Gangs of New York (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Set in the mid-1800s, 'Gangs of New York' (Martin Scorsese's epic spectacle) tells the sprawling story of vengeance concerning 2 Manhattan gangs. The film begins with a powerful prologue in 1846, the Five Points section: Dutch & British Americans were none-too-happy about the wave of Irish coming off the boat. With Bill 'the Butcher' Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis) leading his 'Natives' (an anti-immigrant/anti-black sect), & Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson) leading 'The Dead Rabbits', a bloody clash occurred. Fast forward to 1862: set against the backdrop of the Civil War, Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) returns to Five Points (having escaped the deadly battle 16 yrs. before) to hunt down Bill the Butcher for killing his father ... Priest Vallon.
The only friend Amsterdam now has is Johnny (Henry Thomas), a chap who recognizes him from yrs. ago. With his help, Amsterdam is able to infiltrate Bill's gang of heathens so he can kill him. But Amsterdam becomes conflicted about his mission once Bill takes him under his wing as a sort of father figure. Adding more drama to the mix, Amsterdam fancies the cunning pickpocket, Jenny (Cameron Diaz). Not only does this cause a riff btwn. himself & Johnny (who also likes her), but it appears that she is a previous girlfriend of none other than Bill the Butcher! Can Amsterdam conceal his true identity from the madman that is Bill the Butcher? How much has he learned from him? Can he focus & kill his foe, or is his judgment clouded by a burgeoning feeling of losing 'another' father figure? Drama ensues.
That opening prologue which details the bloody 1846 gang war btwn. the NY-born 'Nativists' & the immigrant 'Dead Rabbits' is both stunning & visceral. With the snow colored red by blood in that scene, we see Michael Ballhaus' cinematography on display. As the movie progresses, we also get to see the absolutely mind-blowing production design & costumes {seriously, like ALL-TIME best}. Later in the film, scenes depicting the military's attempts to riots, which are intercut with another gang war, also had me riveted. There are fleeting moments of levity throughout the film; with rousing music, dancing, laughter, macho grandstanding & sexy women. Scorsese stages the climax against the 1863 draft riots that turned NY into an enormous battle of: poor vs. rich, white vs. black, gang vs. gang. And 'Gangs of New York' ends with a poignant image that resonates powerfully in the wake of 9/11/01.
Daniel Day-Lewis is iconic as the ferocious butcher; a complex, conflicted man who oozes charm as easily as he oozes evil. DDL doesn't do movies all that often. But when he does, he usually wows (in big & subtle moments, i.e., when he tells Amsterdam that Priest Vallon is "the only man he ever killed worth remembering" - talk about a slap in the face to Amsterdam). I enjoyed Jim Broadbent as crooked politician Boss Tweed & Brendan Gleeson as 'Monk' - an immigrant killer-for-hire. The character of Jenny feels like a plot device; to add a bit of romance. That's not to say that Cameron Diaz is bad. I think she's quite good, actually. And an early scene btwn. her & DiCaprio involving a knife is one of the most intense, brilliantly acted (without dialogue) scenes that are in the entire movie.
Now, 'Gangs ...' gets inundated with exposition & subplots to the point that it's easy to start feeling indifferent after a while if you're not fully invested. Some subplots lack the same interest/intensity as others. So the narrative needed less congestion & better focus to provide deeper emotional resonance. But hey, that's okay -- for me, those issues are trumped by the film's overall greatness. This is the type of film where the embarrassment of riches can override the need for emotional catharsis. For me, flaws aside, watching an old-school Hollywood epic (elaborate sets, ambitious story, tons of extras) come to life onscreen is a thrill. I love how it attempts to work as both melodrama and as a sort of anthropological document of a rarely-documented, turbulent period of American history.
The only friend Amsterdam now has is Johnny (Henry Thomas), a chap who recognizes him from yrs. ago. With his help, Amsterdam is able to infiltrate Bill's gang of heathens so he can kill him. But Amsterdam becomes conflicted about his mission once Bill takes him under his wing as a sort of father figure. Adding more drama to the mix, Amsterdam fancies the cunning pickpocket, Jenny (Cameron Diaz). Not only does this cause a riff btwn. himself & Johnny (who also likes her), but it appears that she is a previous girlfriend of none other than Bill the Butcher! Can Amsterdam conceal his true identity from the madman that is Bill the Butcher? How much has he learned from him? Can he focus & kill his foe, or is his judgment clouded by a burgeoning feeling of losing 'another' father figure? Drama ensues.
That opening prologue which details the bloody 1846 gang war btwn. the NY-born 'Nativists' & the immigrant 'Dead Rabbits' is both stunning & visceral. With the snow colored red by blood in that scene, we see Michael Ballhaus' cinematography on display. As the movie progresses, we also get to see the absolutely mind-blowing production design & costumes {seriously, like ALL-TIME best}. Later in the film, scenes depicting the military's attempts to riots, which are intercut with another gang war, also had me riveted. There are fleeting moments of levity throughout the film; with rousing music, dancing, laughter, macho grandstanding & sexy women. Scorsese stages the climax against the 1863 draft riots that turned NY into an enormous battle of: poor vs. rich, white vs. black, gang vs. gang. And 'Gangs of New York' ends with a poignant image that resonates powerfully in the wake of 9/11/01.
Daniel Day-Lewis is iconic as the ferocious butcher; a complex, conflicted man who oozes charm as easily as he oozes evil. DDL doesn't do movies all that often. But when he does, he usually wows (in big & subtle moments, i.e., when he tells Amsterdam that Priest Vallon is "the only man he ever killed worth remembering" - talk about a slap in the face to Amsterdam). I enjoyed Jim Broadbent as crooked politician Boss Tweed & Brendan Gleeson as 'Monk' - an immigrant killer-for-hire. The character of Jenny feels like a plot device; to add a bit of romance. That's not to say that Cameron Diaz is bad. I think she's quite good, actually. And an early scene btwn. her & DiCaprio involving a knife is one of the most intense, brilliantly acted (without dialogue) scenes that are in the entire movie.
Now, 'Gangs ...' gets inundated with exposition & subplots to the point that it's easy to start feeling indifferent after a while if you're not fully invested. Some subplots lack the same interest/intensity as others. So the narrative needed less congestion & better focus to provide deeper emotional resonance. But hey, that's okay -- for me, those issues are trumped by the film's overall greatness. This is the type of film where the embarrassment of riches can override the need for emotional catharsis. For me, flaws aside, watching an old-school Hollywood epic (elaborate sets, ambitious story, tons of extras) come to life onscreen is a thrill. I love how it attempts to work as both melodrama and as a sort of anthropological document of a rarely-documented, turbulent period of American history.