American Gangster
Short description
American Gangster is a crime drama set in late-1960s and 1970s New York. Frank Lucas works as a driver and trusted associate of a powerful Harlem crime figure, Bumpy Johnson. When his boss dies, Lucas steps out of the shadows and builds a drug operation of his own, importing heroin directly from Southeast Asia using returning military flights and bringing his relatives into the business. He sells a superior product at lower prices than the established syndicates, presenting himself as a businessman rather than a conventional gangster, and he keeps a low profile while doing it. On the other side is Richie Roberts, a Newark-area detective whose refusal to take money makes him an outcast among his colleagues. The two men share a strict personal code even as they stand on opposite sides of the law, and their paths move toward a confrontation.
Ridley Scott directed, working from a screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Mark Jacobson, with Brian Grazer and Scott among the producers. Denzel Washington plays Lucas and Russell Crowe plays Roberts; Josh Brolin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lymari Nadal appear in supporting roles. The production, made in the United States and the United Kingdom, cost about 100 million dollars and took roughly 270 million dollars worldwide, a strong return on its budget. It was the nineteenth of Scott's thirty-four films in chronological order, between All the Invisible Children and Body of Lies.
Reception was positive across audiences and critics alike. On IMDb it holds 7.8 out of 10 from about 484,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.6 out of 10 from roughly 6,245 votes. Critics gave it 7.3 out of 10 from 213 reviews, a score close to the audience averages, indicating broad agreement rather than a sharp divide.
What's left behind the scenes
- Antoine Fuqua was supposed to direct the film in 2004. Denzel Washington and Benicio Del Toro were to star in the leading roles. However, the project was shelved a month before filming began.
- After the studio rejected Terry George’s script, Steven Zaillian was asked to rewrite his own script.
- Richie Roberts and Frank Lucas, whose story formed the basis of the film, served as Ridley Scott’s main consultants during filming in New York.
- When Terry George was attached as director, Don Cheadle was supposed to play the lead role, and Joaquin Phoenix – Richie Roberts.
- Russell Crowe demanded audio recordings of Richie Roberts' voice in order to accurately imitate his manner of speaking.
- Working titles for the film were “Tru Blu” and “The Return of Superfly”.
- In March 2005, Terry George was hired by the studio to rewrite the script so that the budget would not exceed $50 million.
- When Antoine Fuqua was credited as director, he wanted Ray Liotta and John C. Reilly to play supporting roles.
- When the project was shelved, Denzel Washington and Benicio Del Toro received their full fees. The fact is that their contracts contained a clause obligating the studio to pay them the full amount of their fees regardless of whether the film was made or not. Denzel received $20 million, and Benicio – $5 million. When the project was revived, Washington received another $20 million, earning a minimum of $40 million from the film.
- During filming in Thailand, part of the extras consisted of people who had been involved in transporting drugs for Frank Lucas during the Vietnam War.
- Ridley Scott first read Steven Zaillian's screenplay before the start of filming for "Kingdom of Heaven" (2005). He was very interested in the script and agreed to direct the film. During the filming of "A Good Year" (2006), Scott and Russell Crowe repeatedly discussed "American Gangster," which ultimately became their next joint project.
- Ridley Scott and Brian Grazer considered Brad Pitt for the role of Richie Roberts.
- The director's cut of the film has a runtime of 175 minutes.
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