‘American Gangster’ ending explained: what happens to Frank Lucas?

Denzel Washington plays a renowned drug lord in Ridley Scott’s American Gangster.

The biographical crime film is loosely based on the criminal activity of Frank Lucas, who smuggled heroin into the US on American service planes returning from the Vietnam war.

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Other cast members include Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Ruby Dee, Idris Elba, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ted Levine, and Lymari Nadal.

The film was released in 2007, and went onto land two Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Supporting Actress for Ruby Dee.

What happens at the end of American Gangster?

After obtaining a warrant, Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) and his detectives lead a raid on Frank’s (Denzel Washington) heroin facility, which results in the death of Frank’s nephew Stevie Lucas (Tip Harris). Frank is arrested during the raid alongside his brothers.

During Frank’s trial, Roberts offers him an opportunity to lessen his sentence by exposing corrupt police officers. Frank accepts the offer, which leads to three quarters of the New York DEA, alongside other NYPD officers, being arrested and convicted. Unable to live with his involvement, detective Trupo (Josh Brolin) shoots himself with a gun.

With Roberts as his defense attorney, Frank is sentenced to 70 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute narcotics. Following his cooperation with the police, he served 15 years of his sentence and was released in 1991.

Is American Gangster historically accurate?

In short, no. American Gangster has been widely criticised by those involved in the real-life story of Frank’s conviction for distorting and exaggerating events.

Richie Roberts, who is played by Russell Crowe in the film, criticised the depiction of Frank Lucas as a family man as “ludicrous” and “sickening”. Lucas advised on American Gangster throughout filming, and later admitted only a small portion of the film was true.

Roberts also said his involvement in convicting Lucas shown in the film is misleading. “It took more than just me to bring down Frank Lucas,” he told the New York Post.

Federal judge Sterling Johnson Jr., who was a narcotics prosecutor in the arrest and trial of Lucas, was particularly damning of the film, describing it as “one per cent reality and 99 per cent Hollywood”.

“Frank was illiterate, Frank was vicious, violent,” he told Today. “Frank was everything Denzel Washington was not.”

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