A masterpiece ( beware, minor spoiler )

Rating: Null/10 (3 October 2003)

Gangs of New York is another masterpiece by director Martin Scorsese. The opening of the movie is as intense as for example the one of Saving Private Ryan. The performances are outstanding, especially the one of Daniel Day Lewis as Bill the Butcher, but I also liked Di Caprio's, Liam Neeson's and Cameron Diaz' roles. Not to speak of the set design and the costumes, which are the best I've seen since Shakespeare in Love. The movie is supported by a great score, especially in the first gangfight scene. It makes it look more brutal than it actually is. And now there's something I've got to critizise. The movie got some very bad ratings in Germany, especially due to its violence. I don't think that the violence level is pushed too far. There is just enough violence as the story needs to be believable and shocking. I think the cutting and pacing doesn't show that much of violence like in Black Hawk Down for example. One thing I didn't like is the Scene where Bill the Butcher "disfigures" Di Caprio's character. I mean one scar more or less, what's the difference, in the end you can hardly see the scar. A little bit more would've been great here, but maybe the studio didn't want Di Caprio running around like the Elephant Man or something like that. But the few weaknesses of the movie can't overrule the great whole it is after all. And the song The Hands that built America is one of the best movie songs in a long time. Definitely a movie you should watch if you haven't yet.