Plot
In 1863, Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points area of New York City seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher, his father's killer.
Release Year: 2002
Rating: 7.4/10 (153,014 voted)
Critic's Score: 72/100
Director:
Martin Scorsese
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Daniel Day-Lewis
Storyline 1863. America was born in the streets. In this movie, we see Amsterdam Vallon returning to the Five Points of America to seek vengeance against the psychotic gangland kingpin Bill the Butcher who murdered his father years ago. With an eager pickpocket by his side and a whole new army, Vallon fights his way to seek vengeance on the Butcher and restore peace in the area. However this is more said than done.
Writers: Jay Cocks, Jay Cocks
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio
-
Amsterdam Vallon
Daniel Day-Lewis
-
Bill 'The Butcher' Cutting
Cameron Diaz
-
Jenny Everdeane
Jim Broadbent
-
William 'Boss' Tweed
John C. Reilly
-
Happy Jack Mulraney
Henry Thomas
-
Johnny Sirocco
Liam Neeson
-
'Priest' Vallon
Brendan Gleeson
-
Walter 'Monk' McGinn
Gary Lewis
-
McGloin
Stephen Graham
-
Shang
Eddie Marsan
-
Killoran
Alec McCowen
-
Reverend Raleigh
(as Alec Mccowen)
David Hemmings
-
Mr. Schermerhorn
Lawrence Gilliard Jr.
-
Jimmy Spoils
(as Larry Gilliard Jr.)
Cara Seymour
-
Hell-Cat Maggie
Opening Weekend: $9,496,870
(USA)
(22 December 2002)
(1504 Screens)
Gross: $190,000,000
(Worldwide)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
Many of the characters portrayed in the movie are actually buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. The view of the skyline shown at the end of the movie would not be visible from this location, but rather from the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes:
When Amsterdam and Jenny fight, before they make love, Amsterdam slams her against a wooden beam in her room. Several times, the black finish comes off the beam, revealing the white foam underneath.
Quotes: Shang:
[Runs at the soldiers]
Bastards!
User Review
He actually did it!
Rating:
You'd think Scorcese has bitten a bit more than he could possibly chew,
this
time. Well, he didn't. Gangs of new York is not an "epic masterpiece" and
it
ain't that because I seriously doubt the directors aim was that. It's a
great movie in it's own account, but you have to watch it in the right
way.
The plot: Tight enough and well paced, with a couple of lows (expected
for a
three-hour film) but generally it comes out pretty neat. Some may find it
disturbing, as it contains extreme violence and it does not portray an
America of happy workers, even happier slaves, benevolent rich and just
authorities - instead, it portraits the true 1860 society. Definitely not
for those who like their films with plenty of sugar on the
top.
The epic and the drama: Well, basically the film is the story of two men.
Around them things evolve and a brave new world comes forth - but we only
get to watch snapshots of that world. Until the last sequence, that is
when
the whole city "explodes" (in some occasions literally...) and the
streets
are being covered in blood, and the two aspects (the main story and the
events of the era) are being tied together in the same continuum.
At the same time, the director attempts to portrait the whole birth and
growth of the United States, in a kind of parabole, but without loosing
his
focus on the main story and the surrounding. Scorsese dives deeply into
the
psychology of his heroes, without giving out any explanation of their
acts
other than the probable - he lets us figure it out ourselves, and that's
a
God-given gift.
The visuals: The film is disturbing, as it contains extreme violence.
There
are literally streams of blood, hacking, slashing, crushing - even some
action movie fans (hey dude, look, he smashed his head with that thing...
cool, man!") might find some parts of the film interesting. The last
sequence is visually astounding, and it's by it's own account a reason to
watch this film over and over again... if you got the stomach to actually
cope with the disturbing images, that is.
The actors: I didn't think it would come a day when I'd say that Leo Di
Caprio can act, but ...here I go: The kid can act. And quite good too.
Guess
he needed a Scorsese to put him in the right path. Same with Cameron
Diaz -
she has got some potential, seems so. Too bad she wastes it in films like
"the sweetest thing" and other throw-ups like that. And... Daniel Day
Lewis.
Truly, with this performance, they should give him the Academy award. He
portrays the vile "Butcher" in a way few would be able of, and he adds
depth
to a character that could very easily end up "two-dimensional". He is
stunningly good.
New York, New York: Scorsese gets involved in something that compares to
his
previous work the way a fancy little sports car compares to a huge truck:
A
grandioso film of epic proportions and of great ambition. He does
deliver, I
believe. But this film shall not be acknowledged universally, because
there
is too much violence, corruption, lack of the good old white vs black
(good
vs evil, I mean) concept and does not sweeten the pill in any way. It's
disturbing and raw, and it's a great. It's not a political film - in
such,
the director usually picks a stance, a "true" hero, an opposing view, and
builds upon those. In this case, the director is truly endistancemented
and
keeps that distance, even from his "hero". There are no "good" people in
that movie, all are acting like chess pieces in a predetermined way, but
at
the same time they try to burst out and do their own.
The verdict: A fabulous film, which is going to be recognized for such in
some years
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