Ridley Scott introduces American Gangster, an epic American crime film based on a true story. Detective Richie Richards (Crowe) makes in-roads into Frank Lucas’s (Washington) heroin empire in Manhattan. Drug abuse is rife during America’s involvement in Vietnam, and Lucas smuggles narcotics from Thailand only to establish a monopoly with ‘Blue Magic’ a purer, cheaper alternative for U.S. junkies during the 1970s. Scott is supported by Academy Award winners, Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, in a movie that has some strong parallels with Heat.

The equal opposite pairing create two separate stories, which are juxtaposed chronologically. While Washington and Crowe rarely share the screen, they dominate their characters with strong performances. Gangster films have always generated plenty of interest in Hollywood, and American Gangster is no different. The main difference between American Gangster and other crime films is that it centres on Frank Lucas, who is black. Most crime films set in America are based on, or centre around the Italian mafia.

The film makes reference to the Vietnam war, and accurately portrays the socio-economical, political and cultural setting of the 1970s. The context isn’t self-conscious and doesn’t detract from the performances or story. Scott manages to allude to the era, without being too obvious and this gives it power in the now. There’s very little CGI, and every scene makes use of real people. American Gangster doesn’t shy away from the violent actions of Frank Lucas.

There’s no glory in his life of crime, and he suffers the consequences of his vicious lifestyle. The Zeitgeist of the time is captured, the performances are majestic and the real rise-and-fall story is engaging. American Gangster isn’t as powerful as The Godfather or Goodfellas, but makes a true gangster epic with a similar tone.

The bottom line: Gripping.