While audiences flock to theaters this weekend to catch Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in the crime thriller American Gangster, director Marc Levin’s engaging documentary, Mr. Untouchable, tells the story of another ’70s New York heroin dealer, Leroy “Nicky” Barnes.
Taking its name from the headline of a New York Times Magazine article about Barnes, Mr. Untouchable explores the life of the self-proclaimed “heroin king in Harlem.” As Barnes sits down for an extensive interview, his words are interwoven throughout with additional footage from his time as a drug dealer. A fascinating reflection on Barnes’s life, Levin’s documentary tells the true story of one of this country’s most significant figures in organized crime.
Essentially using Machiavelli quotes as chapter titles for his documentary, Levin addresses several facets of Barnes’s life. In one of the most intriguing segments, Barnes discusses in great detail how he dealt heroin. Barnes – who still shows a clear enthusiasm for the illegal trade, despite the fact that it landed him in prison for 21 years – explains the dealing process while Levin supplements the sequence with shocking images, including footage of people actually injecting the drug and gruesome photographs of the violence that surrounds the drug trade.
Other elements of Barnes’s life that are explored include the strained relationship he had with his ex-wife, his brotherhood of seven (known as “The Council”) with which he worked and the infamous article by Fred Ferretti that ultimately led to his downfall. These investigations into his past are aided by a series of interviews that provide further insight into Barnes’s complex personality. Each of these sources, which include his ex-wife, former customers and drug enforcement agents, presents a unique testimony on the drug trafficker, with perspectives ranging from admiration of Barnes to fear and hatred.
Barnes himself, however, is clearly the most interesting person to listen to. While his face remains hidden in shadows throughout (in order to protect his new identity provided by the Witness Protection Program), there seems to be no topic he is reluctant to broach. This characteristic shines a unique light on the convicted felon, as one almost can’t help but be impressed while Barnes discusses his inside knowledge of the heroin business and makes it clear why he was so successful in it.
Levin, who won a Primetime Emmy in 1999 for his television special, Thug Life in D.C., succeeds in telling Barnes’ story in an informative and interesting fashion. Setting the mood with ’70s music throughout, Levin skillfully blends historical photographs and recordings with the testimonies from his sources. This balance allows the viewer to both see into Barnes’s mind and experience the drug underworld.
Barnes is certainly a good choice for a documentary to feature because he was, though not a household name, one of the most influential criminals of his era. Fully capitalizing on Barnes’s relative anonymity among the public, Levin successfully educates his audience, and the end result is a film that both entertains and informs.
tfloyd1@umd.edu
Verdict: 3.5 stars out of 5
