Several decades in the making, Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Herbert Asbury’s 1927 book pulls no punches in its depiction of warring tribes in 19th-century Manhattan. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the ruthless and charismatic Bill the Butcher, leader of the self-described anglophilic “natives” whose prevailing ambition is to eradicate the newer Irish immigrants from the conspicuously fetid, corrupted area called Five Points (now Chinatown). Leonardo DiCaprio plays Amsterdam, the son of Liam Neeson’s “Priest” Vallon, whose grisly death beneath Bill’s blade inspires him to exact protracted revenge. Though filmed spectacularly on Italy’s Cinecitta sound stage (with sets designed by the legendary Dante Ferretti) Gangs of New York stands as one of the most insightful and damning depictions of America ever captured on screen. Goaded on by politicians and profiteers, one wave of settlers turns against the next, fomenting parallel paths of urban development and stunted injustice.
Paired films discount—purchase a ticket for West Side Story alongside Gangs of New York in the same order for a discount: buy both tickets for $20 total for members and $25 total for nonmembers.
