American Gangster

American Gangster is a 2007 crime film by director Ridley Scott about the true story of notorious Harlem drug kingpin Frank Lucas. Starring Denzel Washington as Lucas and Russell Crowe as detective Richie Roberts who is trying to bring him down, the film received mixed reviews but went on to be a commercial success, bringing in almost $300 million worldwide.

After the death of his mentor, Lucas sought to solidify power over the Harlem drug trade by importing high-grade Heroin directly from Thailand. After rising to the top of the drug trade, Lucas dealt with the investigations of Richie Roberts, as well as competition from fellow crime lord Nicky Barnes (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.) Lucas is eventually brought to justice and provides information on a number of crime figures in exchange for a reduced sentence.

• TimesOnline: Ridley Scott film faces $50m lawsuit as police claim 'We've been framed' (January 18, 2008)
  • "Mr Korniloff and two of his fellow DEA agents have now filed a $50 million (GBP 25 million) libel claim on behalf of more than 400 former and current drug squad officers in the New York area who claim that they were besmirched by the movie."
• Guardian Unlimited: American Gangster already lining up for Oscar glory (2007)
• New York Magazine: The Vulture: Is 'American Gangster' the Black 'Godfather'? (2007)
• MTV Movie News: T.I. To Star With Oscar Favorites Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe (2006)
• The New York Post: "Not for Charity" (2006)
• New York Magazine: "The Return of Superfly" (2000)
• ComingSoon.net: American Gangster Overview
• Rotten Tomatoes: American Gangster Overview
• Yahoo! Movies: American Gangster Profile