Highly anticipated, "Gangster" chronicles the true story of a 1970s Harlem drug kingpin Frank Lucas, who built an empire trafficking drugs in the coffins of Vietnam soldiers, and the police detective working to bring him down.
Sure to sit squarely in the lineage of New York City Crime sagas such as “The Godfather” and “Goodfellas,” Washington emphasized the difference between these greats and this soon-to-be-great.
“Of all those films, there are no black people in them,” he described. “This is a Harlem story. I think the situation is basically the same. The business was the same. It is a genre and there are certain things that are similar, but this one in particular is dealing with a guy from uptown.”
Already marked as one of the best films of the year, Washington, who stars as Lucas, and Crowe, who plays Det. Richie Roberts are clearly a formidable duo on screen. Though this is the second time the two have co-starred together (Their first outing was in 1995’s forgettable “Virtuosity”), the actors impressively take on the struggle of and blurred line between good and evil.“I think that’s one of the fascinating things about the two characters and the story itself. There’s not a clear singular morality,” Crowe said of taking on his role. “When you get the opportunity to play that sort of character, which is nothing more than reality and humanity as it exists, it’s just a bit of fun. Richie is an honest guy and that sort of thing, but he’s only honest in one area. That’s an appraisal of who he was at that time. It also leaks into that of area of discussing why people go bad in the first place and what the process of Frank Lucas was to become a drug dealer.”
Infamous heroin dealer and crime boss Frank Lucas has become a bit of an anomaly. Convicted twice and considered responsible for the deaths of hundreds, Lucas is regarded as a very intelligent man.
“If Frank Lucas had been befriended by somebody else and educated in a different area there might be a situation where a university was named after him,” Crowe said. “He’s a very smart guy and he used the things that he learned to his best ability to change his life and change the lives of his family at that time. It just happened to be that [mafia-linked] Bumpy Johnson was his teacher.”
Washington agreed, saying that he doesn’t consider Lucas a sociopath, as described by some.
“He’s a man without a formal education. He’s a man who at the age of six, witnessed his cousin get murdered by sociopaths in uniform and that changed his life,” Washington said.
At a very young age, Lucas began petty theft to survive and then one of the most notorious gangsters in Harlem recognized his “talents.”
“He was on the wrong side of the tracks, but he was a very brilliant student and he became a master of this business he was in. It’s a dirty business,” Washington continued. “I don’t want to say he’s a product of his own environment, but to a degree we all are. 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.”
As Crowe pointed out, Lucas lived that dichotomy. On a large scale, he lived a very glamorous life. His business as a nightclub owner was very successful and had him in the company of celebrities and sports stars.
“His public persona was this guy that ran the nightclub,” he said. “Any of these celebrities hanging out with him, they wouldn’t have known Frank was turning over a couple of hundred keys every month in heroin.”
A New York native, Washington recalled hearing about New York gangsters, but admitted that there wasn’t much buzz about Frank Lucas, and he said that that speaks to Lucas’ business manner.
“I think everybody had heard of Nicky Barnes,” he said and it’s a testament to Frank’s business sense. He wasn’t interested in being [in front]. You never heard about Frank Lucas, but Nicky Barnes bought his coke from Frank Lucas. Frank was many layers removed from the streets.”
Interestingly to many Washington fans, there used to be a time when the actor was layers removed from playing the bad guy. And after garnering an Oscar for his bad cop portrayal in “Training Day,” the acting fave has taken on some harsher, rougher roles. When asked about any reluctance to accept the new cinema range, Washington said, without hesitation, “Not at all.”
“A good story is a good story,” he said. “Before ‘Training Day’ I had never been offered that kind of role. After ‘Training Day’ that’s all I was offered. It comes down to good material, a great actor to work with and great filmmaker. It wasn’t that complicated.”
From “Bumpy” to Lucas to Nicky Barnes, a good true story is a good story. And Washington commented that current New York crime syndicates certainly don’t seem to have that intrigue and interest anymore.
“Maybe this is cliché, but I think there was more honor among thieves. In those days there was a sort of code of ethics. [Lucas] is a very interesting man. He’s very much a family man. He was in the drug business. I don’t think he looked at himself as a killer or even a criminal. He was in a business. He sold a product. And he did a good job at it.”
So who would be the new American Gangster?
“They get voted in now,” he said.
Directed by Ridley Scott and also starring Ruby Dee, Cuba Gooding Jr., Armand Asante, RZA, and Idris Elba, “American Gangster” opens in theaters nationwide today. For more on the film, check the website at www.americangangster.net.
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