Gangs of New York (2002)

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers (WGA):

Jay Cocks (story)
Jay Cocks (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 December 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | History

Tagline:

America Was Born In The Streets.

Plot:

In 1863, Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points area of New York City seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher, his father's killer.

Plot Keywords:

Butcher | New York City | Revenge | Immigrant | Riot

Awards:

Nominated for 10 Oscars. Another 32 wins & 59 nominations

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Amsterdam Vallon
Daniel Day-Lewis	...	Bill 'The Butcher' Cutting
Cameron Diaz	...	Jenny Everdeane
Jim Broadbent	...	William 'Boss' Tweed
John C. Reilly	...	Happy Jack Mulraney
Henry Thomas	...	Johnny Sirocco
Liam Neeson	...	'Priest' Vallon
Brendan Gleeson	...	Walter 'Monk' McGinn
Gary Lewis	...	McGloin
Stephen Graham	...	Shang
Eddie Marsan	...	Killoran
Alec McCowen	...	Reverend Raleigh (as Alec Mccowen)
David Hemmings	...	Mr. Schermerhorn
Larry Gilliard Jr.	...	Jimmy Spoils
Cara Seymour	...	Hell-Cat Maggie

MPAA:

Rated R for intense strong violence, sexuality/nudity and language.

Runtime:

167 min

Country:

USA | Italy

Language:

English | Irish Gaelic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #39927) | Iceland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Brazil:18 | New Zealand:R16 | India:A | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Israel:PG | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Peru:14 | Philippines:R-18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) (uncut) | Singapore:NC-16 (edited for re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:18 | Greece:K-17

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

During the final fight scene, Amsterdam is shown wearing a cestus on each hand. A cestus is a type of Roman combat glove used in gladiator battles. They are essentially just leather straps wrapped around the hands, but when the Romans improved on the Greek's design and added metal spikes, they became a more deadly weapon. you can clearly see Vallon's cesti when he is praying before the fight.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After the assassination attempt on Bill the Butcher at the theater, Amsterdam rolls around the floor with the assassin. Amsterdam has a knife in his hand; as he touches the blade to the floor, the blade bends sharply to the side. It is obviously a rubber blade.

Quotes:

Bill: How old are you, Amsterdam?
Amsterdam Vallon: I'm not sure, sir. I never did quite figure it.
Bill: I'm forty-seven. Forty-seven years old. You know how I stayed alive this long? All these years? Fear. The spectacle of fearsome acts. Somebody steals from me, I cut off his hands. He offends me, I cut out his tongue. He rises against me, I cut off his head, stick it on a pike, raise it high up so all on the streets can see. That's what preserves the order of things. Fear.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "HBO First Look: The Departed: Facing a Loaded Gun (#13.15)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Gospel Train

well done, Daniel

'Gangs of New York' is the story of Irish immigrants fighting with the New York's 'natives' back in 1860. It is extremely gruesome and violent throughout the movie, (braveheart x5). Although well-paced, it may feel a bit slow at some times (its runtime is around two hours, forty minutes). I found the end of the movie (the rioting part), a bit confusing. Now the upside: The era is portrayed very well, even though the costumes seem to be a little bit overdone. This movie will keep you in tense from beginning to end, from its settings to acting, it is very well done. DiCaprio and Diaz are their regulars, but Day-Lewis is unbelievable. An incredible comeback after seven years (where was he anyway wasting all that talent?!) I definitely would've considered him for best actor of the year. my overall rating is 4 out of 6.