American Gangster (2007)

DVD CASE/SIDE

Length of film:  157 Minutes  (Extended Edition: 176 Minutes)

Rated: R 

Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crow, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Lymari Nadal, Ted Levine, Roger Guenveur Smith, John Hawkes, Ruby Dee

IMDB Rank: 7.8/10

Part 1 Time:   85 Minutes  (Extended Edition: 96 Minutes)

Part 2 Time:   72 Minutes (Extended Edition: 80 Minutes)

Where does the first part end?  Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) and Eva (Lymari Nadal) are married. While leaving the church, the newlyweds are pulled over by Detective Trupo (Josh Brolin) who demands Frank Lucas begin to paying him monthly to in order to ignore his criminal enterprise.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “Have a nice honeymoon.” Detective Trupo speaks to Frank Lucas.

First line of dialogue on the second part: No dialogue – Frank Lucas and his wife Eva return home following the wedding. Frank Lucas takes the minx coat Eva bought for him, throws it in the fire and watches it burn.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, it was only a matter of time before the police would discover Frank Lucas’ identity. This begins a turning point in the film where now Frank Lucas must watch his every move.

Which part is better? The film is split into two distinct parts. Part one focuses on the rise of Frank Lucas and his heroin enterprise. Part two addresses the downfall and capture of Frank Lucas. Both parts are well portrayed and is difficult to determine a better part. The slight advantage goes to part two as we see the fall of Frank Lucas’ empire.

Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress (Nominated- Ruby Dee), Best Art Direction (Nominated)