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Amazon.co.uk Review
Almost obliged to be huge, Gangs of New York marks the return to work of three much-admired creatives missing-in-action for the past few years: director Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis. Vast, impressive and challenging, it's unlike anything Scorsese has done in look and manner even as it is exactly the material he has obsessively turned over since his first films. A terrific 1846 prologue depicts a battle for supremacy over a district known as the Five Points between the "native-born American" mob led by William "Butcher" Cutting (Day-Lewis) and an Irish immigrant crew headed by "Priest" Vallon (Liam Neeson). The bloody outcome is the death of Priest and the rise to godfather-like prominence of the literally eagle-eyed Butcher (an eagle-marked marble replaces an eye he fished out in homage to his enemy!). Sixteen years later, Priest's son Amsterdam (DiCaprio) shows up intent on revenge, but finds himself distracted as he is drawn into the Butcher's inner circle much as another Scorsese Irishman hooked up with the mob in Goodfellas.
The film covers an array of New York historical topics--from the corrupt government of William "Boss" Tweed to the riots that rocked the community when President Lincoln tried to impose military conscription--while the actual plot wobbles slightly as Amsterdam gets involved with a winsome pickpocket (Cameron Diaz) and wavers in his vengeful resolve. DeCaprio and Diaz aren't quite strong enough characters or players to hold things together--as in a few other recent Scorsese films, heroes are let off easily though they seem guilty of as many appalling crimes as the villains--but they have to compete with an award-worthy study in moustachioed menace and corruption from Day-Lewis and an array of the best supporting actors from either side of the Atlantic (Jim Broadbent, John C Reilly, Brendan Gleeson, David Hemmings). --Kim Newman
On the DVD: Gangs of New York comes with a decent set of extras on this two-disc set. Most notable is Martin Scorsese's commentary, the first of its kind on DVD. Taking a concise approach with some moderate pauses, Scorsese avoids a scene-specific analysis, but his rich knowledge both of the historical period and of cinema history is phenomenal, as is the account of his 30-year struggle to get the film made. Documentaries include costume and set design; a tour of the set with Scorsese and production designer Dante Ferretti (with optional 360-degree view); and a well-researched and insightful historical Discovery Channel documentary. "The History of the Five Points" is accompanied by some study notes and a vocab guide, all adding to the rich historical background that this extra material provides. Less insightful and more glossy are the obligatory trailer and "Making of" documentary, complete with husky voiceover. A choice of Dolby or DTS mixes are on offer sound-wise and, as you'd expect from such a beautifully filmed epic, the transfer is superb. --Laura Bushell
Product Description
Buena Vista, Region 2; Region 3 2002 167 mins
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
For a movie that was almost 3 hours, I never managed to get bored. Viewers will love to hate Daniel D. Lewis in this role. What a performance! Many ancestors could have been part of these gangs. How people survive the times is a thought that comes to mind while watching. I can only hope that the violence depicted in the film was somewhat inflated. Have things changed since the late 1800s? Sure, but gangs still exist and corruption is more rampant than ever. In the 1840s. Natives and Irsih Americans fight to the death in New York, resulting in the death of Irish leader Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson) and Native Bill The Butcher's (Daniel Day Lewis) undisputed rule of the city's criminal underworld. Vallon's son, Amsterdam (Di Caprio) escapes. And after growing into an anonymous young man, returns to reap his revenge, yet unwittingly becomes the butcher's protégé...
Scorsese was bringing a long treasured project to the screen with Gangs, creating a hype that suffered from setbacks, delayed releases and mixed reviews. In hindsight what we have is no masterpiece, but it remains an undeniably good film, with many fine qualities to make up for its flaws.
Scorsese's recreation of the city is stunning: the level of detail completely immerses the viewer into an atmosphere scarcely read of in History books. Moreover, the rich criminal world depicted here maintains a delicate balance of understandability and chaos. Scorsese couples this with his flair for music to create a truly intoxicating mood. The photography reinforces the overall effect tenfold, wonderfully sustained and carrying scattered sparks of pure genius. For example: in one shot, Scorsese pans from newly arrived immigrants who are welcomed, given the nationality, provided a uniform, and enlisted into the Union army to coffins of dead soldiers being unloaded on another peer.
Ultimately, a film lives or dies by its screenplay and acting, and herein lies Gangs of New York's polarizing point. Whether you focus on the slightly uneven story (oddly shortened in places by pressured editing) or the fantastic performances will determine whether Gangs makes it or breaks it, but for its sheer visual power and acting it deserves to be seen. Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Brendan Gleeson and John C. Reilly are all a joy to see when on top form, but the true feast here is Daniel Day Lewis's grand-standing, violent and xenophobic Bill The Butcher. A role that Robert De Niro (for whom it was originally intended over the years). The chances of this film becoming a favorite are slim, but at the very least you'll walk away with an indelible character to remember.
Scorsese was bringing a long treasured project to the screen with Gangs, creating a hype that suffered from setbacks, delayed releases and mixed reviews. In hindsight what we have is no masterpiece, but it remains an undeniably good film, with many fine qualities to make up for its flaws.
Scorsese's recreation of the city is stunning: the level of detail completely immerses the viewer into an atmosphere scarcely read of in History books. Moreover, the rich criminal world depicted here maintains a delicate balance of understandability and chaos. Scorsese couples this with his flair for music to create a truly intoxicating mood. The photography reinforces the overall effect tenfold, wonderfully sustained and carrying scattered sparks of pure genius. For example: in one shot, Scorsese pans from newly arrived immigrants who are welcomed, given the nationality, provided a uniform, and enlisted into the Union army to coffins of dead soldiers being unloaded on another peer.
Ultimately, a film lives or dies by its screenplay and acting, and herein lies Gangs of New York's polarizing point. Whether you focus on the slightly uneven story (oddly shortened in places by pressured editing) or the fantastic performances will determine whether Gangs makes it or breaks it, but for its sheer visual power and acting it deserves to be seen. Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Brendan Gleeson and John C. Reilly are all a joy to see when on top form, but the true feast here is Daniel Day Lewis's grand-standing, violent and xenophobic Bill The Butcher. A role that Robert De Niro (for whom it was originally intended over the years). The chances of this film becoming a favorite are slim, but at the very least you'll walk away with an indelible character to remember.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
There's no getting away from the fact that this is Day-Lewis' movie and that the seriously miscast DiCarprio and Diaz just can't cope with his presence - this inequality between the main players capsizes the film.
Having said that, there's much to appreciate here - the sets, score, costumes and the supporting actors (Broadbent & Reilly particularly) are hugely impressive. This being a Scorsese film, there is a lot of violence and it's as visceral and gruesome as you'd expect (especially the open battle in the snow).
Worth watching for Day-Lewis mesmerising study in brutality.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Being the "Victor Meldrew" that I am, I always read the worst reviews first, and this film has a lot on this site, mainly by people who didn't like the violence. I'm not too keen on graphic violence either, but in this film it probably has a purpose. Martin Scorsese is a serious, non-exploitive, film maker, so I'm guessing he might have been commenting on the "romancing" of violence by some people.
1. There are parallels in this film to the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland betwen the Catholic "Irish", and the Protestant supporters of the union within the United Kingdom. The Irish rebels are often romanticised by foreigners of Irish extraction, who fund rebel groups. The brutality of the violence in this film demonstrates that there is no romance to fighting.
2. Similarily, gang violence in modern America is also romanticised, and glorified by gangsta rappers. It is made to sound attractive. As this film demonstrates, there is nothing attractive about gang violence.
I found the film very well-made and good looking. It could have been a Ridley Scott film, and I mean that as a compliment.
There were some good performances, especially Daniel Day-Lewis and Cara somebody, who played Hell Cat Maggie, who made Sarah Palin seem like a teddy bear. In addition, Cameron Diaz was far more attractive in this film than she is wiggling her bum in films like she normally does, and her acting was the best I've seen her do.
1. There are parallels in this film to the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland betwen the Catholic "Irish", and the Protestant supporters of the union within the United Kingdom. The Irish rebels are often romanticised by foreigners of Irish extraction, who fund rebel groups. The brutality of the violence in this film demonstrates that there is no romance to fighting.
2. Similarily, gang violence in modern America is also romanticised, and glorified by gangsta rappers. It is made to sound attractive. As this film demonstrates, there is nothing attractive about gang violence.
I found the film very well-made and good looking. It could have been a Ridley Scott film, and I mean that as a compliment.
There were some good performances, especially Daniel Day-Lewis and Cara somebody, who played Hell Cat Maggie, who made Sarah Palin seem like a teddy bear. In addition, Cameron Diaz was far more attractive in this film than she is wiggling her bum in films like she normally does, and her acting was the best I've seen her do.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
brilliant
Loved this movie. Thought outstanding performance by dicaprio. Well worth a watch. Takes while to get into but although long, very good movie
Published 2 months ago by syra
what a difference a day makes
this is a long film but day lewis keeps you glued to the screen his acting ability is truly immense. Read more
Published 2 months ago by jed
What a movie
Martin Scorcese does it again. The battle scenes are crafted beautifully. This is DiCaprios best film but Day Lewis steals the show. Spine tingling soundtrack.
Published 3 months ago by Mel Santino
Brilliant Acting
I've seen this film many times. I'm not going to pretend I'm a professional movie critic. If you want that, there are plenty of reviews out there. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Aidan M
So close, yet so far away
This movie is almost brilliant. The opening sequence itself is one of the all time greatest. It is just a shame that it all goes downhill after that. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Jan Patrik Sahlstrøm
US BLU RAY IS THE BEST VERSION OF THE FILM
This version of the movie - the US Blu Ray - is the restored version of the movie and simply looks fantastic! Read more
Published 16 months ago by M. M. Black
Overhyped
This is not the greatest movie you will ever see. On the other hand you would like this movie if you like an over exaggerated and grotesque outlook to the american culture. Read more
Published on 29 May 2010 by Adrian Gauci
Great Accent
The movie wasn't so great, but I was stunned by Daniel D. Lewis' performance. I grew up in New York and here I am hearing an accent I know so well and so intimately, awaiting a... Read more
Published on 30 April 2010 by JCV
Classic
How many movies were considered to be rubbish when they first came out on theatres only to be made timeless classics after a few decades? Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2010 by R. G. W. Pires
Almost as expected
I was expecting to hate this film and while I did not loathe it I was disappointed that it was not as good as I had heard. Read more
Published on 22 Feb 2010 by B. J. du Cille
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