I Cried?

I have said it before and I will say it again: movies do not make me cry. I can count on one hand the films which have succeeded in finding what little piece of heart I have and tearing it up, specifically It’s a Wonderful Life, The Perfect Storm, Saving Private Ryan, and Milk. I recently had to add one more to The Short List after watching Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York. My advice to you: do not watch this movie after a very long day, especially if you have a reputation to uphold as someone without a soul. While I’m willing to bet that the circumstances under which I watched this film can be held accountable for the one or two tears I shed, the movie would not have gotten to me had it not been so brilliant.

My absolute favorite characteristic of a film is its ability to simply begin. No long, drawn out title sequences during which each and every member of the cast and production team (Thank you so much, Jimmy Johnson the gaffer!) is credited, no explaining, just a beginning. Gangs of New York certainly delivers in that department. Within the first ten minutes of the film, there was absolutely no turning it off. By that time, the major characters were introduced, a battle was fought, and a history lesson had clearly begun.

Based on the true story of the evolution of New York from a ragtag group of gangs to a bustling city, Gangs of New York focuses on a young man named Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) seeking to avenge the death of his father. His killer, Bill “The Butcher” Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis) was based on a real gang leader from the late 1800s, when the movie is set. There are many aspects of this movie which deserve commendation, and the acting is definitely one of them. Daniel Day-Lewis was fascinating to watch. He took a role which easily could have been made into a caricature of a bad guy and added complexity. Whether it was his add-libbed contributions which provided The Butcher with a sense of humor, or his cold, terrifying portrayal of someone with boundless power, Day-Lewis unquestionably gave the performance of the film. Leonardo DiCaprio did not stand out so vividly, if only because Day-Lewis was so fantastic. The only role I thought was terribly miscast was that of Jenny, a pickpocket and love interest, played by Cameron Diaz. This could be a personal issue because I don’t think she’s an amazing actress in the first place, but I would loved to have seen someone with more pizzazz playing the part.

The score, composed of Irish folk songs and classical pieces (mainly “Brooklyn Heights” written by Howard Shore), was chilling. It was a little repetitive, but in a familiar, welcome way. The set, especially for the opening scene, was almost surreal in its simplicity and accuracy. The depiction of what I can only call tenements in wooden scaffolding form was unnerving, to say the least, and in direct contrast with the upscale mansions belonging to the wealthy characters.

My favorite thing about this movie is that a lot of it really happened. The secondary historical plots about the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil War, and the influx of Irish immigrants were a welcome backdrop to the primary story line (which, by the way, is still based on a true story) and helped to keep the time period in perspective. We are taught political correctness in this era, so we shudder to think about some moments of our past. This is a spectacular and shameful moment for us to remember. The scene which made the movie for me is when the Irish immigrants fresh off the boat are issued a passport and a Union Army uniform and loaded onto the ships for the south. As they are walking up the gangway, the camera pans to the right and the audience is shown a coffin being lowered onto the docks next to hundreds of others. It’s poignant, distressing, and wonderfully subtle. Also, watch for the “timeline” scene. You’ll know it when you see it, trust me.

Realistically, I don’t know what got to me. It could have been my long day, and that is probably the story that I am standing by, but even more likely is the possibility that this film was just so good, in both the production and story departments, that I couldn’t help but let loose a few tears. Don’t get used to this.

“But for those of us what lived and died in them furious days, it was like everything we knew was mildly swept away. And no matter what they did to build this city up again... for the rest of time... it would be like no one even knew we was ever here.”

Watch the trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi518717721/