Thanks for checking out our Forgotten Fridays feature. This is a feature to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. They may not be old, maybe not forgotten, but they are not new. Just fun to share.
Today’s title might seem more known, but I am surprised at just how many people haven’t seen this movie. I think that’s a crime. If you fell between the cracks you owe it to yourself to see this.
Today, we review Gangs of New York
Genre: Drama
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Staring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Jim Broadbent, John C. Reilly, Henry Thomas, Liam Neeson
Released: December 20, 2002
THE GENERAL IDEA
Having seen his father killed in a major gang fight in New York, young Amsterdam Vallon is spirited away for his own safety. Some years later, he returns to the scene of his father’s death, the notorious Five Points district in New York. It’s 1863 and lower Manhattan is run by gangs, the most powerful of which is the Natives, headed by Bill “The Butcher” Cutting. He believes that America should belong to native-born Americans and opposes the waves of immigrants, mostly Irish, entering the city. It’s also the time of the Civil War and forced conscription leads to the worst riots in US history. Amid the violence and corruption, young Vallon tries to establish himself in the area and also seek revenge over his father’s death.
THE GOOD
Leonardo DiCaprio took a paycut to be in this film, and he serves it well. The first of many films DiCaprio would star in for Martin Scorsese. He is utterly brilliant in this.
And of course Cameron Diaz in the hieght of her glamour tones things way down and does a perfect job in this. I wish she was in more roles like this one where we can really see how well she can work.
But the real star of this film isn’t its players. They all do their job wonderfully to create this very believable gritty 1860s era world with no shiny polish, but its the atmosphere as a whole that makes this tale so captivating. It was consuming in its presentation and amazing to watch.
THE BAD
This movie has a fair amount of graphic realism to its violence that might be disturbing to some. I found this to be a positive to the harsh reality of living in that time in that part of New York, but its offputting to some.
OVERALL
Fantastic story, even better atmosphere and characters that all play to bringing the scene to life. Easily one of my favourite DiCaprio movies to date.
Its out on BluRay which I intend to pick up today. I wonder if it will have the hour of footage that was originally cut from the film trimming it to 2:45? Also one of the best posters ever despite its floaty photoshopped heads. The tattered shreds of the US flag in the poster make up a negative space imagery of the tall buildings of New York city. Brilliant.
Since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I had a Tv, Rent or Buy scale going on, but it would seem that an overwhelming majority of my picks get a BUY rating.
So with every Forgotten Friday you see from now on, you get to rate your anticipation for yourself!
TV – If you are at least a little curious, catch it if it comes on TV.
Rent – If it is something you have heard of and forgotten, or just remember enjoying this as much as I did once upon a time, go rent it.
Buy – But if you are like me, and you agree with my review you should go buy it. If its featured here, I already have.
Danile Dy Lewis. An actor’s actor. In Gangs of New York the combined talent of many makes this perhaps one of the best films of the past decade. The gritiness and political shananagins of Tammeny Hall, religion and the bginnings of a multi-cultural New York make gangs sociologica and cinematic masterpiece. Butcher Bill is a role from heaven and oinly a Daniel Day Lewis could pull it off. It is also a great opportunity o see decaprio for far more than he may appear. Diaz is not only a gem but she brings a tuly illuminating presence in the midst of a very dark time. Brilliant!!!!
There are only a handful of actors that can make “whoopsie daisy” sound horrifying (the knife throwing scene); DDL is one of them.
Day-Lewis grabs your attention quickly. He alone made me love this film.
I always thought GoNY failed to live up to it’s potential. The bloody history of America’s first urban slums provide such a rich and untapped setting, but Scorsese awkwardly went for a fairy tale revenge plot and grand operatic design. I never believed in any of the characters, I could never forget that they were just famous actors in period costumes (even Day-Lewis failed to connect, even though I liked him in the movie). The sets always looked like sets. Marty would have made a better film had he focused less on fancy dress and more on realism.
I know the movie was delayed for over a year, that it was frequently screened to test audiences, that it was significantly shortened and re-cut several times. I’m convinced that there’s a better, more sophisticated movie in Marty’s vault, but that he buckled under pressure from the Weinsteins. If I recall correctly, it was the most expensive film Miramax ever produced, and the original run time was pushing 5 hours.
Great post.
There’s essentially two kinds of Scorsese movies, to my mind: a) the ones I re-watch just about every time I have the opportunity (like when they pop up on cable), and b) the ones that–for whatever reason or reasons–I don’t feel compelled to re-watch.
For me, the former category includes Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino, The King of Comedy, and even My Voyage to Italy.
The latter category includes Kundun, The Age of Innocence, The Aviator, and, indeed, Gangs of New York.
I can’t explain why I categorize them this way. The reasons change movie to movie, I guess. But the bottom line is that an earlier commenter had it right: Scorsese is the best living American director, and that, alone, makes every one of his films worth watching.
I thought the first third of the movie was magnificent. The set design was superb and the atmosphere was perfect. The story itself seems to deteriorate as Cameron Diaz’s character becomes more evident in the story. I’m not putting the blame into Cameron Diaz, but rather the screenplay itself. I thought the performances were all captivating, especially Daniel Day Lewis’. He made the last two thirds interesting and every time he was on screen, you were absorbed. I wouldn’t put this film on the top of Scorsese’s incredibly impressive filmography, but I do find myself coming back to it, if only for Daniel Day Lewis’ haunting performance.
My ex told me she saw this in theaters and told me not to see it, of course we broke up later on and I eventually saw it when it came out on DVD. It had me at the beginning with the battle scene and the Peter Gabriel music, I thought it was so surreal and badass. After see Goodfellas and this, I decided to find more from this Scorsese guy, glad I did.
Some of his unsung films are my favorite like King of Comedy, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and Bringing Out The Dead. Scorsese still the best american filmmaker we have besides Paul Thomas Anderson and The Coens.
i saw this on dvd when it came out and i thought it was ok. not until AMC, i think started replaying this movie like 20 times a month,haha, did i actual start to appriciate the performances and the world martin brought to the audience. just a great piece of work. and yes, DDl owns this movie for me, it was a scene he was in that got my attention and kept it. the rest of the cast was the icing in this great movie.
Easily one of my top 10 favorites of all time.
I just saw this on cable a week or so ago. Great performances all around and yes the scenery was great. I wouldn’t watch it enough to justify buying it but its certainly one of those movie where if I see its on chances are I’ll turn to it and watch it. Especially the ending part that shows New York growing from its 1863 self into the NY we know today with that song in the background. Excellent movie.
The one Scorcesse flick that I was unsatisfied with, the end (goin’ off memory) was a mess(riot in town) and seemed like a key stone cops episode, I even saw some circus elefant running around loose somewhere.
just sayin’
good solid acting but felt off for me
Probably one of Day-Lewis’ best performances since In The Name of the Father
Youre probably right on that. Both are great movies!
Couldn’t agree more.Rodney, what did you think of the DDL performance in this one? I assume you didn’t mention it because it should be just understood how awesome he is in this.
Everyone does a phenomenal job in this. Especially DDL.
I think it was this that made me far less surprised to see his role in Blood. Its on par, but maybe a hair beneath this performance. Still dead on awesome for that type of character.