Did America Need Another Gangster Movie?

Rantings on the Film

My friend Clark, who isn't the brightest bulb in the socket, recently had to fulfill a court-ordered requirement to make a contribution to a charity. He asked me to what charity he should send money, and I suggested he walk for The Cure, an event to raise money to fight breast cancer. He replied "I've never really liked that band."

Although Clark may not be the next Freud, Einstein, or Picasso, he does recognize that a successful business plan involves selling a good quality product for half the price of the competition. He has learned this lesson not through education or from the achievements of Sam Walton or Bill Gates, but from Frank Lucas, the title character in the recent movie "American Gangster" starring the usually socially conscious Denzel Washington.

Clark attended the film's premier with me. The crowd waiting in line for tickets consisted of a large number of teen-agers in a variety of ethnicities with doo-rags, sagging pants, and long neck chains.

The technical and artistic elements in the movie were wonderful. Not even the lady talking on her cell phone, or the crowd of teenagers coming loudly into the theatre 30 minutes late could diminish the film's suspense which had me on the edge of my seat, my breath bated with gasps of excitement.

It wasn't until we were more than halfway into the movie that my mind clicked and I began to analyze the atmosphere my friend and I were surrounded in.

Admittedly, I have supported the theme of the underdog rising to the top of an organization. But in this case the success of Frank Lucas is achieved through violence and illegal activities. And judging by the youths surrounding me, I began to wonder if we need another movie like "Scarface" or "Blow" or "The French Connection." I thought, enough already!