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Gangs of New York

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz
Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Drama
Year: 2002
Rating: 4 / 5

As the teen heartthrob who headlined James Cameron’s $600 million epic Titanic and became a media sensation, it seems only natural that Leonardo DiCaprio would get the majority of the publicity for Gangs of New York. After all, DiCaprio is the best-known star of Martin Scorsese’s lavish production, the one who surely played a prominent role in securing a budget north of $100 million. However, in a film in which DiCaprio shares time with the likes of fellow stars Cameron Diaz and Liam Neeson, to say nothing of noted supporting actors John C. Reilly and Brendan Gleeson, Daniel Day-Lewis steals this film. Despite a five-year hiatus from acting, Day-Lewis returns with one of the finest performances of his career, helping to make Gangs of New York a truly powerful film.

New York, 1846. Irish immigrants are streaming off the boats by the hundreds and thousands, leading to a highly combustible atmosphere in one of the new country’s largest cities. Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis) is the leader of the Natives, a group of individuals who would just as soon see the waves of immigrants turned away at the docks. This is their country, and the Five Points is their turf, and they will defend both with blood. Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson) stands for the Dead Rabbits, a group determined to oppose Bill the Butcher and fight for a better life. When their bloody clash results in Vallon’s death, Bill’s power in the community grows and he begins to tighten his grip on the Five Points.

Sixteen years later, amidst the specter of the Civil War, New York is being torn to pieces. With the country’s first-ever military draft, tensions are high and the class struggle is being thrust to the forefront. During all this, Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio), Priest’s only son, returns to the Five Points. His mind is consumed with revenge, and he begins plotting a way to kill Bill the Butcher. Along the way, however, he falls in with Bill’s organization, realizing the power and prestige that goes along with it. Will this new hunger ultimately consume him, or will he be able to avenge his father’s death? With the mood in the city and the emotion boiling inside the Natives organization, the answer promises to be bloody.

Award-winning Director Martin Scorsese’s sweeping tale allows us to see the violent nature of New York’s ethnic conflict in the mid-nineteenth century. He offers us images on a more global scale while also showing us the impact felt by those individuals involved, particularly Leonardo DiCaprio’s Amsterdam and Daniel Day-Lewis’s Bill the Butcher. While these two struggle for control on one small battleground, the city explodes in a fire of anger. Day-Lewis gives his best performance in a decade, imbuing Bill with a sense of honor and compassion contrary to his character’s rough exterior. The Oscar winner provides the constant force in the film, tying together Priest Vallon’s final days with his son’s eventual quest for justice. The film starts to lose its focus at the conclusion, but Scorsese still succeeds in tying Amsterdam’s crusade to the conflict consuming an entire city. Gangs of New York may have been a long time coming, but the film is well worth the wait.

Cast:

Certification: Rated R for violence and language.
Running Time: 168 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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