Movie starts off in Harlem, New York in the year 1968. A central character in the film is Frank Lucas, a drug dealer who cuts out middlemen, buying heroin directly from a source in Southeast Asia. During the chaos of the Vietnam war, Frank Lucas enlisted corrupt army personnel to transport illegal narcotics back to the states using US military transport vehicles. The heroin was sold under the brand name of "blue magic". It was not only more pure but also cost less than what was then available. An interesting aspect of the movie was its depiction of what seemed to be rampant corruption among those in the army, as well as those who were supposed to uphold the law. The movie shows corrupt cops who instead of looking to arrest Frank Lucas, saw Lucas as a cash cow from whom money could be extorted. Against this corrupt setting, detective Richie Roberts is the good cop, untouchable and honest who would lead the investigation of Frank Lucas. In one scene, Richie Roberts surrenders a million dollars of unmarked cash as opposed to keeping any of it for himself. His partner at the time is seriously concerned that such an act of "boy scout" honesty will mark them as pariahs to their fellow officers...the assumption here is that many of their fellow cops are corrupt. According to the movie, detective Richie Roberts' work led to the conviction of three quarters of New York City's Drug Enforcement Agency. The NYC DEA at the time seems to have been more a recruiting ground for middle men who made their money from colluding with drug dealers, as opposed to being an agency that fought narcotics crime. How disappointing. Against such a setting, detective Richie Roberts' integrity and drive to pursue the investigation against Frank Lucas seems that much more remarkable. One cannot help but ponder what motivates people like Richie Roberts to risk their lives, to go against the tide and to select the difficult road?

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