A Timeless Villain is Born

Rating: 8/10 (11 December 2010)

Gangs of New York is a movie felt by many to be a turn in the career of legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese. It's dark and threatening tone paints a glum portrait of 19th century New York, drawing forth a pre-emptive revenge tale at the heart of the broken city.
Leonardo DiCaprio generates a career changing performance as Amsterdam, a distraught Irish orphan, plagued by the loss of his war-lord father (Liam Neeson) at the hands of the truly menacing William Cutting, or known by his 'street' alias, "Bill the Butcher" (an unforgettable Daniel Day-Lewis in his most iconic role). It is of course Day-Lewis who truly steals the show, ripping the shards of emotional drama from under the squelching shoes of an older, maturer DiCaprio than seen previously. This outing, boiling the former child-actor in bloodied fury, forcing his supposed unsalvageable career into a whole new league of adult- orientated entertainment.
Scorsese slices open the heart of American history, heaving its nasty past onto the screen in all its glory for all to see, unflinching in his presentation. The opening scene alone is a shower of gore and uncensored warfare, setting up the generic tale of "keep your friends close but your enemies closer" which takes place 16 years later. Having watched his father butchered by the leader of the gang known as the "Natives", a now older, tougher Amsterdam forces himself into the hands of controlling mob-boss Cutting who playfully jests with the vengeful soul. At 160 minutes, the film twists this story with inserts detailing the corruption and hardships of post-modern America, with focus particularly on the Civil War. This is Scorsese's unfortunate downfall, forcing an unrelated history lesson down the throats of the viewer when what he really should be doing is featuring more of the demented villain in all his unrelenting power. From the first glimpse of his curled moustache, William Cutting is an instant bad-ass, his menacing grace projected into the thoughts of the viewers at all times, his looming spirit ever-present. He is the true saviour of this, at times, sour tale of generic redemption.
By the time the Third Act final rolls in, boredom has spread and Scorsese's raw desire to leave nothing out becomes a hideous nuisance. So it was truthfully very wise for the master to leave the best for last. The final part of the film ditches the previous tripe at the road side, striking up a new angle on the tale of revenge (which frankly, he should have used from the start and made the movie an hour shorter) and fronting the finale with a war to end all wars. It is here when the film truly hits its stride, shamefully a mere 40 minutes before the end leaving this writer questioning the story-boarding skills of one Jay Cocks. An epic closure to the tale does however ensue, although the final battle more anti-climactic than expected, the departure of one character disappointingly average.
Overall, Scorsese's bloodied mirage of a forgotten New York City is an intense but emotionally forgettable experience. Overly long and full of tiresome historical pieces, the film lacks the gruelling and torturous finale it deserved and presented too many careless loose ends (Cameron Diaz becoming a non-essential lump of furniture within the tale). By no means a masterpiece but still a fantastic turn for the legendary director and a career-high for both Day-Lewis and DiCaprio, even if they did lack the powerful, crazed scenes which were hinted at several times throughout the script. The un-forgiving violence never lets up, providing a truthful take on an unknown story, pushing forth an original picture. Don't be fooled by the awards binge, this is no Oscar worthy delight, but an easily watchable and gruesomely memorable thriller.
8/10