American Ganster, an enterprise view

Had long been watching to see American Gangster , and finally pay off the bill yesterday, and certainly a great result, because it is an awesome movie also quite long, 2 hours 30 minutes, with a broad lineup of familiar faces as Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe (With a magnificent role both), Cuba Gooding Jr, etc.

But I will not talk about the movie, but as Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), goes from being the driver and assistant to one of the biggest gangsters of Harlem, to become, after his death, in whom take his place, building their great empire.

Or what is the same, using the simile to the business world, how an entrepreneur gets up your own business, becoming a benchmark in the industry.

Note: What I write from here, perhaps containing a spoiler , I tried to write the least possible detail of the film, but perhaps I have missed something, so I've seen the movie perfect, but as you read something you would not read .

In the film, we can see as it were form 4 distinct roles in the form of action:

The group formed by "The platform mounted over the distribution of heroin in New York back in 1968, dominated by mafias, distributors minors, consumer junkie, etc."
"The group of corrupt cops that instead of fighting this scourge, are dedicated to collecting bribes"

and finally the modus operandi of the protagonists, one on each side and can be considered lonely and marginalized for not following the "rules marked" by many of his peers:

Himself Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), with a course of action that breaks everything set up then for the rest of organized crime groups, with an ethic and way of doing very marked in the way of doing business, mainly because everything lived with his former boss
The detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), known as the police "idiot" and honored that he has never accepted a bribe (There is a key event in the film for this, but I'll leave it for when you see the movie if not have done, .)

So, after this brief introduction let's move to the modus operandi of Frank Lucas equating it with a more entrepreneurial and business:

A first striking aspect is the modus operandi of Frank throughout the film, very stiff and straight, having control over almost everything and not hesitating to use violence when necessary, but never for free, and trying to be fair to all those around him during the film referred to several times that such behavior is very different from the rest of mobsters, often recalling his late boss Bumpy Johnson.

And there it is one of the first key, having learned from one of the best, your boss, letting you know the intricacies of the market on being introduced, competition, customers, the general functioning.

Time to pick up the void left by his own boss, he realizes that the market is structured, and mafia networks leave no room for the imagination, so your profit is zero, so our protagonist has two options:

Or is content to survive day to day, or try to break anything. And the answer comes watching the news.

It should say at this point, that the film takes place during the war in Vietnam, talking about on the news that many young soldiers or returned dead or pure heroin addicts in the Asian country, and here comes the business opportunity and competitive advantage for our hero: Go Search heroin directly to Asia.

So here we have two other important points of business strategy, skip the middlemen, especially when in addition the product you get is better than the offer, then the second question arises, how?, Which in this case is achieved The second important aspect to have contacts in the film turns out to be a cousin of Frank army, leaving the matter to the U.S. as pending when you see the movie.

So the union of all the above is achieved by a better product than the competition (in this case a much purer heroin), with some degree of vertical integration , since the mat having mounted Frank is responsible for the import, cut, distribution and sale of their own heroine, and also pursuing a strategy of differentiation in costs, lets offer it at a lower price than the competition. And now you say the detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe):

How is it possible?
Who can sell a horse, twice as good at half the price?.

And here is another distinguishing feature of our entrepreneur: Mark.

Frank Lucas draws much of its prestige on the brand that has managed to create, maintain and position: "Blue Magic", if I remember correctly, and as seen in the film, not reveal, personally takes care of situations that can fix discredit your brand.

And through this process of personal acquisition of heroin in Asia, placing in New York, and his own brand production process and begins to build his empire by combining it with other typical aspects of business, is that Frank Lucas is the ethical and firm conviction that what he does, and as he does is perfect, is surrounded by people you can trust (Putting on the strengths of the business to family members, brothers, nephews, etc.), does not hesitate to get rid of who fails, without doubt one of the key issues in its ascent, is little evidence of discretion and power in their life, something that had allowed him to pass unnoticed before the competition, and even the police inspector Richie incorrupt Roberts (Several scenes in the film highlight this aspect in a more than outright) in fact is a small detail, but very expensive to start to suspect the inspector ......

Another aspect that shows the film is the relationship with the competition, and as they exit the market with this new power, accepting defeat and offering his services as support forces and distribution, where we get another good tip: Do not forget about the competition and take advantage of synergies that can occur with it. Indeed, in one of these conversations with the gangsters of the competition comes up one of the best tips from the entire film, and that a withdrawal time when the top is not a defeat.

And finally comes the fall for our hero, because although it seemed to have everything under control, was not enough to have the process of importing, processing, distribution and sale of heroin controlled small bribes to whom appropriate, keep competition at bay , care mark, caring for the family. But I had to try to keep under control as well, the unexpected, and is not to never neglect the macro, and wait for things to happen to begin to fix, so the war of Vietnam comes to an end, and with it the possibilities of further introducing heroin into the country.

So here is a downside to our entrepreneurial, focused as it was in his rise in the market, had failed to make the changes that may take place abroad, which together with changes and errors in the strict manner in which he directed until then business, make all his empire crumble suddenly.

Broadly speaking, and certainly left me a little something, you can see out of nowhere, a gangster in this case, manages to become an empire, but also small details, and a lack of planning and honest soul of an outcast inspector Police make everything disappear suddenly.

Comment as well, although this is no longer fall within the proper business ethics, since it really is unethical, , Highlighting the film's strong network of bribes, payments, commissions, etc., created between the different social groups:

Mafia at different power levels (heads, distributors, suppliers, etc.)
With the corrupt mafia police
Personal bribes to the Inspector Richie Roberts are always rejected by him and his irreproachable conduct in this regard
The curious way of understanding bribes Frank Lucas himself throughout film

Finally, the film relative to everything said about the plot, has a more developed end, but I will not reveal much more, in case anyone has not seen, so without further recommend your viewing if you have not been, and if you have been so sure that you have been reflected many of the things discussed here, and some that may have been me.

If you have a question to see it or not, should not you have done and I leave the trailer:

Be happy

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Cinema

Aug 22, 2008

Ruben

8 Comments

Death came at a price

Historically, I've been very fond of a film genre that had its heyday back in the 60-70-80 and is now virtually testimonial:

The Western , or Western movies, more commonly speaking, .

The history has left numerous people in the genus known in its various areas, such as the famous director John Ford , or the director of the film that gives its name to post and talk later Sergio Leone , known for his Spaghetti Western , and as the big players that surely will sound a few: Lee Van Cleef , Terence Hill , Clint Eastwood , and of course John Wayne , not forgetting great composers of fantastic soundtrack, like the great Ennio Morricone .

And what is the union of all these names?, Because great films as Stagecoach , High Noon, 2 men and a destination, Rio Bravo, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and many more .

And all this so I put it?, Well because the other day I saw one of my favorite movies of the genre: The death came at a price (1965) , or its English title For a few dollars more (For a few dollars more) , which together with A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) , form what is probably the best trilogy of Spaghetti Western , known by the name: The Dollar trilogy .

Under the direction of Sergio Leone and the soundtrack of Ennio Morricone in a Few price find the story of two bounty hunters, "The one-armed" ( Clint Eastwood ) and Colonel Mortimer ( Lee Van Cleef ), although rivals at first, end up joining forces to hunt down the evil and dangerous villain known as "El Indio" ( Gian Maria Volonte ), although each has different reasons to catch ...............

And now the moment Spoiler final , The End of Death had a price. but worth seeing, since along the end of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, I think it's the best I've seen.

If you think the movie is easy, you see, if you will not see it, then you can enjoy this masterpiece final, and if you've seen, it never hurts to remember, to me personally, I love, with a beautiful soundtrack and these changes are so characteristic of close-ups Leone: