Rent Gangs of New York (2002)

Scorsese Masterpiece? - Gangs of New York review by LE

There was probably a quite muted critical reception to this film when it came out in 2002. It felt like an epic but, like many epics, it felt impersonal and lacked an emotional entry point for viewers. Having seen it many times since then, it is one of those films that improves with every viewing. You begin to realise the structure and appreciate the thematic and narrative throughlines. It's Scorsese trying something different, and he brings his formidable mastery of cinematic technique to an, at first, pretty impenetrable story. There is one magical shot that follows starving Irish immigrants off the boat at the New York port, and tracks them as they sign up to fight in the ongoing Civil War and so board a waiting ship that will take them to that death-ridden conflict, while the coffins of the poor souls that preceded them are brought back past them. It's a striking visual way of detailing the madness of war, and how death confronted the underclass at every turn in this godforsaken time and place. The bluray has some interesting documentaries about the real Gangs of New York, the making of the film, plus a very good commentary by Scorsese himself. I'm never totally convinced by DiCaprio as an actor but god bless him for being the vehicle that allows Scorsese to make the incredible films he wants to make. Diaz is great as Jenny but Day-Lewis steals the show as Bill the Butcher. A typical Scorsese ani-hero, but Day-Lewis provides an almost dreamlike baroque quality to the character. I'd have loved to have seen De Niro's version if the film had, as planned, been made in the 1970s. I can't imagine him being any better though- which is quite the compliment. The production design and costumes are extraordinary - probably the last time that sets would be built at this scale for a film. It's now CGI all the way. Perhaps this is our last glimpse of the Golden Age of Hollywood. If you are able to, try to see this multiple times. It really does reward that sort of emotional investment.

An epic thriller set in 19th-century New York - Gangs of New York review by Philip in Paradiso

This is a film about the criminal underworld in New York city, between about 1845 and 1875. A gang of 'natives' (i.e. Protestant Americans of English origin, from what we are given to understand), led by a sadistic criminal called The Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis, utterly scary and realistically portrayed), is fighting it out with the Irish immigrants, who are despised because they are new arrivals in the city and Catholic. This happens against the backdrop of the American Civil War and the issue of slavery. A good deal of it is based on historical facts.

The acting is good and Cameron Diaz is surprisingly convincing as the female lead in the story, who is a talented thief herself. The film sets look a little bit cardboard-like at times, I must say (it was filmed in Cinecitta, in Italy, I believe). And there is a lot of extreme violence, mostly involving knives and meat cleavers, so, it is not a film for the faint-hearted.

Having said all this, there is an epic and symbolic dimension to the movie that does make it relevant and captivating, also because the lead characters are unusually complex for a story of this kind. I certainly recommend the movie, which you will not forget.

Brilliant, Classic Movie from 2002, with a brilliant script & cast, especially Daniel Day-Lewis - Gangs of New York review by PV

I watched this 2002 movie a couple of years after its release and then again in 2024 - and I was amazed really. What first struck me is how woke demands would now mean they would not DARE use the racial language which characters use here - these days the new puritans are po-faced wokies who demand the 'N-word' etc are banished from our screens in case they make viewers feel 'unsafe'. They'd also demand colourblind casting, so black and Asian actors throughout in main roles and more women too. It would be film-making by pc committee which is what we now have (see the Disney woke-ageddon disaster).

Ironically, there are more Chinese-American characters here than I have ever seen in any historical US movie which tend to focus exclusively on African-Americans and sometimes socalled 'Native Americans' (actually earlier immigrants). Chinese immigrants have been in north America for centuries as workers and more, and yet they get completely ignored. Maybe they lack the loud pressure groups? The political affiliation? How ironic considering the corrupt politics shown in this movie, Nothing changes, it seems.

SO enjoy this (and the rest of the archive) for we shall never see their like again. The way this movie tells a little-known part of American history straight, without the usual woke tutting and white/west-blaming fingerpointing is really refreshing. This is no lecture or sermon, as so often movies are these days. It just shows a version of what happened.

The endless Oirish diddy-diddly-dah blarney is trowelled on too thickly for me here, but the whole film is utterly dominated by a brilliant towering performance by Daniel Day Lewis which is still mind-blowingly brilliant.

The writer Jay Cocks (born 1944) must take credit for that too. He has not written that many produced screenplays (6 or so), but the same writer did an uncredited rewrite of Titanic by James Cameron apparently. So they are his masterpieces.

Brilliant costumes, characters, a fine British cast of supporting characters such as Jim Broadbent, Eddie Marsden, Stephen Graham and veteran actor David Hemmings - all so great. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it after a gap of over 15 years. This is how epic film-making should be done - and is what Hollywood used to do SO well, once upon a time. Occasionally as with Napoleon by Brit Ridley Scott, the ambition sneaks through still, not not a lot.

4.5 stars rounded up.

And a lovely lack of CGI here, maybe the last time we shall see that - ever. Great set pieces, superb and vast sets.