by Jason Daniel Baker

Created on: April 29, 2008

American Gangster (2007) Starring Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington, Josh Brolin, Clarence Williams III, Armand Assante, Joe Morton, Cuba Gooding Jr., John Hawkes, Jon Polito, Carla Gugino, Norman Reedus, Ted Levine, Ric Young, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kadee Strickland, John Ortiz, RZA, Lymari Nadal, Yul Vazquez, Ruby Dee, Irdis Elba, Richie Coster, Skyler Fortgang, Pierra Francesca.

Directed by Ridley Scott.

Running time: 113 minutes.

Rating: Restricted (Nudity, Sexuality, Coarse Language, Drug Use, Violence)

"Ya know I don't think they want this to stop. I think it employs too many people"

Based on the true story of Frank Lucas (Washington) who became the brutal drug lord of Manhattan not merely having inherited the franchise from his deceased mentor Bumpy Johnson (Clarence Williams III). He has also inherited his role model's twisted sense of honour. Lucas is damned if he will let the empire Johnson built fall into ruin.

We watch as Lucas brutally realigns the disjointed drug underworld under his own leadership using that which Johnson has so eloquently taught him. Johnson could only do so much to bequeath his legacy to Lucas, his bodyguard, driver and friend of 15 years. Lucas had to spill a great deal of blood to actually claim it. Lucas then had to apply sound business management practices passed down through the ages to be successful. He had to do that at times putting his own life and limb at risk.

Dealing in narcotics is a criminal enterprise but it also happens to be an industry and as such subject to economic models, which either work or they don't. Lucas was, as shown here, more than some pusher holding a territory with brute force (though holding it with uncommonly brute force he did). He efficiently built relationships and alliances ensuring that those who did business with him his way made money.

His variation upon the business model reflected that which was sweeping American industry in the 1970s i.e. cutting out the middlemen and selling direct to the customer. In Lucas' case this resulted in the bold move of his going to Vietnam to get his heroin direct from the source. His product was better, much cheaper and drove competitors out of business. He even came up with a brand name "Blue Magic" for his product to maximize word of mouth appeal. Not a dumb approach from a mass marketing perspective.

One need only look out a window in a major city to see who has the market share for any number of products by seeing advertising. But not when it comes to smack. What

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