Hey folks, Harry here.... Now we have Hanny writing in on Scorsese's long in the coming GANGS OF NEW YORK! You might remember Hanny from her wonderful accounting of the Lord of the Rings Lincoln Center event all those months ago. How anyone could believe that it would be necessary to have 'plants' on a Scorsese film... well that's ridiculous, the man simply makes some of the rawest most intensely intelligent cinema that we've had over the past 3 decades and heading into a fourth... So enjoy the word that a great Scorsese film is coming this summer. That is something celebrate, not to lament. Here's Hanny...
Hello Harry! I had the privilege of seeing Martin Scorsese's "The Gangs of New York" last night.
The time is 1846 and the place is New York's 5 points.The movie opens up with 'Priest' Vallon (Liam Neeson) carrying a huge Celtic cross leading his gang, The Dead Rabbits, and other immigrant gangs (predominantly Irish) into battle. His young son Amsterdam holds his hand at his side. They march through what looks to be a huge underground basement below a building. Some very cool Celtic music is playing that really gets your blood flowing.
They open a door and enter the snow covered streets of New York. Seconds later Billy "the Butcher" Poole (Daniel Day Lewis) steps out from a nearby building. Then his other fellow gang members, The Natives, follow and confront Vallon and his crew. Words are exchanged between the two gang leaders and the Butcher lets it known that he considers himself a true American unlike the immigrants that come here and ruin his country. They also speak of ancient battle laws that both sides apparently follow.
A shocking violent (but very very cool) battle ensues with people maiming each other with knives, axes, poles and bludgeoning weapons. There is even a lady with metal (or just sharpened) teeth and metal claws that kicks some ass when she fights. There is a broken ankle scene in this battle that will make you twist in shock in your seat. Vallon is killed in the battle and his gang is defeated. The name of the Dead Rabbits is declared illegal to speak by The Butcher.The Butcher will not allow anyone to touch Vallon and showing great respect for him ( ancient battle laws?) he tells his gang, "He shall pass over whole".
Amsterdam escapes and spends 16 years in some kind of boys home. After being released, Amsterdam (now played by Dicaprio) returns to the 5 points with revenge on his mind but ends up being The Butcher's right hand man.
I'm not going to tell you much more than that because everyone deserves to sit in the theatre and watch how this movie unfolds. You will be introduced to the corrupt Mayor Tweed (another fine performance) and the surprisingly great Cameron Diaz as Jen. I'm not the type of guy that likes love stories in violent movies(and yes this movie is VIOLENT) but this one was done well. There is a very interesting triangle between Butcher, Amsterdam, and Jen and you will just have to wait til summer to find out.
I am not a big Dicaprio fan but I think that has more to do with the image he has had over the years than anything. I will finally go on record and say that this guy is one fine actor. I'll proabably take some flak for that from friends but it's the truth. I know quite a few people were wondering if he could pull this off and believe me.........HE DOES. He has some fantastic scenes with Day Lewis and Diaz especially one in a bedroom with The Butcher sitting in a chair bloodied with an American flag wrapped around him. COOL SCENE! You will agree with me hands down once you see it.
Daniel Day Lewis should absolutely get nominated for an Oscar and he will. I'll bet money on that with anyone! This guy was incredible! I went into the movie figuring he was going to play an Irishman but ended up playing an immigrant hater with a NY accent. You don't fuck with this guy in any shape or form. He'll take you apart so fast and systematically with his knife or axe you won''t even know your dead. He is the leader of the 5 points with heavy influence and that is established right off the bat. The movie is just another testament to his fine acting ability like "My Left foot" and "In the Name of the Father" were.
The movie ends with the draft riots and a big big battle that will knock your socks off. The movie was very educational as well as entertaining and more than satisfied me on all levels. I knew nothing of the draft riots and wouldn't even of guessed that there were any during the Civil War. Most people I talked to today about the movie didn't know much about the riots either. It apparently was the biggest riot in the history of the United States and there is not an accurate account of how many died according to the movie. Very interesting indeed!
Also, i am the son of Irish immigrants and it was shocking to see the prejudice showed against the Irish during the 1800's. I knew there was a time in this country that we couldn't use the same bathrooms as others and it was hard for us to get jobs but to actually see it on the big screen hit home.
The music was cool but sounded more like John Carpenter composed it. I know the music wasn't completely finished so it could change dramatically before it is released this summer but i hope they keep that cool Celtic type music that they used when they were marching into battle. The special effects shots were not completely finished either. There was one scene where they were dumping bodies into a pit and you clearly see the blue screen. Another was when they had a boxing match on a floating barge and you could actually see people floating in mid air..hehe. NO doubt that will all be cleared up before this masterpiece hits theatres.
If this is a barometer for movies in 2002 then we are in for a kick ass year.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot this little tidbit. The movie came in at 3 hours long and it was a great 3 hours all the way through.
Hanny
P.S. I read the review by Estranged and I can tell you he is not a studio plant. They showed the movie last night in Ridgefield Park NJ to a capacity crowd. I never waited in line so long to buy a soda.
I love how these talk backers like to throw mud at people that just want to drop the skinny on this movie or any other movie They called me a studio plant when I wrote in to tell about Ripley's game.. One talkbacker commented that Estranged's review was not a review and that Harry shouldn't of posted it. Well we are not professional movie reviewers! We are movie geeks like most people that read this site and we want to get the word out that there is a fantastic movie coming out this year and it's called Gangs of New York.
Like most others in the talkback, i didn't have much hope for Diaz or Dicaprio going into this but you WILL be pleasantly surprised. I love Daniel day Lewis and i will watch anything he is in but the rest of the cast is amazing..Jim Broadbent, Brendon gleeson and John C. Reilly are just a few that you will be impressed with. From top to bottom the acting and story are great.
I also heard the guy next to me complain of the violence in the movie. The sad thing about that was IT WAS A GUY!! Get a grip dude! He said that even though that is how blood shoots out of the body when an artery is cut they shouldn't of showed it.
He should have went to see Snow Dogs next door. Didn't he know who scorsese was? Hllo? He directed some very violent movies in the past!
Anyway, i don't even know if you if your going to post my review of GONY but you can add this if you want.
Hanny
P.S. I was one of the people that got to meet Wood, Bean, and Bloom at lincoln center back in September at the behind the scenes show of LOTR. I wrote in and you posted my review of the night and how I got them to sign my poster.
Take Care
