American Gangster: Story-telling devices

"The Tools of Screenwriting" says our goal is to create a good story, well told. Here are some story telling techniques used in American Gangster.

Dramatic Irony:
When Robbins says, "I want to get the man Frank Lucas is working for," this is the moment of revelation. The audience knows Lucas only works for himself. They want to see the moment of recognition, when Robbins discovers the truth.

Low point just before the high ending:
Good scripts often have a low point before a high ending, or a high point before a low ending. In AG, the low point occurs in act 3, when Robbins ransacks the plane for heroin and can't find it and the US Attorney says his career is over. Then he thinks, "Maybe it's in the coffins."

This emotional plot point is often concurrent with the second plot point, between acts 2 and 3.
Examples:
- Silence of the Lambs. Hannibal escapes, Clarissa thinks it's over, then realizes "We covet what we see every day."
- The French Connection. Popeye says the car is dirty, they tear it apart but can't find the junk, then Irv says, "I took everything out of there except the rocker panels."
- Shawshank Redemption. There are two. Andy Dufresne has his low point when the kid is killed. Red has his low point when he chooses between the gun and the compass.

Of course, if the film is a dramatic tragedy, the low ending is preceded by a high point.
Examples:
- Up in the Air: the wedding high is followed by the crash & burn of Alex's domesticity.
- Butch Cassidy: success in Bolivia is followed by "Did you see Lafores?"

Setup & Payoff:
Lucas's burning of the chinchilla coat is a great payoff. Here's how it was setup:
- The preceding scenes show Lucas always dressed conservatively.
- Lucas criticizes his brother for dressing like superfly, says "...loud clothes are a sign that says arrest me."
- Lucas loves his wife. Says, "She's my sunshine," says about his wedding day, "This is the most important day of my life."
- When Lucas' wife gives him the chinchilla coat, he is clearly torn between appreciating her gift and breaking his own rule of conservative dress.