Sixteen years later, Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives back at the Five Points and finds the area much different than when he left. Many of his father's former gang members, like Jack Mulraney (John C. Reilly), are now in Cutting's pocket, as are several public officials. Amsterdam is even more outraged to learn that the anniversary of his father's death is now a holiday in the district. In order to get closer to Cutting and kill him, Amsterdam begins working jobs for Cutting as a pickpocket. Cutting is so impressed by the boy that he eventually becomes his mentor. As the two become involved with "Boss" Tweed's political dirty dealings, Amsterdam's loyalties begin to weaken, especially after falling for Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz), who was once Cutting's ward.
Although loosely based on real events, The Gangs of New York takes several liberties with the actual historic context. Several of the events depicted in the movie, including the opening gang fight, "Boss" Tweed's antics and the Draft Riots, are real though the dates are shifted around. In addition, most of the main characters are sketches of real people. However, the story is good enough that none of this will likely bother you unless you're an expert on early New York City history or watch either the "History of the Five Points" or the "Uncovering the Real Gangs of New York" extras before watching the movie.
Although the movie opens with an incredible battle scene, the story starts out a bit slow as it sets up the various political and social factions at play. Once Amsterdam begins working with Cutting, things really pick up. The relationship between the two has a great dynamic. Cutting begins to see Amsterdam as the son he never had while Amsterdam struggles with a growing devotion to Cutting, at one point saving his life. Things become even more complicated as outside forces begin to inject themselves into the mix.
On top of being a great story, The Gangs of New York is also an incredibly visual movie. The costumes, which show off the vast range of social and ethnic groups in New York at the time, are great as are the sets, which were meticulously crafted to match the look of the era. Both aspects are the subject of extra features. The HD transfer makes things look even better.
Although not one of Scorsese's best movies, The Gangs of New York is a great choice and highly recommended.
