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Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York”
unfolds in 1860s lower Manhattan during a period
of great unrest in America. With the Civil War
underway, the country was torn apart and on
the brink of chaos. For the lower-class inhabitants
of New York City, a war was also raging closer
to home.
Their
home was the Five Points, one of the poorest
neighborhoods in America, where rival gangs
fought continuously for control of the streets.
An area of poverty and criminality between New
York harbor, the flourishing Wall Street business
district, and lower Broadway (home to P. T.
Barnum’s famous American museum), it was
a magnet for underworld activity.
In
this time of lawlessness and the rampant political
corruption that filled the halls of city government,
the film follows the story of Amsterdam Vallon
(Leonardo Di Caprio), a young Irish-American
immigrant. Released from prison after fifteen
years, he returns to the Five Points bent on
revenge against William Cutting, a.k.a. Bill
the Butcher (Daniel Day Lewis), the powerful
anti-immigrant gang leader who killed Amsterdam’s
father. Amsterdam knows the first step toward
accomplishing his mission is to infiltrate Bill's
inner circle. However, Amsterdam finds his difficulties
increasing when he meets Jenny Everdeane (Cameron
Diaz), an enigmatic pickpocket whose fierce
independence and undeniable beauty fascinate
him. Yet Jenny has a past too, which unexpectedly
complicates his plan.
Amsterdam's
journey becomes a fight, for both personal survival
and to find a place for his people. The struggle
reaches a fevered crescendo during the 1863
Civil War Draft Riots - the most explosive episode
of urban unrest the American nation had yet
seen.
Directed by
Martin Scorsese
Produced by
Alberto Grimaldi
Co-Producer
Joseph Reidy
Writing credits
Jay Cocks
Steven Zaillian
Kenneth Lonergan
Hossein Amini
Director of Photography
Michael Ballhaus
Production Designer
Dante Ferreti
Costumes
Sandy Powell
Cast
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