Gangster films have long been a staple of Hollywood since the beginning of filmmaking. From early silent films, to Cagney, to Brando, then to De Niro and Pacino. There is obviously something about the crime drama genre that captivates moviegoers. Is it escapism or just the fact that some people are just fascinated with the lifestyle of a gangster? The answer will vary from person to person but ultimately I think it is the glorification of a gangster's lifestyle that people are intrigued by.

In American Gangster, legendary director Ridley Scott brings the story of real life gangster Frank Lucas, who was one of Harlem's most notorious gangsters during the late 60's into the early 70's. Scott decided to cast Denzel Washington in the role of Lucas and Russell Crowe in the role of Detective Richie Roberts, the man who eventually brought Lucas down. As one would expect, both Crowe and Washington are absolutely fantastic in this film.

Denzel gets the more emotional role and brings that character to life while Russell gets the more internalized character and brings him to life. I felt that the character of Richie Roberts was much more interesting and multi-dimensional than that of Lucas'. Roberts' character reminded me a great deal of Frank Serpico (as many have already said) but also that of Sir Thomas More from A Man for All Seasons. All three of these characters stand firm in their beliefs and no matter what, they stick to those beliefs. Nevertheless, it is Lucas' story and Denzel provides plenty of emotion and memorable scenes over the course of the film. The final scene between Crowe and Washington reminded me a great deal of the classic scene between De Niro and Pacino in Heat. Ridley Scott does a fantastic job of creating the tension and capturing the audience's attention. While the two actors do not share a great deal of screen time until the final act, each actor does a fantastic job in carrying their respective portion of the film.

Of course, it takes more than just two legendary actors to carry a film and this is where the great supporting cast comes into play. Josh Brolin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ted Levine, John Hawkes, Lymari Nadal, Ruby Dee, John Ortiz, Armand Assante, Idris Elba, Cuba Gooding Jr. and RZA (just to name a few) all contribute greatly to likely the best ensemble cast performance of the year. The two standouts from this group are most certainly Josh Brolin and Ruby Dee. Brolin brings the corrupt nature of his character to life as he becomes the bad guy to the bad guy. Had her character been developed a little more, I would most certainly say that Ruby Dee would be the frontrunner for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in any award ceremony.

None of this would come together without Ridley Scott's fantastic direction. While the film is much less stylistic than say The Departed or Scarface, I found this film to be much more mature than either of those films. Scott does a remarkable job in paralleling these two sides as it leads to the climax in the final act. I also couldn't help but notice how proficiently Pietro Scalia's editing of the film was. The final action sequence in the drug house is one of the most intense and edge of your seat shootouts I had seen since the final shootout in L.A. Confidential. The films running time is 160 minutes but thanks to the brisk editing it feels like a 90 minute film.

Cinematographer Harris Savides and Production Designer Arthur Max do a great job in creating the world of Harlem and New Jersey in the early 70's. Instead of giving the film a "Saturday Night Fever" look, Savides and the rest of the crew give the film a more simplistic look that works perfectly and compliments the film's style very well. I felt similarly to Savides' work in the film Zodiac last year as well. I also found the music in the film quite good as it moved away from generic late 60's and early 70's hits. We get to hear some Bobby Womack, The Staple Singers, Johnny Cash, Sam & Dave and even some blues from Lowell Fulson, John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson. I also found Marc Streitenfeld's simplistic score and Hank Shocklee's musical additions great compliments to the film.

Like many of the crime dramas before it, American Gangster is a great form of escapism that does glorify the "bad guy" as many of the films of the genre have prior to it. While Lucas is glorified up to a certain point, Ridley Scott still does a great job in balancing the consequences of Lucas' actions.

Ultimately, American Gangster is an intense, gritty, well acted and directed film that is a fantastic addition to the crime drama genre.