Gangs of New York
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz
Well, I suppose I regain my man points lost yesterday with this beautiful piece of cinema.
I watched this movie to start remedying two of my main regrets. In their entirety, I have only seen one film by Martin Scorsese (the Departed) and one film starring Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood). I'm starting by killing two birds with one stone.
I love history. Though my preference is medieval history (especially subjects on the Crusades and on vikings). I've always been more of a European history man. The American Civil War, though, is the exception. This period in American history really started the transition from a loose quilt of immigrants into a unified nation. From the wild west to a more "civilized", law based society. Just as interesting as the war itself, though, is the American homefront around the war.
This film is a classic revenge tale, with the Civil War serving as a mere background aspect to the main story (much like the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly). This film featured great side performances by some of my favorite great character actors (Brendan Gleeson, John C Reilley, Jim Broadbent, Liam Neeson). Leo did a great job. I grew up knowing this guy as the hunky heartthrob from Titanic. It wasn't until I saw Catch Me If You Can that I started to respect him as a real actor (and he has proven himself many times to me since).
The real star of the flick, though, was Daniel. His performance in There Will Be Blood os one of the best I have ever seen. He's just as strong here as Billy the Butcher. This is the stuff of history. This actor will be remembered long after he dies for his incredible contribution to movies. This role was perfectly executed with malice, humor, saddness, and pride.
Scorsese has created a great film that shows a piece of lost history. It's the perfect combination of the old west, medieval values, and modern warfare. I loved how distinct each gang was and how strong the ethnic heritage was for each group. Very tribal. Overall, a great, brutal film that made me want to go out and buy some history books.
Lesson learned: Never piss off an Irishman.
Man, I love listening to Martin talk about movies. This guy knows his stuff.
No comments:
Post a Comment