"American Gangster" is Ridley Scott's latest work this year. The feature film I watched first (the full version, 2 hours and 57 minutes, 19 minutes longer than the theater version), I think it is actually very ordinary, even many people watch it. Later, you will feel that the movie is too deified for many things, mainly due to two points, one is that Frank's act of being a gentleman is too contrived, and the other is that the ending of the movie is too beautifying. Frank is a heinous drug dealer, but the movie seems to be setting up a good image for him. His demeanor, kindness to the family and love of his wife are incompatible with what we think is a badass image full of addicts. On the other hand, at the end of the movie, Ricky helped Frank reduce his sentence. Frank was released. Ricky was also picked up by him. The two came together in harmony. This is unacceptable for the audience in front of the screen. The careless handling and consideration of the plot made me very surprised by the level of Ridley Scott.
However, after watching the remaining two side-by-side discs, my impression of this movie has changed dramatically. You can hardly imagine that this movie will be adapted to an astonishing degree based on real stories. Realm, the original characters of the story, Frank and Ricky, participated in this movie from beginning to end, from drafting the script, to the on-site shooting guidance, and even many gangsters (such as Frank’s cousin who were on the scene). The plot scenes of the movie are almost all from the memories of real characters. Many people including Denzel Washington’s admiration for Frank has greatly exceeded the retribution he deserves, and Ricky said with excitement: "I and He has been his best friend for so many years, and I even became his son's godfather."
The authenticity is unquestionable. The so-called deification is not the original intention of the film. From beginning to end, the actors and directors who participated have always adhered to a principle: Don't beautify Frank. The purpose of the film is to warn the world and stop taking drugs. Denzel Washington told the director (the block where Denzel lived before was only two blocks from the Harlem district where Frank was located, and Denzel Washington was impressed with Frank when he was a child), saying: "This is a ten Evil bastard, if he doesn't deserve it in the end, then I won't play this role." The ending of the film is somewhat sympathetic and beautiful, but it is a true historical restoration. Therefore, in the plot of this movie, we can completely deny the "inadvertent handling" that we said at the beginning.
It is undeniable that "American Gangster" is the most rigorous and outstanding gangster movie I have watched in recent years. After Martin Sicoses' "New York Gangster", I have not seen such a detailed and full of tension. In a gangster movie, Scott said: "The "American Gangster" tells real people and real things. We need to be more sophisticated about the plot, and the details are true." Whether it is scenes or costumes, this movie is meticulously restored. , Even Ridley Scott went to the police station to ask how to verify the purity of the drugs, and even in Vietnam he invited the locals who followed Frank into the jungle that year (30 years ago) to take pictures again. The whole movie makes people feel as if they are back in that chaotic era. Violence and sex are running around the scene, the luxurious and degraded nightlife, the cruel and realistic world of drugs, and the black hip-hop soundtrack make people immersed in it without knowing it. In the video, to experience the legendary and sinful life of Frank, the gang leader, the film uses a parallel editing method to allow the two confronting characters to move forward slowly according to their own life trajectories, and it is not until the last ten minutes that they come into confrontation. It has to be said that it is a kind of thin accumulation and thick hair. With the crisp editing, the film is very compact. The nearly three hours of time does not seem to be procrastinated at all. This also shows the director's superb control over the film and the screenwriters. Extraordinary adaptability (screenwriter Zelian is the screenwriter of the New York gangster).
After "New York Gangs", "American Gangs" is undoubtedly the most worthy gangster movie. It is not an anti-drug film with gangster gimmicks, but a gangster film in the orthodox sense. It has a deep and rich picture. The style, the realistic image facing the cruel human nature, and the crazy acting skills of the two actor, the adaptation of this story is vivid and colorful, the characters are full of real details, not only the delicate family feelings, but also the revealing of the dark side of human nature, In fact, it is no less than those classic gangster movies. Ridley Scott said: "The audience can watch a movie without moving. This is the biggest reward for filming." Yes, I did not move for three hours. "American Gangster" is a DVD released this year. It stands to reason that this is also a rare good movie I have watched this year.
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