Gangs of New York
After 30 years of research and a year's worth of delays, director Martin Scorsese's work finally gets released to theatres and it's a masterpiece. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Amsterdam Vallon, the son of a priest killed by Bill the Butcher, remarkably played by Daniel Day-Lewis, over control of the Five Points, a section of growing New York City, between the Natives and a coalition led by the priest's Dead Rabbits gang. In the wake of his father's death, Amsterdam is sent to a reform school for sixteen years before being let go. Once out, he goes back to his old home of Five Points to see that Bill is still in charge and his father's death celebrated as a local holiday annually. He soon makes it his mission to kill him for revenge. His old childhood friend Johnny works for Bill and Amsterdam uses those ties to get close to bill, even becoming his right-hand man. Along the way, Amsterdam befriends Jenny (Cameron Diaz), a pickpocket and former assistant of Bill's. When Amsterdam's attempt at killing Bill fails, he is cast off and forced to find a new way to accomplish his mission. He resurrects the Dead Rabbits and challenges Bill. He accepts, leading to the final battle, coinciding with the draft riots, a bloody ordeal protesting the Civil War draft.

Scorsese does his best to raise this movie above the level of a simple story of revenge. Not only does he show the ordeal Amsterdam faces, he does it in an environment that is so real and authentic, it's as if we were there. From the snow-covered ground turned crimson red by the bloody battle of the first scene to the horrible riots that swept all across New York, both rich and poor, Scorsese creates a world where nothing is guaranteed and the shocking isn't so surprising.

While Bill Cutting may be the antagonist, he could also be the film's tragic hero. When he bleeds, patriotism bleeds from him as well. He honestly believes what he does is what's best for his people and in the spirit of the United States. His powerful monologue while wrapped in the American flag shows this. It is helped tremendously by the performance of Day-Lewis.

If the film has a flaw, it would be the performance of Diaz, who doesn't seem to be comfortable in the role she's put in. It seems as though she wants to do more in a male-dominated society (and movie for that matter) even though doing so makes her look a tad awkward. Don't get me wrong, her performance is well-done, one of the top female performances of the year, but it doesn't come close to the work put forth by Day-Lewis and DiCaprio. Otherwise, Scorsese puts forth a story that is utterly compelling to watch not only for the tale it spins, but also for its role as the roots for a new nation, as some of the corruption that tore people apart back then seems to still exist in a different form today and as some of society's views have changed to keep up with the times. 3.5 stars