Gangs of New York

Starring: Henry Thomas, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

RS: 4of 4 Stars

2002 Action

Nominated for ten Oscars and shut out of all of them, this violent epic turns off the pussies who want a gang epic with teacups. But no film lover can ignore this two-disc set. Loaded with bonus features, the DVD is a model of film-to-disc transfer in sound and image.

As Irish rebel Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) vows revenge on New York nativist Bill the Butcher (the astounding Daniel Day-Lewis) for killing his father, director Martin Scorsese probes the dark heart of the immigrant experience during the Civil War era. Despite a weak love story involving a miscast Cameron Diaz, the film laces history with poetic fire. OK, this isn't the apocryphal uncut Gangs that buffs lust for. But with Scorsese providing passionate scene-by-scene commentary, Gangs on DVD qualifies as a master class on filmmaking.

PETER TRAVERS
(July 2, 2003)