Gangs of New York (2002) ★★★ 1/2

Flick Pick on FHC 144

From the opening sequences, "Gangs" feels very Scorsese. I'd never seen it before but had been aware of it for quite some time. "The Departed" on the other hand (which came out four years later), is a film that I've seen many times and one that I love. What struck me was the tonal and narrative correlations between both films. Both tell stories of powerful gang leaders and comment on masculinity, honor, greed, and lust and love. Both are based in East Coast American history. Obviously both have DiCaprio as something of a double agent working to infiltrate an enemy faction.

On paper, I should've fallen in love with Gangs of New York almost instantly... but I didn't. I don't even think I really liked it. It was engaging and I was drawn in but I don't think it was the story, per se. Daniel Day-Lewis is fantastic as Bill the Butcher and Leo is incredible, even if his performance does feel like a less-sure-of-himself Bill from "The Departed." What REALLY kept me drawn into this world was the world itself. 1860's New York COMES TO LIFE in this movie. From the costumes to the set design, the Five Points is so tangibly and specifically realized that I could hardly look away. I don't know what possessed me to start this movie at midnight on a Tuesday but "9am Wednesday Me" was none too thrilled that I stayed up until 3:30 watching this epic. 

I'd like to give this a revisit sometime because I don't know that I've gotten this one totally right, but we'll see!

-Max Minardi