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'American Gangster' puts a new spin on mobster stereotype
By Tim Goessling
Posted: 10/19/07, 1:04 AM EST Section: Splice
America is the land of freedom, cheeseburgers and an extra side of French fries. It's a land of skyscrapers that soar to the heavens like the aspirations of the people who inhabit them. It's a land of purple haze surrounding mountains at sunset.
Most inhabitants of this great land are honest folks on the grind to make a living. That other small percent are the outlaws, the criminals and the gangsters.
And they, too, are all American.
The first thing that strikes you about the film "American Gangster" is how much the title conveys about the film. In the universe of criminal films, most gangsters are Italian, Spanish or Irish. But now we have our first "American" gangster - the title fits Denzel Washington's character perfectly.
It's almost patriotic to think that this gangster, this criminal, is a product of America and not of foreign influence. He wasn't made in the sun-soaked land of Sicily; he was made here in the land of free.
Washington's "Gangster" character appeals to us because we as Americans are fascinated by the underworld. Gangsters fascinate us because we love their work ethic and dedication to succeeding at all costs. We love them as long as they don't affect us.
"Anybody who has had a hard time cashing a check enjoys watching someone beat the system. It's amusing," said Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, and a television, radio and film professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
But all this hype would be nothing if the film wasn't made, and shockingly this is a film that should have come out years ago. The film was originally slated to come out in 2005 and was directed by Antoine Fuqua of "Training Day" fame. However, disputes with the studio over content and an inflating budget lead the film to cancellation. The project was then resurrected by producer Brian Grazer.
Grazer is a big-shot producer who is responsible for "24," "A Beautiful Mind" and "Inside Man," and he put together the current dream lineup for the film. He got Ridley Scott, a skilled director who had worked with Russell Crowe in "Gladiator" to shoot the film. Scott's brother, Tony, had previously directed Denzel Washington in "Déjà Vu" and "Man on Fire."
Most inhabitants of this great land are honest folks on the grind to make a living. That other small percent are the outlaws, the criminals and the gangsters.
And they, too, are all American.
The first thing that strikes you about the film "American Gangster" is how much the title conveys about the film. In the universe of criminal films, most gangsters are Italian, Spanish or Irish. But now we have our first "American" gangster - the title fits Denzel Washington's character perfectly.
It's almost patriotic to think that this gangster, this criminal, is a product of America and not of foreign influence. He wasn't made in the sun-soaked land of Sicily; he was made here in the land of free.
Washington's "Gangster" character appeals to us because we as Americans are fascinated by the underworld. Gangsters fascinate us because we love their work ethic and dedication to succeeding at all costs. We love them as long as they don't affect us.
"Anybody who has had a hard time cashing a check enjoys watching someone beat the system. It's amusing," said Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, and a television, radio and film professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
But all this hype would be nothing if the film wasn't made, and shockingly this is a film that should have come out years ago. The film was originally slated to come out in 2005 and was directed by Antoine Fuqua of "Training Day" fame. However, disputes with the studio over content and an inflating budget lead the film to cancellation. The project was then resurrected by producer Brian Grazer.
Grazer is a big-shot producer who is responsible for "24," "A Beautiful Mind" and "Inside Man," and he put together the current dream lineup for the film. He got Ridley Scott, a skilled director who had worked with Russell Crowe in "Gladiator" to shoot the film. Scott's brother, Tony, had previously directed Denzel Washington in "Déjà Vu" and "Man on Fire."
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