Gender and sexuality in contemporary American cinema

¶ … Screen = {GENDER} "Easy A (2010)" - "No Country For Old Men (2007) - Two Lovers (2008) - The Virgin Suicides (1999) - Humpday (2009) - {Race} The Town (2010) - American Gangster (2007) - the Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) - Harold and Kumar Go To White Castles (2004) - {Sexuality} Milk (2008) - Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) - Secretary (2002) The Kids Are All Right (2010

American Gangster -- Proposal

American Gangster was released in 2007 and it was welcomed with praises by both viewers as well as critics. The filming of the movie lasted throughout several years, the major impediment having been represented by the increasing costs with filming. In this setting then, American Gangster is an intriguing work. Still, the following paper would not focus on the technical details of the film, but more so on its themes.

American Gangster presents the life of Frank Lucas, a well-known drug dealer. The film is based on a real story and the lead character is played by Denzel Washington. Lucas starts up as the right hand of a mobster, and upon his boss' death, comes to rule Harlem himself. As the story develops, the viewer is introduced to the world of the Mafia, to its internal tensions, pressures, behaviors, but also to the principles which guide the mob leader.

Lucas created his empire on the selling of drugs, imported directly from Thailand in the coffins of soldiers killed in Vietnam. He cut the middle man and as such became able to sell quality drugs at lower prices. Lucas then became the primary vendor of drugs and he also became the wholesale vendor of drugs in the city.

Denzel Washington's character is a self-disciplined man, who recognizes the gravity of his actions, the potential repercussions and strives to avoid them through restraint and authority. But he falls pray to a dim-witted mistake when he falls in love. Frank Lucas is eventually apprehended by long time pursuer Richie Robinson (Russell Crowe) and convicted to time in jail.

American Gangster is a complex story of the rise and fall of one of the most popular criminals in the history of the United States. But aside from the actual story line, the movie is also interesting to assess from the perspective of the themes which come together in its composition.

The themes in American Gangster could generically be divided into two categories. The first of these two categories would include more practical themes, whereas the other would include more salient themes. The practical themes for instance refer to the desire of both Lucas as well as Robinson so cut the middle man and deal directly with the party of interest. Additionally, another practical theme would be represented by the clear and logic train of thought which characterized Frank Lucas. The best example in this sense is represented by the distinctive emphasis on discretion, which characterized Lucas throughout most of his activities.

The second category of themes is more difficult to assess because it is more salient and only obvious at times. But the components of these themes would include the code of conduct within the organized group, the behavior of the Mafioso, the relationships they develop or the values to which they stand true. All in all, more than the action itself, American Gangster would be relevant from the perspective of its ability to introduce the viewer to the inside world of the mafia, to its norms and beliefs, to its loves and losses.

In assessing this film, information would be collected from three important books on mafia, Gambetta's The Sicilian mafia: the business of private protection; DiCanio's Encyclopedia of violence: frequent, commonplace, unexpected, and Sifakis' The mafia encyclopedia.

American Gangster -- Final paper

1. The setting for American Gangster

In the seventies decade, the American mafia was in a more precarious place compared with the previous periods in which it had flourished. With the prohibition over and more legislations regulating gambling and casinos, the mafia became divided and operated as independent families. The highest concentration of mobsters was in New York, followed by Chicago and other large American cities which still host the largest numbers of organized crime groups in the country.

During the prohibition time, the authorities would often collaborate with the mafia and silently approve the smuggling and the gambling, and even turned a blind eye on racketeering (the operation by which mafia members request individuals and groups in the neighborhood to pay a protection tax, otherwise face violent attacks against them).

In the 1960s decade, gambling represented the main money generating activities of the American mafia.

"In the late 1960s law enforcement officials believed that gambling and betting were the underworld's most productive activities, followed by loan sharking and narcotics" (DiCanio, p.296).

In the decade then, the authorities came to place more emphasis on halting gambling. Mafia heads were being followed by the police and even charged. In this setting, the organized crime groups identified a new source of income -- drugs. The authorities did not initially grant much attention to drug operations, and viewed them as simply another activity of the Mafia.

"Initially they [the authorities] viewed a boom in drug distribution as just another lucrative mob scam, not much different from their other rackets. But narcotics quickly overtook other enterprises" (DiCanio, p.296).

The initial reaction to drugs was rather unfavorable within the American mafia families. The heads of the mob families believed that drugs were too risky as they draw too much attention from the police. Additionally, they involved dealing with parties outside the mafia to both purchase as well as send the drugs. Finally, the initial refusal to deal drugs was also based on the moral belief that they could become addictive and ruin the lives of people -- yet it is uncertain whether this concern was linked to the members of the mafia or the final consumers of the drugs.

Still, as the financial gains from dealing drugs were increased, the mafia eventually gave in and started dealing drugs. But not only this, some of its members began to actually use the drugs -- in spite of strict orders against it. Drugs brought the mafia quick money, and a lot of money. But the use of drugs within the mafia created strains, fights, lack of trust and eventually loss of structure and organization within the families.

"Different from any other gangster enterprise, these drugs were the wildest of wild cards, deranging for everyone involved, with peculiar, unpredictable powers of their own. From the 1960s on, as consumer demand in the United States for harder drugs kept building, the underworld got in even deeper, both dealing and using. It was a faithful bargain, offering big money in the short run at the ultimate price of cohesion, security and organization" (Fox, quoted by Margaret DiCanio, p.296).

2. Brief summary of American Gangster

The late 1960s and 1970s were complex times in the history of the mafia, as it came under closer attention of the police and as it suffered changes in its operations and internal structures. The biggest change was represented by drugs, which generated more money, but weakened the stability of the organization.

In this setting, Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) emerges as the driver, and then right hand, of Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (Clarence Williams), a gangster running most of Harlem. When Bumpy dies of a heart attack, Harlem becomes overwhelmed by various mobsters, who are undisciplined and who compromise the structure and integrity of the organization.

Frank Lucas, a hard working and very disciplined young man, is displeased with the direction of the organization and decides to become the ruler of Harlem. In this effort, he is supported by his drug operations. Lucas smuggles drugs in from Thailand with the aid of airplanes carrying the coffins of American soldiers killed in the Vietnam War. As he becomes the head of the mafia, Lucas is finally apprehended, prosecuted and convicted for drug trafficking. To reduce his sentence, Lucas collaborates with prosecutor Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), the former policeman that had investigated and apprehended him. Not long after his release from prison, Lucas deals again and is sent back to prison.

3. Main themes of American Gangster

American Gangster is a deep film and complex, revealing more than the drug trafficking operations of Frank Lucas. It is an intricate construction, revealing recurrent and strong themes within the mafia. For instance, there is the greed, the temptation and the desire to gain more money, more power and an increased status.

The mafia had initially refrained from dealing drugs, but its greed eventually overcame this belief. For Lucas also, it was the temptation that made him deal again after he was released from serving his first sentence.

Another theme present in the movies is represented by the desire to operate directly between leaders, rather than through the middle men. Frank Lucas' success was in fact based on his decision to cut the middle man in drug dealing and import the cocaine directly from Thailand. This decision was a wise one from a business standpoint and it allowed him to drastically reduce costs, which in turn reflected in lower prices for cocaine. Soon enough then, Lucas became the preferred drug provider, selling the quality Blue Magic at low prices. He even became the wholesaler for other drug dealers in the city.

This desire to cut the middle man and deal with operations directly is also present with Richie Robinson. Not once is he met with the frustration of the bureaucracy that slows him down. And when he finally manages to better follow the illicit activities, he becomes head of a new department that follows drug dealers directly, rather than focusing on the middle men.

Then, there is the theme of discipline and strong character. Richie Roberts is not himself a very disciplined man. His marriage is falling apart and his colleagues dislike him. Still, in all this, he maintains his integrity as a human being. While most of his colleagues -- including his partner Javier Rivera (played by John Ortiz) -- indulge the mafia and even profit from its drug dealings, he strives to live by his oaths. Thins brings him the discontent of his colleagues, most of whom are corrupted. At the end of the movie for instance, when Frank Lucas agrees to collaborate with Roberts and divulges the names of all corrupt cops, three quarters of the policemen in the New York Drug Enforcement Agency are arrested.

As for Frank Lucas, unlike his prosecutor and most of the men in his entourage, he is a very disciplined man. He places emphasis on being integer and reliable. Both Lucas and Robinson are different from the features which characterize their environments. Robinson is a clean cop among corrupt policemen and Lucas is a disciplined man among disorganized drug users.

But more than personal traits, greed or temptation, American Gangster is a film about loyalty, trust and family. Within the mafia, trust and loyalty are essential features. Ironically enough, a criminal organization is run internally by its internal code of conduct, by a strong handed leader and by strict rules. The members of the mafia family are for instance prohibited from attacking one another and this was adopted by numerous mafia leaders as the "no hands rule" (Sifaakis, 2005, p.332).

The members recruited by the mafia could not be parties in the law enforcement teams, yet some exceptions were made. The relationships with the law enforcements were based on mutual gains and discretion, in order to promote mutual goals but preserve reputation. The mafia members were prohibited from engaging in relationships with the wives of other family members and were generally requested to lead an immaculate family life.

Secrecy and discretion were also widely promoted and the usage and transmittal of information were subjected to specific norms as well. Finally, the mafia members have to be integer with one another and recognize their own rights and properties.

"We do not know whether this code existed before the attempt was made to form a carte or whether the latter was responsible for its introduction. We do know, however, that those Mafiosi who turned state's evidence in the 1980s considered a number of these prohibitions and norms as integral part of their trade" (Gambetta, p.118).

These codes of conduct are commonly present in American Gangster. Frank Lucas places an increased interest on all integrity, honesty and family.

"The most important thing is business is honesty. Integrity. Hard work. Family. Never forget where we came from" (Frank Lucas).

Family plays a pivotal part for Lucas, as well as for any other mobster.

"A Mafioso must not become involved with the wives of his colleagues, and in general must be seen to lead an irreproachable family life. If these rules have any purpose other than to uphold conventional values, it must be to safeguard reputation; that is, a protector must protect his wife's virtue first lest he end up a cornuto" (Gambetta, p.120).

For Frank Lucas, the security and well-being of his family are primordial. After registering the first substantial money from drug dealings, Lucas bought his humble mother an impressive house. It was a sign of affection, respect and desire for his mother to live better than she had in the past. And the security created for his family expanded outside simple financial means. It was based on status, power and stability. And the home he had created would not be tempered by anybody. Lucas once told Richie Roberts: