Revenge, power, loyalty and the Land of the free.

Rating: 8/10 (3 January 2003)

This movie is HUGE!!!
Gangs is essentially a background story from a monumental time of American history, but it is put on in such a grand scale that one can't help but wonder if there is some sort of sarcastic vision at work. The dialogue itself is worth a repeat viewing and the performance by Day-Lewis is as big as they get. Dicaprio once again shines as..., well as himself and the cinematography and editing are as always part of Scorcesse's story telling process. The sets which harken back to a dying time of movie making provide the framework for the artisic journey at work here.
Gangs of New York plays like a cross between the Titanic and A Clockwork Orange. After viewing this I had visions of youths dressing up as gang members on haloween night. How refreshing it was to see this film at a time when digital images have taken over the bulk of hollywood filmdom. Long live Scorcesse and the golden era of filmaking. By the by even the crash zoom on the credits is an optical effect. Best movie of 2002!!!