IMDb > Gangs of New York (2002)
Gangs of New York
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Gangs of New York (2002) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 166 | slideshow) Videos (see all 12 NEW)
Gangs of New York (2002) -- US Home Video Trailer from Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Gangs of New York (2002) -- In 1863, Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points area of New York City seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher, his father's killer.
Gangs of New York (2002) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
Gangs of New York (2002) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)
Gangs of New York (2002) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   101,428 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Martin Scorsese
Writers (WGA):
Jay Cocks (story)
Jay Cocks (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Gangs of New York on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 December 2002 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | History more
Tagline:
America Was Born In The Streets.
Plot:
In 1863, Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points area of New York City seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher, his father's killer. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 10 Oscars. Another 32 wins & 59 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(140 articles)
Helen Mirren joins Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman in Red
 (From The Geek Files. 6 November 2009, 7:44 PM, PST)

Austin Film Festival 2009 Part One
 (From PasteMagazine. 29 October 2009, 5:08 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Suppressed History Finally Surfaces more (1067 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Банды Нью-Йорка (Russia) [ru]
Gang of New York (Japan: English title) [en]
Gangi Nowego Jorku (Poland) [pl]
Gangs de Nova Iorque (Portugal) [pt]
Gangs of New York (France) [fr]
Gangs of New York (Spain) [es]
Gangs of New York (Finland) [fi]
Gangs of New York (Germany) [de]
Gangs of New York (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Gangues de Nova York (Brazil) [pt]
Gangy New Yorku (Slovakia) [sk]
Gangy New Yorku (Czech Republic) [cs]
Knufiot New York (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Les gangs de New York (Canada: French title) [fr]
New Yorgi jõugud (Estonia) [et]
New York çdeteleri (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
New York bandái (Hungary) [hu]
Oi symmories tis Neas Yorkis (Greece) [el]
Pandillas de Nueva York (Argentina) [es]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for intense strong violence, sexuality/nudity and language.
Runtime:
167 min
Country:
USA | Italy
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
Certification:
USA:R (certificate #39927) | Iceland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Brazil:18 | New Zealand:R16 | India:A | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Israel:PG | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Peru:14 | Philippines:R-18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) (uncut) | Singapore:NC-16 (edited for re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:18 | Greece:K-17
Company:
Miramax Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The original cut of the film ran an hour longer. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When the young Amsterdam throws the knife in the hole, it isn't wrapped. When he returns 16 years later, it is wrapped in old clothes. more
Quotes:
[as the Irish are drafted as they come ashore]
Irish Immigrant: Where we goin'?
Another Immigrant: I heard Tennessee.
Irish Immigrant: Where's that?
Irish Soldier: Do they feed us now?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Happy Birthday, Baby (#3.18)" (2003) more
Soundtrack:
Unconstant Lover more

FAQ

Is "Gangs of New York" based on a novel?
How did the gang get the name "Dead Rabbits"?
Meanings of the 19th century slang words used in "Gangs of New York".
more
117 out of 188 people found the following comment useful.
Suppressed History Finally Surfaces, 2 July 2003
6/10
Author: RHKLWK

I am a Civil War "buff," so I wanted to see this movie the moment I heard it was being made. Yes, the New York Draft Riots did happen, just two weeks AFTER the Northern victory at Gettysburg, demonstrating that the outcome of the War was anything but certain, even after Lee had been forced to retreat to the south bank of the Potomac River. Today, many would find this surprising.

The movie did take some license, however. There was no wholesale firing on civilians by Union soldiers. In fact, reported deaths after three days of rioting were less than one-hundred. Many of the dead were randomly selected blacks, who were hanged and mutilated (which was accurately depicted in the film). Today, many would also find this surprising, because the schools teach that the North was good, and the South was bad. The truth is that blacks were subjected to inhumane treatment everywhere, especially in the Nothern cities.

There was also no firing by offshore naval vessels. That was artistic license. (My source for all of the above is a doctoral dissertation that was published about ten years ago titled "The New York City Draft Riots.")

The movie makes the important point that the North had run out of "home grown" manpower to fight the South. Had it not been for Irish and German volunteers through 1863, and black volunteers in 1864, the North would have sued for peace. The 1864 Democratic Platform promised to bring the War to a swift and speedy conclusion.

Bravo to Scorsese for bringing all of this to light. In the meantime, the movie is about twenty minutes to long. The brothel scenes, the "uptown" scenes, and some of the scenes in the catacombs struck me as slow and superfluous. On the other hand, the street scenes and the scenes of the random gangs (of which I wish there were more) were glorious.

One thing Scorsese left out, however: The mountains of animal and human waste in the streets! Not long after his movie was released, the History Channel produced a documentary on the Five Points area, and it is staggering to consider the tons and tons of animal and human waste piling up in the streets, and the thousands of gallons of urine running in the gutters. There were old photos of waste in the streets stacked six feet high. Needless to say, infant mortality in such a fetid environment was about 50%. Scorsese leaves this out, and there is scarcely a horse in the movie.

Day-Lewis does a superb job with a character that is unevenly developed. He is a homicidal thug in the beginning, a menacing, but somewhat benign, presence in the middle, and a psychotic killer in the end. It isn't really clear why he vacillates the way he does. Bi-polar, I guess. DiCaprio proves he can act, and he exudes a manliness he did not possess in earlier films. Diaz turns in a creditable performance. The cast of thousands adds a nice touch to the film.

I would never say this is a "great" film, but it certainly is worth a look. Kudos to Scorsese for the herculean effort, and a tip of the kepi for the poetic ending, which reminded me of the ending in 1936's "San Francisco."

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (1067 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Gangs of New York (2002)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Where was the Butcher from? Polygraph
'Roman Popery' kongai100
Your favourite fighting/battle scenes of all time Kman2025
Bill the Butcher VS. Begbie from Trainspotting factor1601
The cemetery LilyMae
The Red Stripes unknown_territory
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Departed Novecento The Godfather The Devil's Rejects Wanted
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Crime section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.