A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Gangs of New York

Date Viewed: 1/19/03

Details:

Leonardo DiCaprio

Daniel Day-Lewis

Cameron Diaz

Jim Broadbent

David Hemmings

Liam Neeson

Director: Martin Scorsese

Score: -

The Review: A period piece in the growth and development of New York City; a marginally historical amalgam of the gang wars of immigration between 1846 and the Civil War, and the Draft Riots of 1863.

As the only watchable member of the cast, besides the initial snippet of Liam Neeson, Daniel Day-Lewis carries Gangs of New York by sheer force of character and will. But the direction he carries the movie is appalling. "Fear preserves the order of things," was one of his character, Bill the Butcher's, more philosophical mutterings. To the extent that this defines the philosophy of the movie and its characters, then from that point onward I progressively lost interest. I've encountered and battled too many intellectual bullies in my life to put up with even the screen versions of violent thugs, no matter what stripes. For all the gritty realism and production values, no thanks. I could not, perhaps chose not to, develop any sympathies. When there is clear heroism, it's easy to side against violence in a violent movie that purports to entertain; but when all the sides are bullies or brutal murders with extremist views, this does not convince -- it alienates, and definitely does not entertain. My personal ennui about New York City in general (even after a 3 year residency) was compounded by the movies' various gangs monotonously continuing their depredations on all comers, and I was left, in the end, uncaring and uninterested. In no way was I drawn into the conflict(s), either with partisan sympathy or as an interested observer. The movie is neither compelling nor insinuating. It was like the Arabian story about horse racing: "yes, one of the horses will win; so what?" Yes, one of the gangs will win the battle of the day, or the week, or the war -- but, so what? Find and play again the WW-I song "No Man's Land" (Eric Bogle & June Tabor), and despair.

Howard Shore normally does decent scoring, but the most interesting musical aspect that I remember from Gangs was the closing U2 version of "The Hands that Built America."

Some of the scenes, if accurate, are devastating portrayals of the wrongs of the North in the Civil War -- something not usually discussed above the Mason-Dixon Line. If the newly arrived immigrant Irish were indeed granted citizenship right off the boat, immediately and without choice drafted into the Union Army, and marched back onto ships to the South -- then this is unconscionable misuse of power. So I guess I do have some sympathies, after all.

For me, the most memorable images are the closing decadal time-lapse scenes over the edge of a Brooklyn cemetery. And it leaves me with the worry that the gangs of New York are still there, still bullying everyone in their vicinity, unheeding of the past or their impact on the future.

19-Jan-03

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