A Modern Classic Gangster Movie Airing Tonight
Our TV movie pick for tonight, 8 November, is Gangs of New York, a period gangster epic directed by Martin Scorsese, known for films like Goodfellas and The Departed.
About the Film
Based on Herbert Asbury's 1927 non-fiction book The Gangs of New York, the 2002 film features a star-studded cast including Oscar-winners Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio, alongside Brendan Gleeson, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Marsan, Jim Broadbent, John C. Reilly, Liam Neeson, and Stephen Graham.
Plot Summary
The story follows Amsterdam Vallon (DiCaprio), an orphaned Irish-American in the 19th century. He returns to the Five Points neighborhood of New York City seeking vengeance against William ‘Bill the Butcher’ Cutting (Day-Lewis), the murderer's father and a fierce anti-immigrant gang leader.
“Vallon knows that revenge can only be attained by infiltrating Cutting’s inner circle,” the plot synopsis explains. “Amsterdam’s journey becomes a fight for personal survival and to find a place for the Irish people in 1860s New York.”
Production Background
Gangs of New York was a long-cherished project for Scorsese but faced many challenges during production, including a prolonged and costly shoot.
There are also reports that producer Harvey Weinstein insisted on cuts to the film, and that an extended version exists, which may better reflect Scorsese’s original vision.
Summary: Scorsese's Gangs of New York remains a landmark historical gangster film combining a powerful revenge story with the struggle for immigrant identity in 19th-century NYC.