A Film to Be Taken Seriously

Rating: 10/10 (30 December 2002)

Gangs of New York is an extraordinary piece of filmaking. It embodies more scope than any of Scorcese's other pictures, but in doing so, sacrifices some intimate detail. Be warned, the film is not for the faint of heart. It is extremely violent, but must be so to capture the time in which it takes place. Daniel Day Lewis certainly deserves a nomination, as does it's director. Costume, Set (What a set!!), Cinematography are all nomination level. Although I'm pretty well educated it covers a period about which I knew very little. Do buy a ticket and see what epic filmaking is all about. Don't try to compare it to "Gone With the Wind" or "Ben Hur" since those are films were made in another era and are not comparable. Scorcese is worthy of the term "artist"; it's unfortunate that LOFR is causing the picture to tank at the Box Office. Maybe word of mouth will save it; it will certainly find a new financial life in DVD/VHS. Unfortunately, those who wait for the home video release, will never realize the power of the cinematic screen. 5/5