"Criminal's braggadocio"

Rating: 9/10 (1 April 2012)

Over the years, Martin Scorsese has established himself as the cinematic biographer of New York City. In Gangs of New York, he recounts one of its lesser-known but intensely fascinating chapters, in what was a long-cherished project. Like The Last Temptation of Christ, a similarly personal picture, it seems a perfect vehicle for his ostentatious directorial style.
The inspiration for this movie was a non-fiction book of the same title and screenwriters Jay Cocks, Steve Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan have woven a decent action story around a few kernels of historical truth and half-truth. The documentary-like detail is there, although it's more about period background than recreating events, as the main plot is largely fiction. Within this plot certain themes are writ large - the honour of one-on-one combat, the idea of revenge as something almost sacred, the hero's coming of age and so forth. There's also lots of rather obvious religious symbolism both in the script and Scorsese's imagery – the bible in the water, the rosary beads tossed aside, crucifixes popping up all over. There's even a bit of a Christ allegory going on with Amsterdam's betrayal by the Judas-like Johnny and his subsequent resurrection. It's clichéd, to be sure, but it's rather good fun too.
And Scorsese's portrayal of old New York is as surreal and baroque as it is factual. No doubt this was a strange time and place to be around in, but Scorsese whoops it up to almost operatic proportions. Take for example, in the opening scenes, the various gangs' campy self-introductions, or Daniel Day-Lewis's top hat disappearing off the top of the screen like it goes on into infinity. To be honest, it's all a far better match for Scorsese's zooming, swooping camera-work than his straighter dramas were. Scorsese also gets big plus points for doing almost all of it with real people and real sets without resorting to CGI. The movie looks far richer and livelier for it.
This was the director's first outing with his new fave lead man Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio is not exceptional here – it's simply another good-looking hero role that doesn't tax him much. The part that commands most attention is that of Daniel Day-Lewis. His ability to disappear into a role so different from his real background and persona is commendable, though at times his Bill Cutting comes across as a hammy impression of Robert De Niro. But such theatricality is all very much part and parcel of Gangs of New York. Many of the smaller parts are in a similarly extravagant vein; most worthy of mention are Gary Lewis and Jim Broadbent.
Stylised as it is, the movie couldn't really afford to be too esoteric, and there are a fair few concessions to commercialism. Some moments have a modern action gloss, typified by the "schwoomp" noise when we zoom in on Day-Lewis's glass eye. Then there's the fact that, even though the script says DiCaprio will "walk among you as a freak" his scarring only amounts to a faint white blotch; actually marring his pretty-boy features presumably not being viable. But these are minor quibbles. From its haunting introduction to its apocalyptic finale, Gangs of New York makes a mighty yarn.