"for the rest of time...it would be like no one ever knew we were here"

Rating: 8/10 (4 March 2008)

Gangs Of New York remains one of Martin Scorsese's most divisive films, you can search various forums and read countless reviews, and you will find the general debate is if the film is a masterpiece or mess ?. Truth is, in this humble reviewers opinion, is that it's an uneven masterpiece, what isn't in doubt is that Scorsese didn't aim to make friends here, he made a bold as brass historical piece that is the flip side of the sugar coated American dream, the sweet story that is so often the heart beat of many a mainstream picture from Hollywood.
The story is centered around the gangs that battled for supremacy of New York's lower east side in the early 1860s, with the American Natives and the Irish American Foreigners being the principal players, this all plays out to the backdrop of the civil war and the draft riots that would go down as one of the darkest parts in America's history.
The great points are many, the sets and delicious period cinematography are top draw, a true feast on the eyes, a big pat on the back for Michael Ballhaus for the latter, and some of the set pieces here find Scorsese being poignant and on form, and whilst the costumes may raise a smile, the researchers did them proud. The cast of course are trailing in the wake of a devilishly menacing turn from Daniel Day Lewis as chief Nativist Bill "The Butcher" Cutting, its note perfect in both delivery and actions. Leonardo DiCaprio holds up well as Amsterdam Vallon, a boy who became a man very quickly, and in view of D D Lewis's barn storming show, it's with much credit that Leo lays down a marker of better to come in his career.
The rest do good enough without being totally memorable, Cameron Diaz is perhaps a bit too precious for the role of Jenny Everdean, but she's an essential cog in this epic wheel, whilst Brendan Gleeson is grandiosely gruff as Monk McGinn, throw in solid support from Jim Broadbent, John C. Reilly & Liam Neeson and the acting doesn't harm the film. However the film is very much split in two, the first half is grand and has pot boiler written all over it, but come the second half it feels rushed and not fully fleshed out, the ending whilst not bad per se, just leaves you hankering for another 20 minutes to do it justice. Still, it's a fine film that has too many great things for me to ever do it down in rating, so it's a very safe 8/10 for me.......... always.