Violence..

Rating: 8/10 (23 March 2006)

Surprisinsly, when considering that this came late in his career, and also that Scorseze is generally overrated, Gangs Of New York is a vital film. Less a historical tribute, this is more of a sociological essay on the mechanisms of control and power, occasionally reaching philosophical levels in it's pondering on human society, politics and religion. A touch of stylized violence and an excellent performance by Daniel-Day Lewis, as opposed to the mediocre Leonardo DiCaprio, also help elevate the film. The ending sequence is perhaps the most poignant of all, showing modern-day New York (representing the modern world in general) being built upon the foundations of old gangland New York, aka symbolically the age-old mechanisms of oppression and brainwashing applied by the state to pursue it's own means.