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Article: American Gangster
- Article from:
- Seven Days
- Article date:
- November 7, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Seven Days Nov 7-Nov 14, 2007. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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American Gangster ****
BROOKS BROTHER
Washington does some of the finest work of his career in the role of real-life Harlem crime boss Frank Lucas.
Ridley Scott's gangland saga has been called the "Black Scarface" and the "Harlem Godfather" It's not difficult to see why critics might go there. The comparisons don't hold up, however, particularly with regard to Coppola's classic. His 1972 The Godfather takes the viewer on a tragic interior journey. We watch as Michael Corleone is transformed from a rosy-cheeked war hero into a cold-hearted mob boss. Following step by step, we understand why he does what he does; how he becomes what he becomes. A dozen other characters are brought as vividly ...