This research will discuss the role of power, money, and
race in the film American Gangster
and its effects on how Frank Lucas was able to run a longstanding, powerful and
wealthy drug business for several years. Power was a recurring theme throughout
the film; it is the one thing that allowed Lucas to reign over the drug
industry in New York. Also, race played a huge role in how Lucas went
undiscovered for many years as the kingpin of New York. Detectives on the case
assumed it had to be an “Italian godfather” behind this operation (Davis,
2008). Since this took place during the 1970s, it was
probably assumed to be impossible for a black man to be the brains and head of
this operation. Also by Lucas making sure he and his crew did not dress too “flashy,”
this also made the investigators look the other way.
In most gangster films,
as the money begins to grow, the level of power begins to grow as well. One of the most famous scenes in American Gangster shows Frank Lucas
shooting a guy in the head in the middle of a busy, public area. Frank Lucas
showed no remorse and this scene clearly demonstrated the amount of power Frank
Lucas had obtained. By shooting someone with several witnesses around, it is
clear that no one will mess with Frank Lucas.
Frank Lucas was not the only powerful drug dealer during
his time. He competed with Nicky Barnes, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the
film, who was another infamous drug dealer in Harlem. In one scene, Lucas
approached Barnes to tell him to stop counterfeiting his product “Blue Magic.”
It took a lot of power and courage to approach a man such as Nicky Barnes, but since
Frank Lucas has just as much power and money, he’s
pretty much fearless. In an article, writer Penelope Poulou compares and
contrasts American Gangster and the
documentary based on Nicky Barnes. Poulou believes the documentary is a more
accurate portrayal of the life of Nicky Barnes and was more of a “based on a
true story” film than American Gangster.
She also compares and contrasts the clothing each character wore. For instance,
Frank Lucas was more subtle and Nicky Barnes was flashier with his attire,
which was evident in American Gangster
(Poulou, 2007).
It can be argued that Lucas
was able to run his business so long under the radar due to his race. According
to Poulou, the film “sheds light on the understated power of an
African-American mobster who ran his business as effectively and professionally
as any successful CEO would today (Poulou, 2007).” Lucas was able to run a
successful, longstanding business due to his race as well as his
professionalism and knowledge of the business. It was easy for him to get
overlooked by the cops because he was black; however, by staying low-key and
not dressing too flashy also played a part in his delayed exposure.
Frank Lucas used power,
money, and race all to his advantage to run his business successfully and
undetected by the authorities for years. His use of subtly helped tremendously
in his efforts to remain the Harlem kingpin; unlike his competitor Nicky
Barnes, who chose to show off his illegal earnings through his clothes and
jewelry. Frank Lucas demonstrated in this film that he was a “true gangster” by
his ability to not become too greedy, and by running a successful business and
showing others that he ran the city. By selling the purest heroin for the
lowest price, Frank Lucas made it clear that he was the one and only drug lord
of Harlem.
Resources
Davis, J.
M. (2008). LIVING BLACK, LIVING WHITE: CULTURAL CHOICES IN CRIME
FILMS. World
Literature Today,82(3), 9-0_3. Retrieved
Munby,
J. (1999). Public enemies, public heroes: Screening the gangster from
little caesar to
touch of evil.
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Poulou, P. (2007). Two
gangster films shed light on 70s drug world in new york. Lanham:
Federal Information
& News Dispatch, Inc.
Rainer, P. (2007, Nov 02). In 'american
gangster,' true crime doesn't pay off. The Christian
Science Monitor. Retrieved
Scott, R. (Director). (2007). American
gangster : Universal Picture.
