 Movie
Reviews
with Evelyn Gough
Gangs of New York(M)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
 Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio star in Gangs of New York.
If you think New York is a scary city today just be thankful you weren’t there in 1863, if the latest movie by director Martin Scorsese is anything to go by.
Scorsese has never been one to shy away from violence – think Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Cape Fear… And his films are all stamped with a grittiness and authenticity that has made him one of the most renowned and respected film makers of our time.
His latest project, the epic Gangs of New York is no exception, in fact the grittiness and violence is almost overwhelming.
Certainly America in the mid 19th century was experiencing some turbulent times. The country was embroiled in the Civil War and with thousands being killed on the battlefields every day, more cannon fodder was constantly required, hence the decision to introduce conscription for the first time.
This didn’t go down well, especially with the poor who couldn’t afford the $300 required to escape the draft. The resulting Civil War draft riots left hundreds dead and much of the city in ruins.
At the same time, New York was caught up in a more personal conflict, among the local gangs. The most feared of these were the “Nativists”, led by the brutal William “Bill” Cutting, otherwise known as “The Butcher”, (Daniel Day-Lewis). The anti-immigrant “Native Americans” were determined to repel all “foreign invaders”, the most despised of these being the Irish who were flooding into the slums of New York in their thousands.
Gangs of New York follows the story of a young Irish-American, Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo Di Caprio). As a child he had watched as the Butcher murdered his father, the leader of the Dead Rabbits gang, Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson). Now, 16 years later, he is determined to take his revenge…
I admit I knew very little about the history of New York, so I found Scorsese’s film an enlightening, if rather violent experience. At least it wasn’t dull, there’s no time to be bored, with people being bludgeoned or hacked to death constantly. Unfortunately this leaves little time for character development.
I found Gangs of New York fascinating (in a horrible kind of way), but it certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
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