(see my post here) I talked a bit about the movie and a bit about the main character Frank Lucas. Part of the appeal of the movie, in my opinion, is that it was based on a true story - Right? Generally speaking when a movie is based on a true story it adds a bit of credibility and authenticity.
Ooooops. Well maybe not. At least in the case of "American Gangster" - Perhaps not all of the story is true. The buzz on the street today is that the "Cadaver connection" May not have existed at all. And that law suits may follow.
Federal Judge Sterling Johnson Jr., who as special narcotics prosecutor was instrumental in Lucas' arrest and trial had this to say:
“Everybody always thought the caskets (carried heroin) — even I thought it,”
“The picture is 1 percent reality and 99 percent Hollywood,” Johnson says. “Frank was illiterate, Frank was vicious, violent. Frank was everything Denzel Washington was not.” (Get more of this story here)
To add fuel to the fire, several former Drug Enforcement Agents who investigated Lucas filed a class-action lawsuit yesterday against General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal claiming the film defames them and grossly misrepresents the truth.
All this just in time for the big Oscar race. So what do you think? Does this misrepresentation alter your opinion of the film? Does it make you feel manipulated and used? Do you lose respect for main actors like Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe when something like this happens? Or do you think it's okay for the film industry to take a bit of license from time to time?
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