Movie Review - Gangs of New York

Gangs of New York (4 of 5): Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York focuses on the rise of Irish and Italian gangs in New York in the mid-1800s. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Amsterdam, a boy who watches his father, a prominent leader and priest, die in a territorial gang-fight. As a young man, Amsterdam seeks the revenge on his father’s killer, Bill "The Butcher" Poole, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. Along the way he finds love with a street-smart thief played by Cameron Diaz and begins to relate to his father’s killer a lot more than he cares to admit.

This movie is very well done even though it is overly long and contains an unneeded love story. Overall, the cast is exceptional. Daniel Day-Lewis is amazing in this film and gives a frighteningly realistic performance as Bill. Even Cameron Diaz who is not normally associated with movies of this type, really looses herself to the character she plays. The story is very entertaining – typical Scorsese gangster fare, only this time set in the 1800s. I especially like how the politics of the time are so prominently displayed throughout the movie. There is a lot of detail showing how tough, chaotic, frenzied and corrupt life was in the growing city of that time.

Gangs of New York presents an entertaining and engrossing story that really transports you back in history. The sets, characters, story, etc. all feel unique and believable. It is definitely recommended as one of Martin Scorsese’s best films.