Ugly and Overlong

Rating: 4/10 (7 August 2011)

Gangs engage in turf war in 1860s New York. This is yet another example of Scorsese's disturbing obsession with violence. The film starts and ends with ludicrous battle scenes. In between there are some good moments but there is too much padding, needlessly extending the running time to nearly three hours. It's obvious from the outset how it's going to end, but the narrative meanders and is often over-the-top. The gritty atmosphere of mid 19th century New York is well captured, but the director's depiction of 19th century New York was more impressive in "The Age of Innocence," also featuring Day-Lewis. Here Day-Lewis chews the scenery as a ruthless butcher. DiCaprio looks intense.