Six years ago Russell Crowe won an Academy Award for his role in Sir Ridley Scott's epic Gladiator.
As their latest collaboration, American Gangster, is released in the UK, the New Zealand-born actor says it is time his director won one himself.
In a career spanning five decades, veteran British filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott has received countless accolades. 
He has been named best director at the Baftas (for Thelma and Louise) and the Golden Globes (for Gladiator).
But, despite three nominations, Sir Ridley - who celebrates his 70th birthday this month - has yet to win his industry's biggest prize: An Oscar.
Having taken home an Academy Award for his career-defining role in Gladiator, Russell Crowe is ideally placed to offer his thoughts on what many consider a serious oversight.
"If there's any director I know who deserves an Oscar, it's Ridley Scott," he said during a recent visit to London.
"He is one of the greatest visual artists of our time and deserving of any honour that comes his way."
With Crowe joined on screen by two-time Oscar recipient Denzel Washington, and a script by Schindler's List writer Steve Zaillian, many predict American Gangster will be the film that breaks Scott's duck.
'Cadaver Connection'
It certainly boasts a fascinating story - that of Frank Lucas, a real-life gangster from Harlem, New York who revolutionised the drug trade in the early 1970s.
Lucas, a former gang lieutenant, hit on a scheme to smuggle pure heroin from south-east Asia inside the coffins of US servicemen being flown back from war-torn Vietnam.
This daring scam - nicknamed "The Cadaver Connection" - turned him into one of the most wealthy, feared and influential criminals of his era. 
"This is a guy who had $250 million (£120 million) in the bank when he was arrested in 1974, which would be a couple of billion today," says Crowe.
"The brilliance and genius which he applied to his particular thing was equivalent to what Bill Gates brought to his."
The Microsoft founder might not welcome the comparison, but it is clear Lucas - played by Washington in Sir Ridley's film - caught Crowe's imagination.
Indeed, the actor reveals, it was the Lucas part he wanted to play when he read Zaillian's script.
'Glamorous and compelling'
Instead Crowe was cast as Richie Roberts, the New York detective who played a key role in bringing Lucas to justice.
American Gangster follows both their trajectories, juxtaposing Lucas's rise to power with the policeman's dogged attempts to take him down.
"You can't have such a glamorous and compelling bad guy without bringing him to task," the actor explains. 
"As much as audiences enjoy watching a villain do his thing, once the body count starts to rise they want to know justice will prevail."
The film marks Crowe's third collaboration with Scott after Gladiator and the 2006 comedy A Good Year.
They have since made another film together - political thriller Body of Lies, set for release in 2008 - and are to team up again on Nottingham, a revisionist take on the Robin Hood myth.
"We knew when we did Gladiator that we communicated really well, and that gets stronger each time we work together," says the actor.
"He has no problem throwing responsibility my way, and I enjoy that. I feel privileged that he wants to work with me."
No comments:
Post a Comment