Gangs of New York

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2002-12-31 10:36am

I just saw it last night and I was pretty ticked at my friend for taking me to see it, I kept trying to talk her into seeing the Two Towers (Third time for me) but she adamantly refused because she has an aversion to LOTR. Well she wanted to see Harry Potter (The pain....) thankfully we came to a compromise and decided to see Gangs of New York.

I sat in that theater, fuming that I was missing out on TTT and that I was about to see Leo DeCrapio and a movie that did not interest me in the slightest (BUT it was not Harry Potter) Within the first 5 minutes of the movie I was enraptured. This was a AWESOME film. The story was amazing and the attention to historical detail was awe inspiring.

I can honestly say that this movie for me was on the par, NOT the same but in the same class as TTT. This was a VERY good movie and if you liek I were holding off on seeing it DON'T. Go see it just for Daniel Day Lewis' performance, his BEST in his career. Go see it for the authenticity, the action, the story of revenge and change.

I can't say enought about this movie because it was such a pleasant surprise.

Last but not least go see it because its NOT Harry Potter.

Malachius · Post by **Malachius** » 2002-12-31 10:45am

This is the first D'caprio movie I have ever liked. I think the problem is not his acting ability, but is the types of movies he is usually in and the image those movies give him.

It was dragged out at time, and was definitely an unusual movie, but I did enjoy it.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2002-12-31 11:02am

Harry Potter's a great film, you barbarian.

Gangs of New York looks alright, but I have to confess to liking Romeo + Juliet and What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2002-12-31 11:15am

innerbrat wrote:Harry Potter's a great film, you barbarian.

Gangs of New York looks alright, but I have to confess to liking Romeo + Juliet and What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Romeo & Juliet was cool because of how they adapted it. It was very creative.

Cal Wright · Post by **Cal Wright** » 2002-12-31 11:55am

I've only seen a few minutes of Romeo + Juliet. It just bothered the piss out of me. As far as Harry Potter, I've seen the first one, and it was great. It was a hell of a lot better than I expected. Hopefully I can catch this one before it leaves theaters as well. I usually take my nephew. I might see if I can make room for Gangs of New York. I think I am going to try and catch the Star Trek film too.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2002-12-31 01:16pm

The last 20 minutes or so of "Romeo + Juliet" totally ruin the rest of the movie. They cut the lines exchanged between Capulet and Montigue, for gods sake! You just don't do that.

Perinquus · Post by **Perinquus** » 2002-12-31 05:02pm

I avoided tht version of Romeo and Juliet because not only was DiCrapio in it, but the movie just grovels so hard for a Generation X audience it's disgusting. I'm sorry, but when I see people dressed in today's attire and then hear Shakespearean English come out of their mouths, it just doesn't work for me.

But I did like Gangs of New York. Day-Lewis' performance was brilliant; if he doesn't get the academy award for this it will be a travesty. My only complaint was they changed history in one significant respect. In the movie they have the Irish gang as a sort of open, "all men are brothers" type of gang (they even have a black member), while Day-Lewis' American born gangsters are basically depicted as a New York based prototype of the KKK and are as venomously racist and anti-Catholic as they can be. As an American of Irish descent, I hate to admit this, but the truth is that in the anti-draft riots of 1863, it was the Irish who went all over Manhattan looting and burning, torching black homes and businesses, and lynching any blacks they could get their hands on (it was the greatest loss of life in Manhattan's history prior to 9/11).

At that time, the Irish were fresh off the boats, poor as dirt, many spoke no English, and they were on the lowest economic rung of the ladder. Blacks were a bit better off economically, and made of many of New York's skilled workers. The Irish mob rioted out of resentment at being drafted to go off and fight (as they saw it) for blacks, and at the fact that rich people could buy their way out of the draft, making it a poor man's burden.

But it's still a really enjoyable film. The one ironic moment at which I had to smile is when Bill the Butcher, Day-Lewis' fanatically Irish-hating character impatiently orders Chinese musicians to stop playing, saying: "Enough a this heathen noise. Let's have some American music!". A white band strikes up a tune right away. The "American music" they start playing is "Garry Owen", an Irish song. Might be a subtle way of Scorsese's commenting that a lot of what foreigner-hating bigots cherish as "American" is in fact, foreign.

Frank_Scenario · Post by **Frank_Scenario** » 2002-12-31 09:01pm

The book, "The Gangs of New York," by Herbert Asbury, details the history of the (wait for it) gangs of New York. Basically, Scorsese took quite a few liberties with the history, so that he could make a good movie.

And he did just that.

Bug-Eyed Earl · Post by **Bug-Eyed Earl** » 2002-12-31 09:25pm

I already made a topic about this, goddammit! I made it opening night. Oh well.

Great movie. There were times when it seemed like Scorsese was making a comic book movie- the chick with the claws, Bill's style of fighting. I loved that touch and of course, there's Daniel Day-Lewis' performance.