Gangs of New York (2002, Martin Scorsese)
I've always been curious about this movie. But it came and went. I nearly forgot about it until There Will Be Blood put a renewed spotlight on Daniel Day Lewis. Many people told me his performance in GONY was better - so I finally caught up with it. As is my normal practice, I've managed to keep almost completely oblivious to what the movie was a about and who was in it. For instance I had no idea Cameron Diaz was in it until she showed up a 1/2 hour in.
Well, I come out rather torn on this one. First off it is a very solid film. Great cinematography, awesome set designs, sprawling battle scenes, pretty engaging story, good characters, and a pretty informative look at mid 1800's New York (assuming there is any truth to how it is characterized). You have to think coming off this film - man what the heck am I complaining about? I'm offended by something? Oh boo hoo me. It also makes you wonder how anyone had any optimism at all for a better life. Another lesson for me as I grow older and start getting pessimistic about our current outlook.
We are left with the usual lessons about the cycle of violence and the short sighted nature of revenge - (and like many movies with lessons about violence, we're subjected to 2 hours of it for our entertainment first!
). It also did a nice job of contexualizing the conflicts of our characters in a nation in civil war, problems of immigration, and racial unrest. There were some interesting Bridge on the River Kwai-esque questions it asked about loyalty and motives
I again have this problem I always find in Scorsese movies: why do I need these constant flashbacks? these random voice overs? The plots kind of ramble forward like a drunk walking home from a bar. Besides Bill the Butcher, the rest of our characters are way too familiar: son bent on revenge, hooker with a heart of gold, irish cop on the take. So not sure where I stand on that - on one hand, that's the story, but on the other hand, why am I interested? It also is a particularly violent film. We are spared from it becoming too Tarantino-esque - there are a few times you are on the edge of your seat expecting the worst and you are releaved that the story goes a different direction.
Despite these complaints. There are a lot of really great moments - the theater scene for one, and when DiCaprio wakes up with DD Lewis at this bedside, another one where Irish enlistees are being loaded in a boat while caskets are being hauled off. It must be said Daniel Day Lewis just commands every scene that he's in and Scorcese does a great job having you really on the edge of your seat every time Bill Cutter interacts with someone - you never know just how it's going to turn out.
Diaz didn't pull me out of the film
that much, but I could help but have my mind drift thinking of a better actress for the role.
But one thing was almost comical. Day-Lewis, DiCaprio and Diaz never had the same accent from scene to scene. At first I thought it was intentional - as people slipped in and out of different environments they spoke to match the time and place. But after a while it just got to be hard to ignore. I was pretty surprised by the sloppiness of this particular aspect of a film where clearly there was so much attention to detail.
Anways: Grade: l
ow B+ is guess. Very high quality film, really educational about a certain time in America, one very memorable character, but all in all one that I'm guessing I'll never choose to revisit.