Gangs of New York

"America was born in the streets."

2002 2h 48m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 7,448

DramaHistoryCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In early 1860s New York, Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon is released from prison and returns to the Five Points, seeking revenge against his father's killer, William Cutting, a powerful anti-immigrant gang leader. He knows that revenge can only be attained by infiltrating Cutting's inner circle. Vallon's journey becomes a fight for personal survival and to find a place for the Irish people.

“America was born in the streets.”

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Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio
Amsterdam Vallon
Daniel Day-Lewis
Bill 'The Butcher' Cutting
Cameron Diaz
Jenny Everdeane
Jim Broadbent
Boss Tweed
John C. Reilly
Happy Jack
Henry Thomas
Johnny Sirocco
Liam Neeson
'Priest' Vallon
Brendan Gleeson
Walter 'Monk' McGinn

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Steven Zaillian, Kenneth Lonergan, Jay Cocks
Languages: English, Irish, Latin, Mandarin
Countries: United States of America, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 168 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

$100M budget — tentpole studio territory.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 24 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, Irish, Latin, Mandarin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

200+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Martin Scorsese, shot by Michael Ballhaus. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Howard Shore. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Martin Scorsese directs. Michael Ballhaus behind the camera. Howard Shore scores. Thelma Schoonmaker cuts. A long sit — settle in. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America, Italy. Dialogue in English, Irish, Latin, Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 168 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
2$100M budget — tentpole studio territory.
3Released 24 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, Irish, Latin, Mandarin.
5International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Italy.
6200+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
7Directed by Martin Scorsese, shot by Michael Ballhaus. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
8Original score by Howard Shore. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
9Editor Thelma Schoonmaker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
10Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis and Cameron Diaz carry the top of the cast.
11Marketing tagline: "America was born in the streets.".
12IMDB entry: tt0217505 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
13Classified under 18 themes, including "rescue", "immigrant", "ship", "fire".

The technical file

Cinematography: Michael Ballhaus
Original score: Howard Shore
Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker
Production design: Dante Ferretti
Costume design: Sandy Powell
Sound: Tom Fleischman
Stunt coordinator: G.A. Aguilar
Runtime: 168 min · 2h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $100,000,000
Box office: $193,772,504
Return: 194% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Gangs of New York (2002)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Martin Scorsese

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-09-03
★ 7/10
I recall meeting Daniel Day-Lewis some years ago, he had just stepped from his motor bike and proved to be a charming, engaging man extremely far removed from the racist and odious "Bill the Butcher" character he so expertly creates in this hard, gritty and brutal depiction of the almost tribal existences lived by many in 1860s New York. Leonardo di Caprio ("Vallon") arrives in that city's Five Points area determined to avenge the death of his father many years earlier at the hands of this ruthless overlord. Initially ingratiating himself, he soon realises that it's going to take every ounce of his courage and resilience to challenge the status quo, and that some hefty sacrifices are going to have to be made. He is not just struggling against his nemesis, but against prejudice, corruption and a prevailing, endemic, sense of fear. The supporting cast are what really makes this special - Cameron Diaz, again so far removed from her more famous roles, alongside Jim Broadbent as the shrewd, but rather cowardly "Boss Tweed"; Brendan Gleeson and John C. Reilly all contribute to this tautly directed story of lawlessness and loyalty - with a bit of Civil War conscription thrown in to add to the toxicity of it all. The last 20 minutes are really captivating, and Scorsese with some masterful scoring from Howard Shore manages to leave us feeling exhilarated and uncomfortable at the same time!

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