A Beautiful Reconstitution of a Period, Good Actors and Actress and a Weak Drama

Rating: 8/10 (15 December 2003)

Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson) is the leader of the Dead Rabbits gang. Bill, `The Butcher' is the leader of the Nativist gang. They fight against each other and Bill kills the Priest. Priest Vallon's son witness the murder of his father and is sent to a reformatory for delinquents. Some years later, he returns as Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio), gets closer to Bill, becomes his protégée and meets Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz), who becomes his mate. Amsterdam intends to revenge his father. These events happen having the landscape of the American Civil War. This drama is very shallow and maybe may interest Americans (and specially New Yorkers), since it mixes historical facts and fiction. There is a great cast and a beautiful reconstitution of a period. I myself expected much more from this film due to the lots of nomination it had. It seems to me that it is too much pretentious. My vote is eight.