Gangs of New York

On a scale from one to awesome: Respectable.

Martin Scorsese directs this oscar-nominated drama that traces the history of the US crime and corruption in New York present in the late nineteenth century through the savage tale of Amsterdam Vallon's (DiCaprio) revenge on "The Butcher" (Day Lewis). After sixteen or so years of festering with anger in a measly Protestant boarding school in New England due to the assassination of his father, Vallon returns to the Five Points district with the sole intent of murdering "The Butcher". The catch of course is that this man is protected by every organization, from nativist groups such as the Know Nothing Party to political organizations such as Tweed's corrupt Democratic Party. Eventually, Vallon does succeed in avenging the death of his father, but not before countless scenes of gory gang violence and riots that seemingly kill everything and everyone in sight (except Vallon and his lover, Jenny of course).

Ultimately, although the synopsis of Gangs of New York I offered above was succinct, the film itself was not. Just over two hours and forty-five minutes were dedicated to a feature film that even I, a mere amateur with a MacBook, could've edited to last a little over two hours. Though I appreciated its historical value, the excessive violence in the movie distracted viewers from an already excessively drawn out plot line. In addition, John C. Reilly, star of Step-Brothers and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, frequently caused me to laugh at his mere appearance on, proof that comedians such as Reilly and Ferrell should not attempt serious roles such as Gangs of New York or Stranger Than Fiction. Perhaps this is the reason why Scorcese failed to notch an Oscar ten times in 2003.