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A DVD Review of...
  
Images (C) Miramax Pictures, 2002 |
Genre: Drama
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Liam Neeson, John C. Reilly, Jim Broadbent
Synopsis: 'Gangs of New York' is based on the book of the same name by Herbert Asbury. It is set in 19th century New York and chronicles the city's original gangsters, the Irish and Italian immigrants who began organizing street gangs to fight for control of the city's streets. The movie centers around two gangs, the Dead Rabbits and the Native Americans. At the start of the movie, the Rabbits leader is killed, and the gang destroyed. The head of the Natives makes a deal with corrupt Boss Tweed to provide muscle throughout New York, enforcing the Tweed Law. Years later the son of the dead leader of the Rabbits (played by DiCaprio) matures and attempts to lead a new version of the gang to strength while trying to kill the leader of the Natives..
Film Review: When it comes to music and movies I'm far more loyal to product rather than manufacturer - meaning I don't really have a group of bands or filmmakers I would call my favourite, rather I judge each film production/song on what's been said rather than whose saying it. Kubrick, Spielberg, Coppola, etc. - people have their favourite directors and admittedly each has produced at least one film I personally would call an absolute fave of mine but none of them I feel a particular loyalty to and I rarely wait in eager anticipation to check out what they've done next. Martin Scorsese is one of those kind, a filmmaker with a fiercely loyal audience and a collection of films which have become acclaimed around the world. Right from the start, 'Gangs' has always been under pressure. In many people's minds this was to be Scorsese's magnum opus, the film that would get him recognition both financially and critically to an extent that would rival what "Gladiator" did for Ridley Scott's career. As a result there's a general overall disappointment level from critics who've come out saying the film is good, not great and expressing disappointment.
As someone who went in with zero expectation though I was pleasantly surprised. Granted 'Gangs' is marked by some very visible flaws and choppy editing, but overall its a generally engaging and entertaining crowd pleaser which will satisfy the mainstream public probably a lot more than fans of the director's previous films. This is mostly due to the story which is sadly nothing particularly original - young man grows up with one goal in mind, to take revenge against his father's killer by conning his way into becoming the man's most trusted confidante. Scorsese has focussed a lot of his energy into getting the details and look of the period just right, and like it or not the criticism can't be leveled at the production design which is sucessfully gritty and unique at the same time whilst a combination of massive sets and effective backdrops give the picture a truly large and epic scale which many filmmakers still haven't got a hang of.
Maybe its because there was so much concern over the little things that some of the big things slipped past us such as a compelling narrative. Even at nearly three hours in length, the film feels like its missing very large chunks of footage and backstory so what's left whilst not being the 'Cliff Notes' version, is so rushed in places that many will be confused by what's happening - the intricacies of the various different gangs and the reasoning behind the all out riots towards the end are left unexplored and for the most part unexplained. Other elements seem just badly co-ordinated such as the opening fight which goes from bloodless and rather staged looking at first through to a bloody mess by the end. Even a 'limping victim' scene at the end is quite laughable.
Performances are solid throughout despite some not exactly convincing attempts at Irish accents. Daniel Day-Lewis is the one who easily manages to steal the show as 'Bill The Butcher', an over the top charicature of a gang lord with a look (pants which would make your average golfer scream bad taste) and Brooklyn-accented voice along almost DeNiro lines ("are you talking to me?") that makes you wonder why we never get to see him tie a damsel in distress to some railway tracks. He brings energy and the proper level of malice needed to the role which, whilst not exactly fear inspiring, does have you believing he will follow through on his nasty convictions. Both DiCaprio and Henry Thomas pretty much walk through their roles, and whilst I like Diaz's character she herself is only a serviceable choice for the part. Jim Broadbent and John C. Reilly both delight in their short performances as a corrupt politician and rather sinister cop.
Its a shame really only the colourful characters stick out rather than the somewhat bland heroic leads for they carry a lot of the overly burdened film - which is why Lewis' part though stagey still immediately grabs your attention. DiCaprio can get away with a childish petulance, but the efforts to turn him into an almost political leader towards the end are laughable - much like the inevitable showdown itself, you know its coming but by the time you get there your wondering why. The score includes a banal new U2 song, though that's offset by solid orchestral pieces including the opening scene tune - a creepy march comprised of rumbling drums and an off-key flute. A rougher cut with an extra 30-40 minutes has been floating around apparently and I would very much like to see that restored on the DVD version when it hits stores maybe then we could have a better idea of what Scorsese was trying to say with this flick. He's authentically recreated the time and feel of the period and given us what is on the surface an enjoyable epic, but he never goes into detail as to why this was a story he had to tell.- Garth Franklin
"Gangs of New York"
DVD Details In Brief (Region 1)
Rating: R
Runtime: 167mins
Versions: 16:9 Enhanced Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: 2.35: 1
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 & DTS 5.1
Language & Sub-Titles: English, French
Audio: Commentary by Director Martin Scorsese
Documentaries: Documentary, Four Featurettes
Other: Two Text Essays, Trailers, U2 Music Video
R1 vs. R4: Standard NTSC/PAL Differences. |
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DVD Review: 'Gangs' comes homes on a worthy if slightly quieter than expected two disc edition for the period piece opus. The video transfer is surprising - the colours and blacks are nice and richly textured, and detail level is superbly high. Yet grains and dirt on the print can be seen at odd times, especially in harsh daylight scenes. The audio however has no such minor problems - its use of surround is excellent with a booming range, whilst Howard Shore's score is perfectly balanced. Director Martin Scorsese lends his voice to a commentary track for the near three-hour epic, and whilst fans will love all his insight into the production, others will be letdown. He never touches upon the budget problems, the running overtime, the fights with Harvey Weinstein, the over year long release delay, etc. So much could've been revealed about the behind-the-scenes workings of getting a feature of this size made but it never surfaces.
The extras start off with four featurettes varying between 10-20 minutes each. Two called "Set Design" and "Exploring the Sets of New York" talks with Scorsese and Production Designer Dante Ferretti about the massive sets created at the Italian film studios - the pair not only help impart how big the scale was, but take us on a walking tour of them - during which you can pop-up a 360 degree landscape shot (sadly this trick doesn't work so well). "Costume Design" talk with the red-loving Sandy Powell who speaks about how they tried to be historically accurate and then made minor changes to 'heighten the fantasy' of the film - the best element are some of the pretty cool sketches and photos cut to in this. "The History of the Five Points" looks more at the real life events that inspired the movie and the cast & crew give their opinions on some of the things that happened at the time(ie. who cares) though historical advisor Luc Sante does have a fascinating insight.
"Uncovering the Real Gangs of New York" is an well made half-hour documentary by the Discovery Channel about the real history of the time from the corruption of Boss Tweed to how the riots panned out and compares it with modern day events (eg. Sept 11th) to give the viewer an idea of the scale of what happened, and combines it with real life sketches, photos and so on. As docos go its solid if not particularly memorable. It holds up better than U2's "The Hands That Build America" music video - this almost acoustic version is a crappy song and a weak video combining clips with sepia & grayscale-toned recording studio footage. Capping off the set is the two trailers, a "Five Points Study Guide" which is basically a text screen slang dictionary for about 60 terms from the era (eg. "Queen Dick", Nimenog" & "Groaners"). A sweet set, not overflowing with too much but what's here is well presented.- Garth Franklin
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