Intense, Unyielding, and Interesting

Rating: 9/10 (16 August 2017)

This film is compelling. It also catches the viewer off guard. At first, it begins to build itself as your average son-of-killed-man- gets-revenge-years-later plot line. Then it completely throws the viewer off, thereby creating very deeply emotional characters. They feel like they are real as more information is revealed. There is also no shortage of intrigue. It might begin to feel as though the film is too long, but when it is over the entire picture comes together and one sees exactly why it was played out the way it was. Most of the cast is brilliant; the accents are slight but noticeable enough to be believable. Each performance is gritty and well done. Daniel Day Lewis and DiCaprio play off each other beautifully- they're both excellent actors and could have easily over-performed one another, but it can be perfectly understood that Scorsese directed them well. Each main character's story has a purpose that makes sense and doesn't feel unnecessary. It is true, however, that many of the supporting cast is forgettable(mainly because they look very similar and are only seen once or twice), though the film tries hard to make you care about them when they die. And there is a lot of death in this film, specifically killing. When the word "gangs" is in the title, that's obvious. The film also does a great job of showing the plight of civil-war era Americans who were affected by the first draft, showing facts that not many remember these days. The end is sure to tug on your thoughts for sure, and it leaves the viewer pondering everything from America's history to the meaning of loyalty. Very well done.