Gangs of New York (December 20/02)

Well, it's finally here. After numerous delays and many stories about problems on the set, Gangs of New York is finished and ready to be viewed by the general public. The question remains: Is it any good? Absolutely, but it's not quite the masterpiece we've been hoping for.

The film opens in 1846, and a battle between natives (those who were born in America) and immigrants is about to commence. The natives are lead by a fierce man known as Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis), while Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson) heads up the immigrants. The battle is swift but brutal, leaving Vallon dead - and his son, a witness to the event, grows up (and is played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and becomes determined to exact his revenge on Bill.

Though director Martin Scorsese's original cut apparently ran close to four hours (and has since been pared down to 165 minutes), overlength is the primary problem with the film. While the opening and closing fight sequences are fantastic, ranking with some of the best work Scorsese has ever done, the middle two hours isn't quite up to that level. The movie's always entertaining, make no mistake about that, but after such an explosive opening, it's impossible not to become somewhat disappointed by the routine mid-section. The plot, which deals mostly with the politics surrounding the war draft, isn't particularly interesting, and though Scorsese doesn't dwell on it, it does become a pivotal catalyst for the action that dominates the last 30 minutes.

Still, Gangs of New York is easily one of the most ambitious movies to hit movie screens in a good long while, and it's one of those rare big-budget flicks that actually looks as though every penny was spent. Scorsese and his production team have assembled an entire town seemingly from scratch, and it just looks amazing. Right from the first few minutes, it's easy enough to see that a lot of work has gone into creating a wholly unique and visually arresting world that (at times) is far more interesting than the film itself.

And, of course, it's impossible to talk about the film without mentioning Day-Lewis' completely astounding performance. The actor apparently spent a couple of months working as a butcher to prepare and even stayed in character while on the set, and it's clear that his devotion has paid off. His Bill the Butcher is simply one of the most electrifying and mesmerizing characters to hit the big screen all year, and Day-Lewis' performance will certainly be remembered come Oscar time. He's so good that the other actors tend to be forgotten after the film's ended, though DiCaprio does give a performance that proves he's more than just a pretty face.

Gangs of New York will probably hold more interest for viewers interested in American history, but for the rest of us, the film is a diverting enough way to spend close to three hours.