The most interesting failure of 2002.

Rating: 5/10 (21 January 2003)

At times, Martin Scorcese's "Gangs of New York" does a very convincing impersonation of a great film, but make no mistake, this is no masterpiece. Some strong performances (particularly from Daniel Day Lewis), exqusite cinematography and first-rate art direction do their best to compensate for a plodding, overly ambitious train wreck of a screenplay (somewhat surprising considering it comes from A-list writers Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan).
This film has been a dream project for Scorcese since the late '70s, and while all of his technical brilliance is on display, he never really seems to decide what exactly it is he is trying to say. The disjointed and convoluted story never really seems to have a point. And many of the characters, particularly those played by Leonardo Di Caprio, Cameron Diaz and Henry Thomas, are uncompelling. This is not the fault of the actors. The much-maligned Di Caprio is, in fact, a very talented young actor, as we see from his outstanding performance in "Catch Me If You Can" (a film made by Scorcese's only peer, who, unlike Scorcese, is still at the top of his game). It's the fault of the script, which places them in a relentlessly bland and stale revenge plot, and and even more stale romantic triangle. It's also the fault of Scorcese, who doesn't seem to be as interested in the characters as in the overall atmosphere, and in the technical razzle-dazzle of what he's doing with the camera.
"Gangs of New York" has a lot going for it, but in the end, it does not work nearly as well as it should. It has moments of brilliance, but is not a great film.