| Plot: "It's 1860s Manhattan. The crime-plagued city is run by corrupt politicians of the Tammany Hall era, and gang warfare between the powerful Manhattan Irish gangs escalates into deadly draft riots. Against this backdrop, a young man (DiCaprio) teams up with a pickpocket (Diaz) to seek vengeance against the man (Day-Lewis) who killed his father." To call Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York a mere "guy flick" is to do it a great disservice. Romeo Must Die or Exit Wounds are "guy flicks," this is an epic that manages to fuse a tale of revenge, corruption, race, riots, and love into an epic that feels both optimistic about the city's future, but post-apocalyptic at the very same time. Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis are both excellent and stunning as Amsterdam Vallon and William "Bill The Butcher" Cutting, the hero and villian of this piece, but unlike other recent epics, those two roles are not that well-defined. Vallon, while we do root for him to get his revenge and put his father's soul to rest, is begetting even more violence in his quest. And Cutting is a man driven by hate and anger, but he's also a human being that can be quite charming making him hard to completely hate. This makes their relationship MUCH more interesting. There's also an excellent supporting cast here, who play characters who, hell, I'll say it, deserve their OWN movie, and I must point out Jim Broadbent's "Monk." A brutal man who kills with a giant hammer, and is payed per new notch, which equals a man's death. This performance was amazing, and Broadbent's time on screen was golden. Scorsese crafts the world of 19th century NYC most successfully. The world is drowning in detail, from the signs, to the props, and the like, a WORLD is created here. Overall, this is one of the greatest films ever made. It's not only an important picture for those who wish to be entertained and intriuged while learning of a part of history you won't find in your 7th grade Social Studies text book, but a film that should inspire all around the world to study the craft of filmmaking so they can one day make something this spectacular. It is a modern classic, and Scorsese's awesome vision and genius is still unrivaled. 10/10 --- #3 on my top ten of 2002. #16 on my top twenty of all-time. |