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Gangs of New York (2002)
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Movie Review by Ash
October 24th, 2006
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One of the few less-than-5-star Scorsese films
Review originally written 11/3/03
Gangs of New York is a film that is overcome by it's own ambitions. Scorcese definately has a way with actors and setting and getting you to feel like you really understand what it's like to be amidst the lives he is illustrating. However, this film is just too grand and Scorcese tries to have his cake and eat it too. The personal character studies that he is so good at, the revealing of characters souls is overshadowed by this films epic reachings.
It seemed to me that Scorsese wasn't focused on this film, which is ironic considering it is his pet project that he's been developing for years. I think the first half is terrific, but then just looses steam ulimately to conclude with a lackluster ending. Do we really care about Amsterdam after all this? Does it really matter?
If Scorcese was trying to show me what life was like by painting a picture of New York at this time period, I'm impressed. It doesn't need to have stark realism to me. That is not the point of drama. But Scorsese doesn't focus on this they way say Steven Spielberg did with Saving Private Ryan. He in his usual style keeps the camera focused on the characters rather than the events. This takes away from the film's impact as a story about New York.
If Scorcese was trying to show me who these people were that inhabited his world, I'm impressed at that as well. Bill the Butcher may be cartoonish, but it is done just right. I for one am glad that he isn't completely real. Who wants to watch real people? Again, the art of drama gives us larger than life characters. But Scorsese doesn't succeed here like he normally does due to juggling this epic vision at the same time. As wildly entertaining any of the performances are, we don't feel like we really know any of these characters the way we do say Jake La Motta in Raging Bull.
I like Gangs of New York. But I'm not overly impressed by it. I think the screenplay could have used some refinement. I think Scorsese should have picked a path of direction for this film instead of trying to do it all.
For example, take Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans. Mann, like Scorcese is a director who likes to focus on characters and bringing them to life (see The Insider), but unlike Scorcese (in GoNY), he shows an understanding that different types of stories need to be approached in different ways. Mohicans would have been a mess had Mann approached it the way he did The Insider. In Mohicans it's the events and the story itself that is driving; the caracters less so.
Scorsese tackles a completely different film than he's used to, but he doesn't really alter his approach to storytelling. Gangs of New York puts me in awe about this fascinating story about the events in this time period but doesn't let me revell in it because it gets too bogged down in the lives of these characters. But I can't be compelled by the lives of these characters because they are constantly overshadowed by the grand ambitions of this epic storyline. I feel like the film can't make up it's mind what it's about. It's a good film that stutters and fails to be great.
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 | James
Oct 24, 2006 6:11 PM
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| I agree pretty much with this. The ending left me with a very "blah" feeling. Daniel Day-Lewis though, just wow. |
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