The Big Picture
In 2007, director Ridley Scott joined forces with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe to create one of the greatest crime movies of all time: American Gangster. Scott retold the shocking tale of notorious Harlem crime boss Frank Lucas, played by the peerless Washington. Russell Crowe played Richie Roberts, the detective fundamental to the downfall of Lucas, who later befriended the feared kingpin. However, it was not the dramatized elements that proved most horrifying, but the truth itself. The real story behind the terror will only enliven the story and give light to how one man once ruled New York’s heroin industry.
Release Date November 2, 2007
Rating R
Runtime 157 minutes
Main Genre Biography
Genres Biography , Crime , Drama
Writers Steven Zaillian , Mark Jacobson
Tagline There are two sides to the American dream.
Who Was the True ‘American Gangster’?
To some extent, the film painted an accurate picture of who Frank Lucas was, and how his empire came to be. The infamous “Blue Magic” was distributed throughout New York and beyond under the control of Lucas and his gang, including his 17-year-old nephew. Lucas operated on fear, and as we came to find out at the beginning of the film, he wasn’t afraid to execute those who stood in his way. The murder of Tango (Idris Elba) gave us the initial insight into the brutal nature Lucas, a barbaric killing that actually occurred. Lucas publicly killed Tango in a fierce display of power. Four shots to the head proved his intention and granted street credibility. In addition, Lucas impressed the Godfather of Harlem, Bumpy Johnson, who took Lucas under his wing further cementing his place in the world of organized crime and establishing a link with the Italian mafia. After Bumpy Johnson’s death, Lucas assumed power and set out to create his own empire, free from the constraints of the Italian mafia.
The film American Gangster accurately depicted how Frank Lucas made tens of millions of dollars smuggling heroin from Asia to New York. Lucas was in charge of the operation in the capital, and the smuggling methods used in the film are, for the most part, true. However, the film doesn’t tell you that Frank Lucas essentially worked for a retired Vietnam Army sergeant named Leslie “Ike” Atkinson, as explained in the book Sergeant Smack: The Legendary Lives and Times of Ike Atkinson, Kingpin, and His Band of Brothers. In Thailand, Ike could buy a kilo of heroin for $4,000 and sell it in the States for $100,000. This is where Frank Lucas came in. Ike had recruited hundreds of soldiers to help transport millions of dollars worth of heroin into the U.S. via military aircraft. Ike with his army of U.S. soldiers, hollowed out furniture, and sewed false bottoms in bags in order to smuggle heroin into the U.S. for Frank Lucas to distribute. From 1968 until Frank Lucas’ arrest in 1975, this operation generated over $400 million.
By 1975, after nearly a decade of regnancy, Frank “Superfly” Lucas was captured by the New York authorities and his reign was at an end. The film credits detective Richie Roberts for Lucas’ capture, when in reality, Roberts played a significant role in gaining a confession. With Lucas in jail, his operation continued to go ahead, authorities still dumbfounded over the location of the “Blue Magic” supply. Roberts continued the hunt and tracked down Frank Lucas’ family who were still operating, finding $10 million worth of heroin. Frank Lucas’ young nephew was facing life in jail so he provided more details on his uncle, which granted Lucas another 40 years. The absurdity of the story climaxes with Lucas’ confession, resulting in 100 jail sentences. His cooperation reduced his sentence from 70 years to just six. Lucas was released in 1982. He was convicted again of selling heroin in 1984 and imprisoned until 1991.
Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts Formed an Unlikely Friendship
One of the most maddening elements of this bizarre story is the friendship of Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts. After Lucas’ downfall, the pair remained in touch, and Roberts has publicly spoken about the friendship, claiming everyone deserves a second chance. Roberts has since provided justification to their relationship, adamant that Lucas felt remorse for the damage he caused. The deafening destruction of ”Blue Magic” rocked the streets of New York, snatching countless lives along the way. Lucas had always viewed himself as a businessman, not a drug lord. Perhaps this played on the mind of Roberts when he accepted the offer to become Ray Lucas’ godfather, Frank’s son. It has even been reported that Roberts paid for Ray to attend a private Catholic school.
The pair remained friends up until Frank’s death in 2019 at the remarkable age of 88 — an unquestionable rarity for a man of his stature. In 2007, speaking to The New York Times, Roberts refected upon Lucas’ past, stating, “Frank Lucas has probably destroyed more Black lives than the KKK could ever dream of.” As a child in North Carolina, Lucas witnessed the murder of his cousin at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan. Lucas has claimed this merciless killing sparked his life of crime.
Denzel Washington’s ‘American Gangster’ Performance Is One of His Best
But for many, American Gangster is remembered as a Ridley Scott classic that featured a domineering performance from Denzel Washington. An evergreen Washington convinced us that a combination of efficiency and ruthlessness permits authority on the streets of Harlem and beyond. The charisma projected caught the eye of Lucas, who watched closely as the film was made. Over the course of the shoot, both Washington and Lucas garnered respect for one another.
For Washington, however, it was the potential this man could have had if he was consumed by a life of crime. Speaking with Reuters, the actor stated, “Had he gotten a formal education, had he gone in another direction, had he had different influences, I think he still would have been a leader or a very successful man.” The impairment caused to the lives of many was horrific and saddening, but it’s a story the world deserves to know. But from an entertainment perspective, the tale of Frank Lucas fascinates. As a crime film, American Gangster delivers on all fronts. Scott expertly produced a modern great that will entertain for centuries to come.
American Gangster is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
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