I went to see Ridley Scott’s American Gangster along with millions of other folks this weekend. This movie starring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and countless other talented actors, is about Frank Lucas, reputed to be the largest heroin kingpin in the late sixties and early seventies.
I have to say that I think this movie is brilliant. Denzel delivered a performance that definitely lived up to the hype. Yes, I am pretty biased when it comes to Denzel – his swagger in front of the camera, behind the camera and in his life is something I wish could be reproduced over and over and over again. But that’s not the primary reason I feel so strongly about this film.
Honestly, I think that every business student and business person should be required to STUDY American Gangster. Why? Because there are countless references to running a successful business and the various pitfalls that will cause a business to fail. Even some of the off-screen activities serve as examples of commerce at work.
So not to give away too much of the movie or to bore you with my fascination, I will describe two of the MANY examples to think about. First - Frank Lucas seemed frustrated about the “commission” that the mob was getting for basically facilitating the transactions. Not only did he realize that the cost of doing business was more with a middleman, he also understood that he had no control of the quality of product that he was receiving. So he set out to reduce costs and improve quality. In order to do this he examined his supply chain and figured out a way to go direct to his supplier, half way across the world in Vietnam. Talk about writing the playbook used by Starbucks and Walmart! By working directly with his supplier, he was able to offer a higher quality product at a cheaper price – can we say Ikea? Second – Frank Lucas quickly confronted Niki Barnes (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.), another heroin heavy weight in Harlem when he began to sell his product under a brand name that was very similar to Lucas’ Blue Magic. Barnes’ product was easily confused with Blue Magic until the “consumers” realized that it was not as potent. Complaints came in and Lucas needed to address the compromise to his brand. The business reference was so blatant that in the movie, Lucas likened his product to Pepsi and that Barnes had to change his name to eliminate this confusion that threatened his brand. Now this is business acumen coming from a person from the backwoods on North Carolina who barely went to school!
In the meantime, the underground commerce that has erupted has even been noteworthy. The bootleg for American Gangster is reported to be of such high quality that the studio is actively pursuing the “manufacturers”. Above ground – Jay Z released a disk based on the movie and his bio has themes parallel to Frank Lucas’ life story.
The movie also shows Lucas’ fall. There are many lessons to be learned here too, lessons that the CEOs of Time Warner and Merrill Lynch could have used before they were shown the door. However at the end of the day, Frank Lucas was able to measure his success by his ability to provide economic opportunity to thirty members of his family, and provide his mother and wife a lifestyle that they would have only dreamed of.
So I close by saying that by no means do I condone making millions at the expense of the well being of others, but you must admit that a) it happens and b) the lessons are there for the taking. By being aware you are able to positively apply these themes for yourself, the betterment of your loved ones, or your business. Then you choose your measures of success and move toward them!
I am including some links to an article about American Gangster and to Frank Lucas’ story.
With that I wish you all the best today and always. G
Time Online - UK
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2772472.ece
The Return of Superfly – The Story of Frank Lucas
http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/features/3649/
I have to say that I think this movie is brilliant. Denzel delivered a performance that definitely lived up to the hype. Yes, I am pretty biased when it comes to Denzel – his swagger in front of the camera, behind the camera and in his life is something I wish could be reproduced over and over and over again. But that’s not the primary reason I feel so strongly about this film.
Honestly, I think that every business student and business person should be required to STUDY American Gangster. Why? Because there are countless references to running a successful business and the various pitfalls that will cause a business to fail. Even some of the off-screen activities serve as examples of commerce at work.
So not to give away too much of the movie or to bore you with my fascination, I will describe two of the MANY examples to think about. First - Frank Lucas seemed frustrated about the “commission” that the mob was getting for basically facilitating the transactions. Not only did he realize that the cost of doing business was more with a middleman, he also understood that he had no control of the quality of product that he was receiving. So he set out to reduce costs and improve quality. In order to do this he examined his supply chain and figured out a way to go direct to his supplier, half way across the world in Vietnam. Talk about writing the playbook used by Starbucks and Walmart! By working directly with his supplier, he was able to offer a higher quality product at a cheaper price – can we say Ikea? Second – Frank Lucas quickly confronted Niki Barnes (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.), another heroin heavy weight in Harlem when he began to sell his product under a brand name that was very similar to Lucas’ Blue Magic. Barnes’ product was easily confused with Blue Magic until the “consumers” realized that it was not as potent. Complaints came in and Lucas needed to address the compromise to his brand. The business reference was so blatant that in the movie, Lucas likened his product to Pepsi and that Barnes had to change his name to eliminate this confusion that threatened his brand. Now this is business acumen coming from a person from the backwoods on North Carolina who barely went to school!
In the meantime, the underground commerce that has erupted has even been noteworthy. The bootleg for American Gangster is reported to be of such high quality that the studio is actively pursuing the “manufacturers”. Above ground – Jay Z released a disk based on the movie and his bio has themes parallel to Frank Lucas’ life story.
The movie also shows Lucas’ fall. There are many lessons to be learned here too, lessons that the CEOs of Time Warner and Merrill Lynch could have used before they were shown the door. However at the end of the day, Frank Lucas was able to measure his success by his ability to provide economic opportunity to thirty members of his family, and provide his mother and wife a lifestyle that they would have only dreamed of.
So I close by saying that by no means do I condone making millions at the expense of the well being of others, but you must admit that a) it happens and b) the lessons are there for the taking. By being aware you are able to positively apply these themes for yourself, the betterment of your loved ones, or your business. Then you choose your measures of success and move toward them!
I am including some links to an article about American Gangster and to Frank Lucas’ story.
With that I wish you all the best today and always. G
Time Online - UK
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2772472.ece
The Return of Superfly – The Story of Frank Lucas
http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/features/3649/
2 comments:
I also saw American Gangster opening weekend and loved it. Besides the fact that I can watch Denzel walk all day long, the story was told masterfully and I still am amazed at how Russell Crowe can drop his Aussie accent at will. I was so excited about it that I made sure to tell folks to see it, but found an interesting dynamic among the twenty-something (early thirty) set at my gym. I spoke to about five or six folk (male and female) who were disappointed in the movie because it was "boring". Boring to the point that two of them fell asleep during the movie. I was not bored for one minute, so I couldn't understand. Well, after some discussion, the bottom line was that there was not enough "action" (which really means, shoot-em-up, blow-em-up, cut-em up action). They considered the opening scene the BEST part of the movie (I won't divulge for those who haven't seen it yet). So, it's obvious to say that they missed the point of anything G is saying in her post. Regardless, the movie set the box office on fire, and that's what counts - even if they missed the forest for the trees.
After reading your posts, I realize that's what "disappointed Joyce Kulhawick (sp) a well now art and entertainment critic here in Boston. I was perplexed to hear her talk about how well it was put together and the acting on point and then she said but she was "looking for more" - translation - she wanted some more heads cracked as well!
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