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Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington in American Gangster (2007)

FAQ

American Gangster

FAQ



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    No. American Gangster is based on a screenplay by American screenwriter Steven Zaillian.



    Yes. Frank Lucas was a real-life organized crime kingpin from Harlem who smuggled heroin into the US on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War. The idea for the movie came from a New York Magazine article by American author Mark Jacobson called The Return of Superfly that detailed Lucas' rise and fall.



    That scene was originally going to be used as the opening scene for the film (a longer version of this scene is found under "Alternate Opening" on the DVD). Ridley Scott felt that it was too stylized, so he went with the current opening, which has Lucas setting a man on fire and then shooting him to death. However, while it is no longer used as the opening scene, it can still be found after the credits of the film.



    Frank throws the coat in the fireplace because he realized it was a huge error in judgment to wear such an extravagant outfit to the boxing match, which certainly drew attention to him. (It's the main reason he was considered a worthy suspect by the police.) He uses the action of burning the coat to essentially blame Eva for his lack of restraint in respect to "keeping a low profile", something in which he scolded Huey about in a club earlier in the movie.



    The "who" was not revealed but probably wasn't important. Since Bumpy (Clarence Williams III) is right beside Frank (Denzel Washington) as he shoots the guy in the head, it was a flashback to a time before Frank became the boss. Most likely, the purpose of the scene was to show his ability to kill coldly and ruthlessly, thus setting the mood for the rest of the movie.



    Trailer 1: "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" by Jay-Z from his 2001 album The Blueprint.

    Trailer 2: "Across 110th Street" by Bobby Womack and "Requiem Mass in D minor (K. 626)" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.



    The extended cut adds more than 19 minutes of additional footage to the theatrical version. All extensions contribute to the story.

Alexa top questions

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  • How long is American Gangster?
    2 hours and 37 minutes
  • When was American Gangster released?
    November 2, 2007
  • What is the IMDb rating of American Gangster?
    7.8 out of 10
  • Who stars in American Gangster?
    Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, and Chiwetel Ejiofor
  • Who wrote American Gangster?
    Steven Zaillian and Mark Jacobson
  • Who directed American Gangster?
    Ridley Scott
  • Who was the composer for American Gangster?
    Marc Streitenfeld
  • Who was the producer of American Gangster?
    Ridley Scott, Brian Grazer, and Dan Griffin
  • Who was the executive producer of American Gangster?
    Nicholas Pileggi, Steven Zaillian, Branko Lustig, Michael Costigan, and Jim Whitaker
  • Who was the cinematographer for American Gangster?
    Harris Savides
  • Who was the editor of American Gangster?
    Pietro Scalia
  • Who are the characters in American Gangster?
    Frank Lucas, Richie Roberts, Huey Lucas, Detective Trupo, Eva, Nate, Freddie Spearman, Moses Jones, Alfonso Abruzzo, Jimmy Zee, and others
  • What is the plot of American Gangster?
    An outcast New York City cop is charged with bringing down Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, whose real life inspired this partly biographical film.
  • What was the budget for American Gangster?
    $100 million
  • How much did American Gangster earn at the worldwide box office?
    $270 million
  • How much did American Gangster earn at the US box office?
    $130 million
  • What is American Gangster rated?
    R
  • What genre is American Gangster?
    Biographical, Crime Drama, Crime, and Drama
  • How many awards has American Gangster won?
    12 awards
  • How many awards has American Gangster been nominated for?
    50 nominations

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