Five points, one star.

Rating: Null/10 (3 July 2003)

How is it that, by Hollywood history, Italians come over in 'family' size gangs, and become multimillion dollar celebrities, but the Irish come over by the tens of thousands, form gangs, and live in squalid poverty?
This production is insulting to those Irish, who came here to escape one of the worst famines in world history, and literally built a nation. I refer the reader to Ken Burns PBS mini series "New York", for details.
I know this is suppose to be entertainment, but if that's the case, it's 'poor' entertainment, at best.
If anything good is to be said for this 'entertainment' it's the performance of Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher, and an excellent portrayal of William Marcy Tweed by Jim Broadbent. It is obvious that Broadbent did his homework, and captured the character of that infamous New York "boss", very well.
If you feel compelled to see this, I'd suggest waiting until it comes down from the new release shelve.