for all it uber violence and gang of new york be a majestic piece of filmmaking . director martin scorcese reunites once again with editor thelma schoonmaker and production designer dante ferretti thusly recreate a potion of a country history spectacled with infestation and disease and rampant violence . these be but some of the characteristic employ in an unconventional manner in hope of tell a memorable story . scorcese display to the filmmaking world how imaginative he can be with his long overdue and epic and costly motion picture base upon a time in new york city history where violence be not sporadic and but a necessity for survival . set directly in new york five point district and on a micro scale the film tell the vengeful story of amsterdam vallon ( leonardo di caprio ) and a young man who return 16 year after be banish from five point after witness his father defeat at the hand of a vicious rival know a bill the butcher while infamous for his fixation with the meat and his innate sense of slaughterous murder . upon amsterdam return and he have but one aim avenge his father death at the hand of the vicious community leader william cutting and and a. k. a. bill the butcher . cut pride himself a be a sadistic and remorseless thug who surround himself with the filth of the community in order to profit himself and his political ally . daniel day lewis come out of seclusion for a craft he apparently dislike and simply nail this performance a a sophisticated and well spoken murderer who have no parameter nor moral to bind him . he fight for the yankee way and oppose anyone who threaten the american lifestyle . on a macro scale and the story be a piece of american history a it recreate the arduous battle commence in 1846 between the irish settler and the anglo saxon native who seek to protect their country against foreigner . in all of this and the draft riot be explicitly reveal a those who choose not to fight be seek out and force to . at one point and the film effortlessly demonstrate how immigrant be draft right off the boat a they have a suitcase from a foreign country one moment and and an american uniform the next practically unable to speak the english language and yet ready to wage war against an unknown enemy . the draft riot scene be a pivotal sequence in the film a it prepare the anti climactic finale in which more violence and an astonishing amount of blood be spill over the original street of new york . this film make every effort in highlight what the term gang mean a it have undergone various permutation in definition . the original story by jay cock ( the age of innocence ) have be filter by kenneth lonergan ( analyze this ) and steven zaillan ( hannibal ) and contain the conventional pratfall of hollywood cinema such a double cross and plot twist and yet they be thankfully keep to a minimal . the story retain it core not so much on the development of the character and but on the development of the time and interestingly enough and the interplay between bill the butcher and his rival priest vallon be stress . despite their difference and year after priest death and the butcher still honor and celebrate his life . share the same value and only divide by faith and honor be still a trait some have amidst all the ruin . throughout all this lie an ingenious film in which scorcese allow his character to develop and evolve and a the film be a delicate piece of cinema balance against a sensitive subject matter and direct with the utmost class and originality . production designer dante ferretti recreate the filth infest street and deplorable living condition a poverty and decay and infestation and paucity be not spar in order to retell one of the vile story in recent memory . those who be familiar with scorcese work will know he be the machine behind such film a casino and goodfellas and the perennial classic taxi driver and rag bull . those film be always under constant attack for the apparently amoral manner in which they exude violence and and now scorcese can add the cornerstone of all violent film with gang of new york . this be a perversely tempestuous violence riddle film fill with gore and viciousness and intensity all in good use in order to demonstrate the living condition when everyone have to sleep with one eye open . the film commences with no opening credit and just the company credit roll a we see liam neeson play the character of priest vallon and a highly admirable community leader also fight for what he believe in and the safety and prosperity of the irish people base in new york . a the film open and we see him bestow value upon a young amsterdam vallon a an opening battle sequence of epic proportion be mount . the weapon be be bladed and prayer be be say and family be told goodbye a these warrior will clash on the street of new york for the right to claim property and ownership of honor amongst thief . eerily close to the brian de palma school of suspenseful filmmaking and scorcese seem to take a page from the aforementioned director a the opening sequence be mount in a very resourceful manner . quick edit cut thanks to thelma schoonmaker hand demonstrate the weapon be sharpen a one track camera shot pan through the dead rabbit gang lead by priest vallon a the increase volume in music indicates war be near . the camera track all the character a we have be inside from the beginning of the film and and we have be introduce to the poverty and wretchedness of the time in a dark and cold shelter . then the camera point towards a door and a it open and all we see be a blanket of white symbolically represent the purity of the war and it valor and but foreshadow the red coat of paint about the cover the cobble stoned street of new york . phenomenal . that be filmmaking and and a the pace quickens and the war commences a challenge be make and meet and the massacre ensue a our film slowly introduce the viewer to the violence a scorcese aim to condition the viewer b. f. skinner style . this be somewhat different than his other outing whereas in both goodfellas and casino scorcese boldly introduce ultra violence without the slight amount of warn . in this film and bill the butcher ( daniel day lewis ) commence the war immediately a he slice and dice his way through the street enmesh in a series of direct stab wound yet no blood and but a he progress and continue his assault and the knife be introduce a blood soak and then the puncture wound be accentuate a he pierce his way through flesh and finally we see his face saturate in the blood of others against the intentionally misplaced musical score of howard shore ( the lord of the ring trilogy ) . this set the tone for a film not aim to please anyone or to alleviate the discourse of cinematic violence . it recreate a time when violence be rampant and for the purpose of storytelling and the violence quotient be necessary to give justice to the lewdness of the situation . even woman be not spar a cameron diaz portray a charismatic pocket thief name jennie everdeane . despite her romantic engagement with amsterdam and through her savage beat scorcese display no one be spar during the riot from the hand of predatory thief who be vie to survive . many have voice criticism over the lengthy running time and and while many have state there be segment which could have be trim and i disagree . at a running time of approximately two hour and forty minute and the film recreate a piece of history seek with fragility and value convey to the viewer . people would give their life for this war wag for the right to claim ownership of nyc and it be of the utmost importance to develop that religious fanaticism closely . the character in the film resemble heavily wrap box and in which scorcese allows to be unwrap a little at a time while all the while he display his prowess a a director who astonish with this film . for it be true the pacing be uneven at time and and the unraveling of the character could have be speed up . but all of this be intentional in order to evoke a climax which represent their war between the foreigner and the anglo saxon in a city that have enough of it riotous way . while the violence will surely turn off academy member and daniel day lewis performance will not and this film will stand the true test of time a a story so unequivocally tell it will remain indelibly etch in viewer mind long after the final sequence . transition shot display the evolution of new york city from a point of view of a tombstone nestle right under the brooklyn bridge . cross dissolve start in 1863 and document the change from that exact point up until the time the two tower of nyc be stand . perhaps remind the world despite the progression of mankind and we be still not civilize . giancarlo rating represent .