| GANGS OF NEW YORK |
| Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Henry Thomas, Jim Broadbent, Brendan Gleeson, John C. Reilly, Liam Neeson Directed by Martin Scorcese *** out of **** Scorcese�s latest hits South African screens backed with numerous Oscar nominations including best picture, actor and director. Gangs of New York deserves � of those three � one award: Daniel Day-Lewis as best actor in a leading role for his portrayal of William Cutting, aka Bill the Butcher. Of all the film�s possible appeal, in Day-Lewis its triumph lies. In development on and off since the late 1970�s, the film is real work of passion by one of the greatest directors of all time (see Goodfellas, Raging Bull). Sadly, the ambition doesn�t translate into filmic glory despite a huge budget and able cast. Apparently, Miramax head Harvey Weinstein re-edited Scorcese�s original cut so much that the film isn�t what Scorcese intended for audiences. But would a legend like Scorcese allow some studio goff to walk over him? Or did the studio effectively create another film from the dailies other than the director wanted, as has happened so often in the past? The three-hour epic starts off extremely well and then dissipates into a by-the-numbers revenge flick with a political edge. Then again, it�s not what you do but how you do it, and Scorcese does it with great visual virtuosity. The film opens in the late 1800�s. When he is just a little boy, Amsterdam (later played by Leonardo DiCaprio) witnesses the death of his father, �Priest� Vallon (Liam Neeson), the leader of the Dead Rabbits, at the hands of William Cutting. This tragic event takes place during a battle between Irish immigrants and the New York natives who are getting more tired every day or the thousands of foreigners who come to claim their piece of American soil. Sixteen years later, Amsterdam is back in Five Points where the battle took place to avenge his father�s death. Upon his return he meets up with a childhood ally, Johnny (Henry Thomas) and falls in love with a small time thief, Jenny (Cameron Diaz). By now Cutting, or rather Bill the Butcher, has great influence in New York. Politicians get him to do things they cannot get done by law. And no-one dares to confront him overtly since it results, at the very least, in extreme anxiety for the fear of losing your life. Over the three hours of running time, we see New York�s violent growing pains as various cultures are thrown together and clash fiercely. The tale of revenge is supported by the film�s comments on politics, and how it gives life to New York as one of the central characters. Loud applause must go to the set designers and the people who laboured so hard to build New York from the ground up (in Italy, no less). They see to it that the city is as good looking � in the way that a dirty, brutal city can be good looking � as its leading man. To the casting: DiCaprio handles himself well among celebrated veterans (Brendan Gleeson, John C. Reilly, Jim Broadbent) despite not looking a hundred percent right for the part. The same goes for Diaz, who gives her all but looks more at home between Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore than in this film. Daniel Day-Lewis � I am ever so grateful for this actor�s return to the screen. Gone is his disappointment for not being nominated for The Boxer; his Butcher is as memorable a screen villain as they come. Seeing him in action with his sharpened blades in his hands and equally sharp words pouring form his mouth is exhilarating. He takes Method acting to the hilt, never letting his characters slip for a second. Bill is to be feared, respected, and admired at the same time. Gangs of New York is a sprawling film of a great city�s history and the people involved in it. It is not a film that will please all � some may find it too brutal, too jumbled and too long. Still, the film is as epic as they come and those with a taste for bloody fighting with a dash of romance (thankfully not too much) will have a lot to rant over. |
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