Gangs of New York

Rating:
Summary: Stunning
Review: Martin Scorsese has done it again. He has managed to tell a New York story unlike any one else. He has managed to mix both fact and fiction seemlessly. The story is based on the gang wars of the Five Points neighborhood of New York City during the Civil War conscription riots. The groups the gangs "represent" are the nativists, the people who were born in America and the various immigrant Irish gangs. The movie portrays the story about who is going to control the five points area, one of the most notorious slums in the United States during the Civil War period.

The two lead characters are Cutter the Butcher played by Daniel-Day Lewis and Amsterdam played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Cutter is the leader of the nativist gang and is vicious. He beats on the immigrants and thinks nothing of mudering them in daylight. Amsterdam is the leader of the Irish immigrants opposing Cutter. A subtext to the story is that Cutter murdered Amsterdam's father in the opening scene of the movie and Amsterdam is seeking revenge.

The movie is both stunning and stark to watch. Scorsese has done a magnificent job of rebuilding the Five Corners and bringing it to life. Scorsese depicts brilliantly the squalor of the poor and the missionaries who live among them trying to help.

Scorsese also uses the Civil War Conscription riots as a backdrop to the gang wars. As the tension builds over the gangs, the tension over the Civil War also builds among New York. If a person was drafted into the Army, they could buy their way out for a sum of $300 which was more than a years pay for the poor. The buyout was for the rich to avoid sending their sons to battle. The movie closes with the final battle between the two groups during a city wide riot over the conscription.

The Gangs of New York is just under 3 hours long and the time flies. This movie is well worth watching and makes a nice addition for the personal library.

Rating:
Summary: absolute masterpiece!
Review: what a magnificent film! my only regret is that i waited until the dvd release to see it! i've been mesmerized 3 times in 2 days as to it's vast beauty, spectacle, and non stop entertainment values! yes, daniel day lewis is as brilliant as always, but mr. dicaprio as well as ms.diaz blend in beautifully in a great ensemble of great actors to help bring to the screen mr. scorceses awesome vision and imagination. this is his finest work and really should have been honored at oscar time. i say bravo to all involved and thank you for a flawless dvd!

Rating:
Summary: Great film, a visual delight
Review: Some day "Gangs of New York" will be recognized as the classic film it is. As someone who has studied 19th century U.S. History, I can vouch not only for the historical accuracy of the film, but the look of it. Scorcese has re-created the New York of the 1860s, in detail. The buildings, the streets, the clothes, the atmosphere are all as one would imagine them. Also real characters such as Boss Tweed and Horace Greeley are faithfully portrayed (Jim Broadbent was an inspired choice as Tweed).
Scorcese takes just a few liberties with history, notably during the draft riots at the end of the movie. However such alterations are relatively minor given the scope of the film and always help move the story. It is a story that has been described, (rightfully I believe) as operatic in presentation. Leonardo DiCaprio does a surprisingly good job in the lead role and Daniel Day-Lewis as the antagonist gives one of the most memorable performances ever filmed.
The cherry on top with the DVD is the special features. The costumes, sets and history are all examined. Also, a director's commentary is offered. This is the first time I'm aware of that Scorcese has done commentary on DVD. This is a special treat, not only is particularly insightful and passionate but has a great speaking voice as well, filled with passion.
The "Gangs of New York" DVD is a must for any serious film collection.

Rating:
Summary: First 2/3s of movie magnificient last 1/3 falls apart
Review: Overshadowed by the controversy over lobbying for Academy Award nominations, Gangs of New York is a visually stunning but flawed minor classic from director Martin Scorsese. The film concerns a forgotten period in New York City's history when a variety of gangs controlled the five corners area. Corrupt politicians, the draft (for the Civil War) and a massive wave of immigrants created a turbulent environment. A huge anti-immigrant campaign helped fuel the many conflicts between the various gangs. Scorsese also incorporates a real riot that occuried during this time. The riot required army troops to come in and prevent further looting and murder.

The basic story focuses on the conflict between two rival groups--the Natives led by Bill "the Butcher" and the Dead Rabbits an Irish immigrant group led by "Priest" (Liam Neeson). Their conflict leads to the death of Priest witnesses by his young son Amsterdam (later played by Leonard DiCaprio). The Butcher arranges to have the child sent to a Reform school where he's raised by Catholic Priests.

Upon his release Amsterdam goes looking for Bill with revenge his primary goal. What Amsterdam finds is a changed world; the Natives control much of the corrupt police force and politicians in the five corners area. Bill is well regarded and, in fact, many of the Priest's old gang members work for Bill now. Amsterdam eventually meets Bill and is treated like a son by Bill. This creates a considerable conflict as Amsterdam has developed a gruding respect for the terrifying Butcher. His life is further complicated when he becomes involved with a woman (Cameron Diaz)who was saved by the Butcher as a child.

The production design is stunning capturing a time in New York's history that had been long forgotten by many of its residents. The shacks, stores and buildings that make up the five corners area have an authentic appearence to them. Scorsese and his production designer Dante Ferretti manage to make the audience not only feel the environment but taste and smell it as well. Director of photography Michael Ballhaus lighting brings a rustic feel to the environment.

The major problem with the film is the screenplay. It clearly passed through a number of hands besides the three screenwriters credited (Jay Cocks, Steven Zallian and Kenneth Lonergon). The first two-thirds of the film are classic Scorsese; there's a vibrantcy to the script missing from the last third. That's the problem with the film--it's two-thirds a classic. During the last act the film literally falls apart and is very narratively disjoined. It's clear that Scorsese had a much longer cut of the film in mind; there's a lot that appears to be missing from the film cut, no doubt, to make the already long running time (167 minutes) functional for a movie theater. Since this is the DVD edition, I'm surprised that Scorsese didn't go back and recut the film adding extended dramatic sequences that might have made the last third a stronger act.

The acting by Daniel Day-Lewis (completely immersed in his character of Bill) is stunning. His falt, slightly rounded New York accent is as much a part of the character as can be imagined. The rest of the cast give varying performances with varying success when it comes to their Irish accents. Leonard DiCaprio makes a valient attempt to equal Day-Lewis but ultimately comes up slightly short of the perfection of Day-Lewis' performance. Still, he's believable in the role and manages to command your attention when he's on screen.

Cameron Diaz also makes a game attempt with her role. Her character really doesn't come to life until the middle of the film. Henry Thomas (E.T., Psycho 4) gives a memorable and solid performance as Amsterdam's friend. It's a role that could have been pushed into the shadows by the lead character but Thomas invests his character with a quiet, powerful presence.

Scorsese's direction is sharp and it's clear he's thought long and hard about how he wanted to present this picture. His confident direction keeps the momentum of the film from dragging and, until the last act, he knows exactly where he's going and what he's trying to achieve.

The DVD transfer is, generally, exceptional. The picture is nearly flawless with few of the digital compression problems that have marred similarly epic films. There's virtually no analog artifacts and the print used here is crisp, clear and clean. The 5.1 sound mix and is also representative of what you might have heard in the theater. There were some problems with the discs. The first disc ends rather abruptly. There's a scene on the second disc where the music is mixed a bit too loud for the sequence and there appears to be other sounds leaking through the mix that shouldn't be there.

The extras are profuse. There's a nicely done costume design feaurette and a sequence where the audience can explore the sets for the film. Additionally, there's a documentary (originally shown on The Discovery Channel)that focuses on this little known time from New York's past. It's much more than a glorified promo for the film. Scorsese's commentary is, shall we, say effusive and interesting. His intelligent comments and observations make the film come alive a second time. While I like U2, I could have done without the music video and would much rather have seen an a couple of interviews with Day-Lewis and other cast members on their craft.

While it's a flawed film, Gangs of New York captures Scorsese in top form throughout most of the film. If the film doesn't hang together the way it should, it's probably due to the fact that Scorsese had to trim more from the film than he would have liked (how else to explain Neeson's appearence in what amounts to a glorified cameo?). Scorsese takes considerable risk in telling the type of story that isn't in vogue with Hollywood any longer. Gangs is an intelligent, well acted drama with a larger than life performance by Daniel Day-Lewis that makes up for some of the films shortcomings. I'd suggest renting it first and, if you like it, move on to purchasing it.

Rating:
Summary: Well worth the 25-year wait
Review: It took Martin Scorcese 25 years to start production of "Gangs of New York". Had he started any sooner, it may not have resulted so magical. The special effects and the art direction are amazing. Who knew that so much blood could be so magical?

Daniel Day-Lewis deserved his Oscar nomination for this role. He never loses his character for one second. Leonard DiCaprio made an amazing comeback with this film, which he was dissed for the Oscar, as was Cameron Diaz. She proves that thieves can be emotional(this can only happen on screen). For that, I expected her to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress before the nominations were released.

"Gangs of New York" may also be a history lesson of how the Irish and other immigrants/minorities had to fight oppression in the 1800's. If you are sensitive to graphic violence/war scenes, you may want to choose another movie. Otherwise, you will be very satisfied of Martin Scorcese's outcome.

Rating:
Summary: Worst Scorsese film ever
Review: I never saw this at the cinema, I just bought it on DVD and watched it last night...Just wasted 20 euros on the worst Scorses film I have ever seen. Its so boring and so long. For me the best part of the whole film was the opening scene with Liam Neeson the 'Priest' talking to his son about St Michael. After that nothing of interest happens in the whole film. Daniel Day-Lewis plays his part superbly, but then he always does. He's a great actor. But I hated the costumes, that seemed over the top to me, I hated the sets, I hated the Irish folk music, the ridiculous Irish stereotypes, particularly the traditional Irish woman wearing a shawl and walking around the streets singing folk songs. Sorry Martin, Irish people don't really do that. I'm only surprised he didn't throw a few leprechaun's in for good measure. Just big ugly sets full of hundreds of ugly dishevelled people with irish folk music in the background. The final scene was a big disappointment, the Butcher should have been butchered, but was not. Oh, and Cameron Diaz is out of place. Too pretty. She should have had rotten teeth, dirty hair, then she would have looked authentic. Not even in the same league as Casino, Goodfella's, Mean-Streets or Taxi Driver.

Rating:
Summary: Daniel Day-Lewis really was CUTTING into me!!
Review: I really enjoyed THE GANGS OF NEW YORK from beginning to end. Daniel Day-Lewis did a great job portraying a man who was pretty mean. It was real departure for him. I have watched it 4 times since getting it Tuesday. It was a really great movie.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Work
Review: The movie is quite powerful and the more I learn about the time period and the work that went into it, the more amazed I am. Perhaps it suffers from "Apollo 13" Syndrome in that the research and effects that went into it are just too damn good that they aren't even recognized. But as you realize that this place no longer exists in the same form and they had to literally re-create that entire portion of the city from scratch and that the information on the day-to-day aspects of life there was sketchy at best, you come to know what an amazing creation this is. Early life in America wasn't pretty, but it made us a strong people, who we are today. And it's amazing the corruption of the Democrats hasn't changed much, as I'm watching Calif go bankrupt to line pockets. All the more reason to face history, so we don't make the same mistakes.

Rating:
Summary: That Wascally Irish Dead Wabbits Society!
Review: Thus starts the miscommunication from Americans listening to Irish Gaelic and coming up with the "Dead Rabbits" gang. Maybe the original statement was "Dia Romhat," or "you are the power." In case anyone was listening to the movie and Leo's character, Amsterdam, that was precisely his message to the Irish Immigrant community. Welcome to the New York's "five points," an immigrants haven straight off the boat. It was the very worst of the worst slums in American History and almost everyone hated the "Micks" getting off the boats.

The Irish men of fighting age were usually conscripted straight of their ship. The recruiters had lengthy and eloquent speeches, but did not need to say more than "three square meals a day." For many of those young Irish men, this is all they needed to hear after enduring the Great Potato Famine in Ireland and many weeks of poor conditions on board ship. They filled the ranks of the Union Army and their bodies filled the battlefields. The history books say they died to free the slaves, but they died to get their three meals a day. So much for worthy ideals.

Poor immigrants from slums do not write the history textbooks. We are fortunate to have the Horace Greeley's of the world instead of the Boss Tweed's of the world writing these books. However, the perspective that only comes from the harshest hardships is missed by writers that have never "been there an done that." Movies like this one are like a breath of fresh air to provide a more balanced view of what really happened. This is a whopper of a story, but what is more amazing, the actual stories behind the story are even more of a whopper of a tale. Don't miss this section of the "Special Features."
If you are like me, of Irish descent, don't miss this movie. My main interest in writing this review is to also recommend Out of Ireland: The Story of Irish Emigration to America, an excellent documentary on the Irish immigration to America. This includes the exquisite fiddle music of Liz Carroll. When I hear Liz's "Lament of the First Generation," I have to think of all of the O'Hogans, Ogans, Hogans, an Hoge's from the same original clan in Tipperary, Kerry and Clare Counties Ireland, whose starved bodies lined the roads during the famine, who filled the long lines going on ships, and who filled the coffins from the Civil War. Somehow, a few of us survived.

As they say in the old and new country, "Erin Go Bragh" (Ireland Forever!)

PS: Paddy Moloney and the Cheiftains played a few peices in this film. I knew they were old, but were they doing gigs back in the 1860's?

Rating:
Summary: Historically interesting, but much too violent....
Review: This DVD is interesting from a historical point of view, and the scenery and costumes were fabulous. As all non-native Americans came from immigrant families at one point in time, it was informative and even heart-wrenching to see what life was like for the immigrants in this movie. However, there is too much senseless violence-even beyond the point of recognizing that daily violence for survival was a way of life in many large cities at that time.