A Story Almost Absent in American Memory

Rating: 9/10 (20 April 2014)

It's Hard to Fathom that a Film can be Nominated for 10, count em, Academy Awards and not Win One. But that's Indicative of the Gap that Exists between Fans and Critics on the Merits, or Lack, that this Scorsese Labor of Love has Produced.
Speaking of Production, it is well known that the Film was Costly, Troubled, Delayed, and otherwise Cursed. But what was Delivered is Compelling if not Perfect. If it does have a Failing, it is the Revenge Theme, the Love Story, and a Weakness in its Casting of Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Movie's Strength is its Capture of the the Time and Place, the Hordes and the Corrupt and Xenophobic Leaders in this Tumultuous Time in the Nations Melting Pot. It is an Historical Meilu that is Unfamiliar, Conveniently Forgotten, Swept Under, and is Really an Embarrassing Truth about Tribal Warfare and Pig-Headed, Ignorant People Existing in Squalor and is a Filthy Fact that is not Easily Embraced.
That could be One of the Reasons for the Film's Detractors. It is Anything but Pretty. The Driving Force in the Film, other than the Outstanding Sets, Costumes, and Production is Daniel Day Lewis' Unforgettable and Unrestrained Performance as Bill the Butcher. The rest of the Cast just cannot Keep Up with HIs Dominating Presence.
While not a Great Film, it is Nevertheless Excellent and Important. Hypnotic, Dense, and Determined it Accomplishes more than its Critics will Admit. There is a Weakness in the Central, Personal Story but it more than makes up for it in the Grandeur of its Historical Hindsight that is a Welcome Inclusion because it has been a Purposeful Non-Entry in the American Mindset.