Thats the beauty of a Scorsese film.

Rating: 10/10 (11 January 2003)

Of all the films to be released this year, I am hard pressed to find one that had been bad mouthed as much as GONY. That being said, Its very hard for people to look at this from a clean point of view. Going in without expectations, without tainting your mind with the bad press and negative feelings, will yield a truly rewarding cinematic experience.
Those of us who are Scorsese experts, know that most of his movies take time more then anything to find the appropriate response/audience. His work is very dense, and specialized. Marty doesnt make films that cater to the masses. However i think masses of people would appreciate his films if they are given the time and emotional justice.
Simply put, this movie cannot be consumed right away. I have seen it four times, and am still not willing to fully put my stamp on it. I am certain it is in my top ten, but just how certain...i do not know...
Obviously there are weak points, the plot yes. But is that the reason we came to this movie? The films enemies are going to find any excuse they can to whine about the experience...
I think the story works, but i wouldnt go so far as to call it a story based movie. Its a simple matter of compromise. Many plot driven films seem to compromise character and emotional signifigance. Gangs of New York is a movie that should be seen, and seen, and seen...and talked about 5 years from now.
I suppose this is why i find myself going back and watching scorsese's movies the most. Everytime there is some new element at work. Some new piece of emotion, or design that i didnt see before.
That is the beauty of a scorsese film, and hes done some of his best work here.
on a side note. Daniel Day Lewis' Bill the Butcher is one of the three greatest screen performances I have ever seen.
This movie is a winner.