The perfect mix of history and entertainment

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2017)

With having the star-studded cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, and Daniel Day-Lewis, it was hard not to be intrigued by this movie. I can now say I was not disappointed at all. Gangs of New York provided me with a greater insight into what actually happened in New York during the Civil War with the draft riots. I was unaware of how high the tensions actually were, and was most surprised when the firefighters even began fighting. The battle between Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio), and Bill Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis) is what made this movie. With Amsterdam seeking revenge on Bill for the death of his father as a child, it really kept me on my toes and rooting for Amsterdam throughout the whole movie. It did not feel like a long, boring three hour movie. An overall great film that I would recommend to anyone!