Gangs of New York

The American Civil War is one that is almost always depicted taking place on the battlefields in the South and in rural settings. But Gangs of New York shows, instead a different civil war: one that is fought between the so-called “Natives” and those who immigrated, specifically the Irish. The film is directed by Martin Scorsese, whose love for New York has shined through in many of his films, and Gangs, while brutal, is in many ways a love letter/history lesson that is layered in so many different ways that different people will get different meanings out of it.

The film focuses on the gang wars of mid 1800s, where immigrants are protesting the draft that they cannot afford to escape from and the so-called Natives that the authorities fear too much to enforce the draft towards.  I found it interesting that the irony was set up that many of the immigrants, predominantly Irish, left their home to escape a famine, only to arrive to arguably worse conditions. It is a film that I think raises the question of just what makes a true American, as several different viewpoints are presented, each of which is presented in the most extreme form.

A theme of the film I personally found interesting was the concept that as much as we record our history and as much as we tell stories about it, the horrific, mostly true, events that took place in the film have been more or less forgotten by today’s culture. We remember the civil war and the many who died, but we don’t remember those whose fight was never on the battlefields, but in the streets.

Another theme was the rather common one of honor. There is a scene where, before a gang battle, terms are agreed upon where the only weapon not allowed is the pistol. It’s never directly stated, but very heavily implied that a pistol is a dishonorable weapon in the heat of battle. The film stresses that, although they are at war, there is some loose respect between them, or at the very least their leaders (portrayed by Daniel Day Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio, who are great on screen together).

Scorsese’s flair for excellence in his films shines in what can probably be called his biggest film, if not an epic in of itself.  The opening scene, while brutal, is absolutely breathtaking. The battle sequences are very reminiscent of what he did with Raging Bull in the 80s, but much more refined. It is definitely one of Scorsese’s best, if not his most important film, and should be seen by every serious moviegoer at least once.