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A good solid year after it was originally supposed to open, Martin
Scorsese's long-awaited epic Gangs of New York is finally
here, and it brings with it enough hype to rival that of Titanic
five years ago. Like that film, Gangs was plagued by massive
production problems and an escalating budget. In addition, both
films were directed by notorious perfectionists who went head-to-head
with the studio heads who were footing the bill, and of course,
both films starred none other than the King of the World himself,
Leonardo DiCaprio.
Beyond that, Scorsese's labor of love seems unlikely to match
the box office success of James Cameron's doomed boat trip. All
the same, Gangs of New York is still an incredible cinematic
achievement that's grand in almost every way a movie can possibly
be grand. Between the sets, the costumes, the cinematography,
the music, the cast of thousands, and finally, the buckets of
blood that were used to soak the actors, no one will ever question
Scorsese as to where all the money went.
Yet for all its grandeur, Gangs is still missing something.
It's hard not to be impressed by such an ambitious Hollywood production,
but the human element of the story gets lost in a film that's
congested with too many characters, too much information and enough
bloodshed to make Braveheart look like Bambi. It's
an assault on the senses that loses its emotional focus and becomes
a victim of its own aspirations, and as a result, it only ends
up being a good movie that has moments of greatness.
Life was cheap on the mean streets of mid-1800's New York City,
where gang leaders where constantly fighting for control of their
city blocks. One such fight took place in the poverty-stricken
area of Lower Manhattan called the Five Points, where the American-born
Nativists, led by William Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), a.k.a. "Bill
the Butcher," squared off against the Irish-born Dead Rabbits,
led by Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson). Sixteen years after his father
is killed by the victorious Cutting, young Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo
DiCaprio) embarks on a bloody mission of vengeance that will put
his own loyalties to the ultimate test.
If nothing else, Gangs of New York earns high marks for
being such an informative account of what is an otherwise overlooked
period of US history. While Amsterdam weaves his way into Cutting's
good graces, a vast array of racial, religious and political upheavals
are brewing to a boiling point that will culminate in the massive
Civil War Draft Riots of 1863. The historical background of this
4-day conflict is nothing short of fascinating, especially when
you consider that this was the wake-up call that the city needed
in order to unify and become the sprawling metropolis it is today.
Gangs of New York is so full of visual and informational
detail that the performances almost become secondary. That is,
all but one. After a 5-year absence from the big screen, Daniel
Day-Lewis is back in a big way with what has to be the performance
of his career (and with a track record that includes My Left
Foot and The Last of the Mohicans, that's saying a
lot). As Bill the Butcher, he is so well-rounded, you find yourself
torn between admiring him, fearing him, and ultimately, wanting
to see him die a horrible death.
Unfortunately, the rest of the performances get lost in the shuffle
and fail to resonate on an emotional level. Despite an admirable
turn as the revenge-fueled Amsterdam, Leonardo DiCaprio drowns
in a sea of cinematic chaos. To his credit, he grows into his
role and is convincing enough with his slight Irish accent, but
the moment Daniel Day-Lewis appears on the screen, all bets are
off. The same goes for Cameron Diaz, who barely registers as the
professional pick-pocket who falls for DiCaprio, and their romance
fails to ignite what is an otherwise dark and grimy film.
Given Martin Scorsese's vast body of work, it's hard to believe
that he's never won an Academy Award. That may change with Gangs
of New York. Though it's not quite the masterpiece that he
was shooting for, only his experience and 30 year passion for
the project could have yielded what at times can be a breathtaking
achievement. Seeing how the Academy tends to honor filmmakers
for that very reason, this may just be the film that will earn
Scorsese his long-overdue golden guy.
...so like I said, start spreading the news.
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