An epic period drama filled with grit, anger and violence (this is Scorsese, after all), Gangs of New York came out in the early aughts and set the bar for the decade.
The film, based on Herbert Asbury’s 1927 book of the same name, stars DiCaprio as the young protagonist and is paired with masterful elder statesman Daniel Day-Lewis.
The film takes place in the Big Apple in 1863. The film chronicles a long-standing Catholic-Protestant feud that escalates into violence as a group of Irish immigrants protest against conscription.
With a cast completed by Cameron Diaz, Jim Broadbent, John C. Reilly, Henry Thomas, Stephen Graham, Eddie Marsan, Liam Neeson and Brendan Gleeson, this film oozed talent from every pore and was highly anticipated for its release (especially with the cast). DiCaprio in the spotlight at that moment) was tall. Scorsese has long established himself as a master of mafia cinema, but this time his protagonists and antagonists were gangsters of a different kind. The theme would undoubtedly still turn to gold with his Midas touch, but would audiences flock to the box office?
1863 The crime-riddled Lower Manhattan neighborhood known as Five Points is under the rule of evil gang leader Bill “The Butcher” Cutting (Day-Lewis). Cutting believes that America should be for Americans and strongly opposes the waves of immigrants, mostly Irish, who are coming to New York. Although one of them is going to make a special impression.
Sixteen years after the murder of his father at the hands of Cutting, Amsterdam Vallon (DiCaprio) returns to his childhood home, hell-bent on revenge.
As he tries to ingratiate himself with Cutting and gain his trust, Amsterdam becomes attracted to local pickpocket and con artist Jenny Everdeen (Diaz), a woman with her own connections to “The Butcher.”
Meanwhile, civil war rages in the United States, and recent laws requiring conscription into the Union Army lead to rising tensions in Manhattan. With violence sure to break out, will Amsterdam get a chance to take revenge before the Five Points turns into a bloodbath again, and more importantly, before Cutting discovers his true intentions?
In fact, Gangs of New York was completed by 2001, but its release was delayed due to the September 11 attacks. It was finally released in 2002 and grossed over $193 million worldwide, making it a box office success.
Critics rightly applauded the film, especially Day-Lewis’ performance. The man is such a machine that it’s hard to pinpoint a “career-best” turn from him, but his cold, vindictive and seductive portrayal of Bill Cutting is a surefire contender.
DiCaprio’s performance as Vallon was world-class and marked the beginning of an ongoing collaboration with Scorsese that would produce some of the greatest films of the last 20 years, including The Aviator, Shutter Island and The Wolf of Wall Street.
Gangs of New York certainly made an impression, receiving ten nominations at the 75th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Scorsese, and Best Actor for Day-Lewis. It’s not the first Leo/Marty movie that comes to mind for most people – and it doesn’t beat The Departed as the best – but it’s an original, and the seeds of future magic become apparent on repeat viewings. this is two decades later. A brilliant film with a cast that hit the stratosphere – just remember to never get on the butcher’s bad side…