Movies News Talk

American Gangster: The Real Story of Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts

American Gangster tells the compelling true story about Frank Lucas, one of the most infamous and ruthless heroin kingpins in history, and his takedown at the hands of the equally committed detective, Richie Roberts.

id="beyond-the-movie">Beyond the Movie:

This intense, crime drama gives audiences a real look at the crime world and those who wanted to take it down, however, what the film doesn't touch upon, are events that transpired after the story came to an end.

The actors who star in this film, Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe brought a remarkable set of details that showcase just how powerful these performances could be.

Also Read: Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington: A Look at Their Movie Collaborations

A Relationship After The Screen:

movieslike_americangangster Image

The American Gangster storyline features these two main characters. Frank Lucas is seen trying to build a super powerful and successful operation! He wanted to outmaneuver his competition. But he couldn't do that without a force of law working against him, so, he runs into Richie Roberts who is trying his best to crack this case and bring it down. What was truly extraordinary about this story is that after the ending there was still an element of fate in these individuals' lives.

While you've seen what happened with both of these powerful men, after they come face to face for the first time, they form an alliance of sorts. In this case, Richie Roberts became an attorney, which helped Frank Lucas avoid jail time.

If you watch "American Gangster," there is this fascinating insight into how things continued beyond the show.

  • The main antagonist was a dangerous man who had a long history, Lucas gets sentenced to a shorter term.
  • "American Gangster" doesn't explain how the relationship went further and that was truly incredible. Roberts and Lucas kept a bond. So it made a ton of sense for "The Washington Post" to come forward. In the post Roberts is revealed as a Godfather to one of Lucas' sons, Ray. They really formed this super intense bond even after the ending of "American Gangster!"
Also Read: Russell Crowe's 'Land of Bad' is Now Streaming on Netflix!

What Did Richie Do After American Gangster?:

Denzel Washington and Clarence Williams III as Frank Lucas and Bumpy Johnson in American Gangster Image

You see, the movie was released in 2007 and after he walked away from that role Roberts decided to switch to the law, looking to defend the very people who he hunted in the past. He took on a great responsibility for Frank Lucas, and from then on helped Lucas and eventually his family for quite a long time, including his role as Godfather.

"The Washington Post" went on to explain how this relationship played out in such an awesome way.

What this brings up for many who are passionate about crime drama or history, there are so many nuances and complexity with a world like crime and what happens afterwards.

"American Gangster" didn't get to tell every bit of this story but, the main points were able to help create a deeper understanding of the power these two real life figures were capable of creating!

It was an unconventional, unexpected alliance that took on a big stage with these iconic characters.

Whether you love watching crime movies. Or you have a passion for crime dramas and the events in real-world news "American Gangster" and its ability to really get close to this fascinating story that left many asking questions as to how it ended is truly an accomplishment.

The next time you have the chance to see this series be sure to take a look! If you are into crime dramas, "American Gangster" is definitely a must-watch that fans of this genre shouldn't miss.

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