to take care of his family, and taking his mother to church every Sunday. At the same time, he is the ultimate professional and quite ruthless at protecting it.
Then there is Richie Roberts. When it comes to work, he is as straight as they come, evidenced by his turning in nearly $1 million in seized cash. You see, the "normal" thing to do would be to keep it, maybe split it with the guys. When it comes to business ethics, the two see eye to eye, save for the legality of said business. The difference lies in the home lives of the respective individuals. Richie is going through a messy divorce, he is never around for his son, and just makes do.
Which one is the more admirable of the two? The cop who does all the right things on the job but suffers at personal matters or the drug kingpin who displays much love for his family, never leaving them behind? American Gangster seems to play up Lucas as the good guy, the guy to be respected and cheered when things go his way. Frankly, it did make me a little uncomfortable the way that Lucas' lifestyle was glamorized. Perhaps I am misinterpreting it, but that is how I saw it.
It was interesting to see how Lucas began as a driver/debt collector for Harlem's boss Bumpy Johnson, and following Bumpy's death takes it upon himself to take the lessons learned under years of Bumpy's guidance and step up. He forges a new path for himself and in turn it pays off, allowing him to become the boss no one expected to to ever see.
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