“We could become successful and have enemies. Or we can be unsuccessful and have friends. That are our choice.”
The life of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) finally started when his respected mentor and boss who was in charge of the whole Harlem, Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson died in 1968.
As the proverb said that once the cat left, the mice would celebrate, that’s what happened after Bumpy’s death. Flashy and tiny worthless gangsters started to test their luck by coming forward. Who knew that they could be the next Bumpy? And Frank detested them.
But that soon changed when Frank chose to interfere and turned the heroin business, the most powerful business, in Harlem upside down by getting a new potent substance called “Blue Magic” through its sole supplier in the woods of Vietnam, which was in the middle of Vietnam War at that time. Frank quickly made a fortune and then called his nephews from the quiet North Carolina to build a heroin empire in Harlem. With the gorgeous Eva, the beauty queen from Puerto Rico, Frank Lucas was now really the emperor in rule. And he really handled his small kingdom with his iron fists. A promise: he would definitely punish and get rid of anyone in his way, even if they were his family members.
Despite his extravagant and risky business, in reality Frank really led a decent life. He went to church every sunday. He loved his mother and especially his wife. He was the second Robin Hood after Bumpy in Harlem. He was so generous that the people of Harlem loved him so much. Frank was really a man who knew that he could not extend things too far.
It’s just that, in order to get a peaceful life like this and for the sake of his business as well, Frank needed to spend a portion of his money…to bribe the rats from the local authority.
That’s before he met Detective Richie Roberts, who was juggling his marriage and his police career for his idealism. He’s just that honest that he could turn in nearly US$ 1 mil when he found it. And he’s just that honest that almost everyone in his force detested him for getting in their way.
But this would soon change when his superior, Captain Lou Toback, assigned him in charge of a special Narcotics Unit in order to ruin Frank Lucas’ Blue Magic empire, as well as the corrupted authority. And the life of Richie was now intertwined with Frank and both of them now needed to plunge in a brain game: only he’s who’s fast and smart could come as the champion in the end.
