Compelling epic

Rating: 7/10 (29 June 2003)

I finally got around to seeing this film about 6 months after I had intended to, and unfortunately picked the hottest day of the summer so far to see it. I say unfortunately because every yokel in the Milwaukee metropolitan area decided to take advantage of the budget prices, and of the air conditioning for three hours, so the audience I watched it with generally were not the least bit interested in actually watching the historical drama and weren't afraid to vocalize this. Loudly. And repeatedly. The good news is, apparently the average attention span for a film is 2 hours, so around the 2 hour mark people seemed to leave the theater in droves, and I finally was able to experience the final hour in relative peace.
Having said that, I actually really enjoyed this film. I have heard complaints of the length, the lack of action, all they do is fight, there's no story, etc. I found it to be not only compelling, but it actually has prompted me to do further research on this time period. This was a film that Scorcese has been trying to make for a long time, and it is a natural addition to his gallery of films that take place during certain periods of history in New York. Perhaps I missed something, but I only saw a couple of major fights during the film's three hours, and in answer to the lack of storyline: Clearly, this was a film not only about the life and times of the Five Points from an historical perspective, but it chose several characters to lead us through this history lesson not through narrative, but as a regular "life on the street" type of storytelling. It is also a classic story of a love/hate relationship between mentor and apprentice as well as a struggle with ones own identity and destiny.
If I had to issue a complaint or two about the film, I agree that the length was a little cumbersome, and Leonardo DiCaprio apparently kept losing and finding his accent with wild abandon, but that is more nitpicky than anything. For the few faults this film may have contained, the high points certainly made up for them, namely the amazing performance by Daniel Day-Lewis. I had heard a lot of build up regarding his character over the last several months, and of course he was nominated for an Oscar, but his performance was truly inspired.
I will definitely buy this on DVD when it is released, but will probably wait awhile to watch the film itself again. However, if Scorcese provides a commentary track, I will be watching that instantly - the man is a genius and once again, he has created a film that solidifies my complete awe of his intelligence and vision.
--Shelly