Gangs Of New York (DVD 2003)

The film begins in 1846 when "Priest" Vallon (Liam Neeson) leads poor, Irish, immigrant brawlers from the most wretched of New York City's slums into the street confluence known as Five Points to confront a mob of native-born, New York thugs led by Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis). In the resulting spasm of jingoistic violence, Bill kills Vallon while the latter's young son looks on, and the immigrants are soundly defeated. In the blink of a cinematic eye, the young Vallon then spends 16 years in a city orphanage before emerging in 1863 to take the name of "Amsterdam". At this point in history, the U.S. is convulsed by the Civil War, the Irish are still the main immigrant group flooding into NYC, and the Butcher remains the strongman leading the virulently nationalistic (i.e., anti-Catholic and anti-Irish) confederation of urban gangs. Now played by Leonardo DiCaprio, Amsterdam insinuates himself into Bill's service hoping for the opportunity to avenge the death of his father.

DiCaprio is presumably the lead in this visually arresting period piece, but his stiff performance is completely upstaged by Day-Lewis playing the vicious, charismatic, curiously rakish Bill the Butcher, who kills his victims with knives and cleavers. Daniel is the best - and perhaps only - reason to see GANGS OF NEW YORK. Cameron Diaz adds little as Jenny, Bill's moll who catches Amsterdam's eye.