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Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Daniel Day Lewis
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Gangs of New York |
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At the beginning, there are two main gangs in New York. One, is the "Natives", who were born there. The other one is the "Irish" gang, who immigrated from Ireland. The Natives want to keep NY for themselves, while the Irish just want to live there in peace. Amsterdam Vallon, an Irish, saw his father die in the gang wars, after which their gang's name could not be said in public again (because of dishonor). However, he wanted revenge, so he, while pretending to work for the Natives and their leader, "Butcher" Cutting, organized a group of Irish and went after the Natives. Along the way, he falls in love with a Native pickpocket/criminal, Jenny. At the end, the two gangs are about to have an epic final battle, when the New York Draft Riots of 1863 erupt, and they battle in the middle of a military riot. Eventually, the Irish win because their leader kills the Natives' leader.
--Eugene Kim, Resident Scholar
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An ongoing battle between White Anglo-Saxon "natives" and Irish immigrants for control of the streets and turf of New York City's infamous Five Points neighborhood plays out across the middle of the 19th century. In an 1846 prologue, William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting slays Irish leader "Priest" Vallon in a street fight witnessed by Vallon's little boy. The lad is sent off to prison for the rest of his youth and returns to the Five Points a young man during the early days of the Civil War. As he earns the trust of his hated enemy and argues and flirts with cutpurse-whore Jennie Everdeane, Amsterdam Vallon acquires the training and the courage to take on Bill the Butcher while the war batters the nation and the draft riots fill the streets of New York with blood in 1863. Martin Scorsese tried to get this film made for nearly a quarter century, and had the massive sets (including a New York harbor) constructed in Rome, before this 2002 film was released. Vivid, violent, overlong and flabby, but often riveting. Day-Lewis makes a magnificent villain, and DiCaprio and Diaz hold their own reasonably well.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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The time is civil war era New York City. "Amsterdam" is trying to get revenge for his father's ("Priest") murder against "Butcher" the head of a rival gang. After growing up in an orphanage/reform school, Amsterdam goes back to his old neighbourhood and works/steals/kills his way up Butcher's gang, is betrayed by one of his own, and is punished publicly. After recouperating, he organizes the Irish community in New York to fight back against his enemy. The movie concludes with a very bloody riot, street battle, and finally a full army assault in the city, that leaves hundreds dead. Very gory and graphic movie for an unknown facet of 19th century New York and the Civil war.
--Robert S., Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Gangs of New York |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 40%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Time/Era of Movie:
- 19th century
Crime & Police Story?
Yes
Criminal enemy is...
- gang conflict
If this is a criminal POV story...
- criminals killing each other
- one man's rise in a criminal organization
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- criminal
Age:
- 20's-30's
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- short/standard wavy (man)
Body type
- average (man)
Unclothed?
- Chest
Events of movie makes character more...
- tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Irish/McCourt
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn curly
Body type
- very skinny (woman)
Unclothed?
- buttocks and chest
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
Eccentric:
Yes
- wild
- eccentric
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 60%
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard wavey
Body type
- muscular (man)
unclothed?
- chest
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Physique
- very athletic
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Water?
Yes
Water:
- warship
City?
Yes
City:
- New York
- Dirty, grimy (like New York)
- dangerous
- rude people
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
- cave
- church/synagogue
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- very gory visuals of deaths and torture
Movie makes you feel...
- depressed/sad
How many deaths in film?
- hundreds
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
- touching of personal anatomy
- licking
- actual description of sex
- seeing nude female butt
- seeing full frontal--women
- sex under blankets
Kind of violence:
- hand to hand
- guns
- knives
- swords
Unusual forms of death
- hanging
- impaled
- decapitated
- perforation--bullets
- perforation--swords/knives
- blunt clubbing (like seals)
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
Lot of special effects?
Yes
Kinds of F/X
- exploding bombs
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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