This Is a Great Film. A Great Film.

Rating: Null/10 (7 February 2003)

I stole the tag line for this review from the film. Daniel Day Lewis, in his own inimitable manner, describes his nearly fatal brawl with Leonardo DiCaprio's father using the line I copped: "This was a great man. A great man." I loved the line and I loved this film. Impoverished, brutal New York in the mid 1800s could not have been more beautifully recreated. You really feel like you were there at the end of this film. Daniel Day Lewis didn't so much act the part of Bill the Butcher -- he literally became him. His performance was subtle, poignant, maniacal and terrifying all at once. This is a film you won't forget. Unfortunately, Di Caprio just doesn't have the presence to carry a masculine role like the one he got here, and so his acting became a distraction. He's not a bad actor really, he just comes across as such a lightweight compared to Daniel Day Lewis that you notice him every time he's on screen - which is a lot. No matter. Go see this film anyway, it's a history lesson and a great film!