Scorsese Is No David Lean!

Rating: 5/10 (17 December 2002)

This is a passable, mostly uninspired epic. Technical aspects are what one expect for this type of film. The problem for me, was an apparent lack of sustained passion, given the subject matter. The casting was adequate; Daniel Day-Lewis gave a good performance, in what was probably the movie's best role. DiCaprio was proficient, but lacked the spark of personality and passion, to fully make his performance shine.
The story is interesting, but I don't think it merited such epic treatment, especially with Martin Scorsese at the helm. I kept flashing on 'Once Upon A Time In America', 'The Godfather', 'Doctor Zhivago', 'Lawrence of Arabia'; and wondered why Martin Scorsese did not pay closer attention to these epic masterpieces. The DiCaprio-Cameron Diaz romance could have been totally deleted, and it would have helped the movie.
This movie seems to be more of a calculated 'box-office' effort, than an attempt to present a forthright story; with all the stark, rough edged brutality needed, to do justice to its title. I give this film a low rating, because Martin Scorsese is a very accomplished director; gifted in presenting stripped down and personal films. This is his second failure at epic film making. Gangs of New York, should have been less grandiose and more personal, in its approach. 5/10.