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Gangs of New York (2002)
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Director Martin Scorsese brought his fascination with the New York underworld back to its bloody, primal roots with this brutal, occasionally muddled but always riveting dream project that centres on Manhattan gang warfare in the 1860s. It begins with a gruesome street battle between the Nativists (gang members of Anglo-Saxon descent) and the Dead Rabbits (more recently arrived Irish-Americans), during which the latter's leader, Priest Vallon (a brief but striking appearance from Liam Neeson), is slaughtered in front of his young son. Sixteen years later, Priest's son, Amsterdam (played by Leonardo DiCaprio in a disappointingly one-note performance), returns to the Five Points district in New York where the Nativists now rule supreme and insinuates himself with the gang in order to avenge his father. However, his evolving relationship with Nativist boss Bill “the Butcher” Cutting (a searing performance from Daniel Day-Lewis) tempers his anger and provides the young man with a dilemma. If the film never marries its complex political intrigue with the more simplistic personal stories — the surrogate father-son set-up between Amsterdam and Bill or Amsterdam's spiky romance with pickpocket Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz) — the epic sweep is breathtaking, the attention to detail intoxicating and Daniel Day-Lewis's turn is unmissable. IF
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| Contains violence, swearing, sex scenes, nudity. |
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Tell us what you think
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Running time
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159min
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Country of origin
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US
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Genre
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Period Crime Drama
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Original language
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English
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Screenplay
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Jay Cocks, Steve Zaillian, Kenneth Lonergan, from the novel by Herbert Asbury
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Theatrical distributor
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Entertainment
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UK cinema certificate
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18
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UK cinema release date
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January 2003
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| awards information |
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Award |
Category |
Name |
Nominee/Winner |
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| Academy 2002 |
Actor in a Leading Role |
Daniel Day-Lewis |
Nominee |
| Academy 2002 |
Best Picture |
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Nominee |
| Academy 2002 |
Directing |
Martin Scorsese |
Nominee |
| Academy 2002 |
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) |
Jay Cocks |
Nominee |
| Academy 2002 |
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) |
Steven Zaillian |
Nominee |
| Academy 2002 |
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) |
Kenneth Lonergan |
Nominee |
| British Academy Film Awards 2002 |
Best Film |
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Nominee |
| British Academy Film Awards 2002 |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role |
Daniel Day-Lewis |
Winner |
| British Academy Film Awards 2002 |
Best Screenplay (Original) |
Jay Cocks |
Nominee |
| British Academy Film Awards 2002 |
Best Screenplay (Original) |
Kenneth Lonergan |
Nominee |
| British Academy Film Awards 2002 |
Best Screenplay (Original) |
Steven Zaillian |
Nominee |
| British Academy Film Awards 2002 |
The David Lean Award for the Best Achievement in Direction |
Martin Scorsese |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2002 |
Best Director Motion Picture |
Martin Scorsese |
Winner |
| Golden Globe 2002 |
Best Motion Picture Drama |
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Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2002 |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama |
Daniel Day-Lewis |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2002 |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Motion Picture |
Cameron Diaz |
Nominee |
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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