American Gangster — It’s Only a Movie…Right?
Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas on
120th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem
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Like most people, I love a good movie. Especially a gangster movie.
Loved, loved, loved Denzel in Training Day. (Yes, cops are gangsters too). And, like most people, I’m eagerly awaiting the release of his latest flick American Gangster about Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas.
The anticipation started to build when the filming began around the streets of Harlem over a year ago. It grew after seeing the trailer a couple of months ago. The soundtrack with classic soul hits helped a little too.
But now, after everyone has jumped on the highlight, promote gangsters and gangsterism bandwagon, the line is beginning to blur between entertainment and pure promotion of gangsters and gangsterism. Yes, all of the stories don’t have happy endings, but with all the cash, women and glory, many people still consider the lifestyle. Especially our kids.
Growing up in Harlem, I remember the buzz about local drug dealers Alpo, Azie and Rich Porter and the money they made. Without knowing the specifics, you could tell the rumors were probably true based on the cars, jewelry and money they spent on their family and friends. Former drug dealer Azie Faison maintains that the movie Scarface strongly influenced his decision to become a drug dealer in his recent book.
I think what bothers me most is when Black people, those with the power and cash, choose to highlight and become gangsters over other more notable figures. Dame Dash made the movie Mr. Untouchable about the life of Harlem drug lord Nicky Barnes and Vault is selling shirts with his face created by urban artists. And the T.I. thing, I can’t event put my thoughts into words about this one. The question that keeps coming to mind about his situation is why? What was the point? Did he think he was invincible? Did he think he was Mr. Untouchable?
The folks over at Creme Magazine are just as perplexed as we are about the issue. They recently asked the question, “What is our fantasy with American Gangsterism?”
They actually had an interesting response which I definitely agree with.
“I think it’s about making your own rules and having enough cash to live a life of extravagance and no worries. To buy that big house like Frank bought mom (in the movie), to put your family down (your boys or girls) and hope they don’t turn on you…Not having to answer to a boss who may be less qualified than you (but) being a boss over a bunch of people who don’t know which way is up (in some cases). Is that gangster?
Let me tell you what’s gangster: The executives and conglomerates who gave the green light on all these projects, who are sitting in their offices high in the sky looking at the puppets who are making their money grow. That’s gangster.”
After reading the above statement, I realized that gangsterism is nothing more than pure entrepreneurship. Goods and services are sold based on supply and demand. Capitalism at its finest. Nothing more. Nothing less.
So, if we’re going to highlight entrepreneurs, why not pick better choices?
If we look throughout our history, there are many other Black entrepreneurs that we could highlight other than gangsters. There’s Reginald Lewis, and other Harlem entrepreneurs such as Madame C. J. Walker and Percy Sutton. Any one of their lives would make a great movie. Why can’t we highlight other entrepreneurs the way we highlight street entrepreneurs?
Am I going to skip American Gangster in protest? I haven’t decided yet. (I do love a good Denzel movie.)
I did skip an event at Vault which celebrated the new t-shirt collection. While I love the artist who created the artwork, I just couldn’t stand around smoozing and celebrating the success of a new line that promoted Nicky Barnes. Growing up in the projects in Harlem and knowing real live gangsters, dead and alive, kind of puts things in a different perspective for me.
What about you? Are you going to see the movie?
November 1st, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Good. This is so funny because I wrote something similar today about being gangsta and living life as a thug…it was along the same lines. I can’t wait to move to harlem…I’m very proud of you.
November 1st, 2007 at 11:35 pm
well, most people are superficial and lazy, and are really bored with their lives, so gangster offer some sort of ecscapism….however, if you are really down with it, it’s a lot of pressure to be a gangster, you have to watch your back you can’t trust many people, most gansters are nuerotic…people should discuss the parinoid, bi polarism, add, adhd, cod and od, ocd disorders and learning disabilites and what have you, and alot of them aren’t even good in bed…trust me when i tell ya….they posture and pose but when you really get down to it, it is a form of escape, because being black in america is a hard stigma to live down, that’s right we come from africa, one of the poorest nations in the world with the most creativity in the world but we also come from slavery, everybody and their mother doesn’t want to be reminded of that, so what the hell, we kill each other cuz that high of killing sometimes makes you forget you are black, and no one wants to be black really…….do they?
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:36 am
I’m a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. We premiered the film American Gangster at our national conference in August. I LOVED THE FILM! But I think because Denzel is playing Frank Lucas there is a sentiment that perhaps he should get off. But to see the real life Lucas and hear about his life of crime it’s evident prison is where he should’ve been sent. With Denzel in the lead, it somewhat romanticizes the role of Frank Lucas and we don’t see just how bad he was. We some things, but not to the extent of the real life Lucas.
The gangster lifestyle really does need to be done away with. We need to read Bill Cosby’s new book and take heed to what he is trying to tell the African American community about thug life and living the fast life. With that lifestyle there is only two places a person can end up: jail and the graveyard.
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:09 am
went to a screening last week and saw the film. it’s a pretty good film, and it does tell a story of what actually happened in harlem at that time (the drugs are still happening there now though). it’s good that the reality of the drugs being dealt by both the gangsters and the cops (mo gangsters) was brought to light in this film.
we now have to watch out for the war between the two og’s frank lucas and nicky barnes - they’re both dissing one another - stay tuned for “american gangster, when og’s strike!”
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:04 am
I admire Denzel’s resume of work for real. He can make any role amazing. These gangster movies are a dime a dozen though. To make positive black films you have to have positive black production houses, writer, directors and so on. “They” always would tell us what wouldn’t sell but they have no problem portraying us in a negative light. Who are they, to tell us who we are as a whole Too bad many people fall for the programming. It’s all mind control for the masses.
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
I thought the same thing about T.I…What was he thinking?! I mean you are already making millions of dollars a year. If you are so worried about your security pay people to carry guns. An what does he need with silencers in the first? I just don’t get, why so many people feel they can get away with doing these things. I feel this way regardin Michael Vick, did he really think he was going to get away with that? Notice how Vick, T.I., O.J. and Little Kim have had their posses turn on them as soon as trouble hit. For some reason after the Civil Rights Movement Black brought into this idea that we really are criminals.
November 3rd, 2007 at 2:34 pm
You raise so many valid points especially the one that the media executives are the gangstas. They have been pimping and “thugging” our culture since the advent of film, tv and radio. Now, with the web — it just another medium to exploit our culture.
I am not a big fan of violence so initially the film did not appeal to me but when I heard Denzel was in it, I thought for a second. Well, it is Denzel?! Also, it is a true story so sometimes it is better to see truth than to see a fictionalized story. But how much of the truth do we know is in this film though? That is always the question.
You see the contradictions we go through in deciding what we want to see. But if artists, producers, writers, and other executives were able to truly decide to make conscious films and support one another maybe we would not have to run to these big studios for a job. Just a thought.
Great post by the way!
November 5th, 2007 at 10:29 am
i saw the movie and it was.. okay. I can’t say I walked away feeling any particular way about gangsterism. i saw what i expected, considering where it came from. yes denzel was in it, but it came from hollywood and dame denzel’s got to eat too, so that he can continue to make positive films like … antwon fisher.
i see it this way: this film came from a system that the general public (particularly african americans) must arm themselves against and arm our children from being caught up in. from the moment a child is brought into this world, from the hospitals - to the classrooms- to employment opportunities, people of color, especially women, are fighting an uphill battle. it’s our responsibility to train ourselves and our children to recognize thing for what they are. understand the symbolism that is used to tug on our emotional heart strings, especially when it comes to art and the media. there is language and images that will tell you from what ideology or intent a piece of art or a political speech is derived from. our children need to be able to recognize these symbols as clearly as they recognize the colors in the rainbow.
first recognize, we are all a part of a toxic society, whether we like it or not. denzel is part of the toxicity of hollywood (he’s had his issues with them), the teachers that work for the department of education are part of that system. i work for an agency that is systemically racist, sexist, homophobic, and filled with all kinds of rockafeller policies. me, you, or kids in the education system, the teachers that are employed by the dept of ed, and actors like denzel have to navigate through problematic systems. gangsterism and criminal activity (at least not long term) is not a viable escape to this reality. we have always had to deal with adverse situations and we still survived. these forces have become more sophisticated in their destructive design, and we need to be even more sophisticated in how we mitigate those forces. It begins with education.
in regard to the film “american gangster”, on the scale of romanticizing – they could have gone a lot further with projecting gangsterism as an attractive of a way of life; and in its final cut, they could have gone a HELL OF A LOT FURTHER to illustrate the destruction of criminal activity on the african american individual and on the collective. to that respect the film was gravely unbalanced and tipped on the side of irresponsible…but that’s show business. what the hell did you expect?
Black art needs to be more didactic that is to say it needs to offer life lessons; this film takes a very matter-of-fact approach, presenting occurrences with little to no commentary in regard to values. It is important for people of color to connect values to our art as our art is very powerful and it can works as a tool of defense or destruction/self-destruction.
lv u
November 5th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
“Black art needs to be more didactic that is to say it needs to offer life lessons; this film takes a very matter-of-fact approach, presenting occurrences with little to no commentary in regard to values. It is important for people of color to connect values to our art as our art is very powerful and it can works as a tool of defense or destruction/self-destruction.”
Excellent point.
There are some indy productions trying to do this and hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to highlight them with AroundHarlem.com.
April
November 6th, 2007 at 1:19 am
What’s didactic is our charge as African Americans/Afro Caribbeans/Black people to support major studio works with an extensive list of actors who look like us while still being cognizant and posssibly critical of the portrayal of us. It is through public discourse such as this that we can uncover the real deal, the art of the hidden agenda. Kuddos to Around Harlem.
December 1st, 2007 at 11:48 pm
I recently saw the film and found it underwhelming. Ridley Scott brought nothing new to the genre. There are better movies about police corruption and the one honest cop who saves the day. Serpico comes to mind.
And that’s just it. The movie wasn’t really about Frank Lucas. It was about Richie Roberts, the detective who brought Frank Lucas to justice. What I found interesting about Lucas was his intelligence and ingenuity. He was an entrepreneur and excelled in his trade, however illegal. Although anyone can see how Lucas can be seen as a hero of sorts because of the status he achieved, I do not think the movie portrays him as anymore than a criminal. The fact that he is Black was mere fact and I’m not ashamed to admit that I like that he became more powerful than the mob.
Frank Lucas is a real man. And the movie told a story. The fact that he chose to use his intelligence to traffic drugs is unfortunate. But the movie does not glamorize the life. Drug dealers make a lot of money that afford them a certain lifestyle. But the consequences of becoming a drug dealer were also realized. Lucas went to jail.
The thing that we all must remember is that every ethnicity has their heroes and their ‘bad’ guys. Lucas wasn’t flashy. He tried to stay out of the public eye. He cursed those around him who were materialistic and extravagant. He married. He even tried to stop his nephew from abandoning his baseball endeavors to follow in his own footsteps.
Frank Lucas was a cut above the average ‘gangsta’. Yes, he was also a killer and I don’t condone his actions. But by comparison, telling his story is still far more advantageous than the numerous release of ‘gangsta’ films released every year which truly glamorize the gangster lifestyle and portray Blacks over and over again as nothing more than materialistic thugs.