In the mid 1800’s the streets of New York were a war torn, crime invested hive. The natives fought against the immigrants, and the criminals and low lives made their living off of everyone. Tamanany Hall and Mayor Tweed were the rulers of the day as they used the crime lords and gangs to keep a hold of their political offices. The worst of the worst was Bill the Butcher who had his hand in almost every single unlawful act happening in the city. When a rival who represented the immigrants challenges him to battle he obliges and kills the leader of the resistance the so named Priest. Priest’s son watches his own father die on the hands of the Butcher and swears revenge but he is first sent to a penal colony for youth where he spends 16 years plotting his revenge. Now 16 years later he is free at last and has returned to New York in the midst of the Civil War that is beginning to tear the city apart with the first ever Draft. Once he arrives in the city he quickly gets himself into the Butcher’s organization where his father’s murderer befriends him. Now he finds himself conflicted as he falls in love with a street hustler who was once a lover of the Butcher also. So he plots his revenge and fights the conflicts of his soul.

This movie is already getting a lot of Oscar buzz but I am confounded on why. The movie is nothing more than one violent and blood-strewn scene after another with nothing to hold them together except their own violence. The plot is almost non existent as the only thread that holds it together is the one and only plot line and that is revenge for Leonardo DiCaprio’s character. They tried to mix in other elements of plot such as the fight between the immigrants and the natives, the draft of the Civil War, and the Mayor Tweeds corruption but these plot lines were underdeveloped and only used as a side not most times as the movie moved from one violent scene after another. Also the gratuitous sex scenes added nothing to the film only contributing to an already decadent film as they served no purpose in the plot or the story. The actors like Day-Lewis and DiCaprio might have saved the movie except the movie never really took time to develop their characters as it was more interested in blood, gore, and sex. They lightly brushed on why the Butcher was the way he was but it was too little to late and still left a ton of unanswered questions. Movies can be filled with violence and battles if the story makes up for it, which this movie didn’t and then most movies will try and mix in a little romance and love to break up the action. This movie is no exception as Leo and Cameron have there own little love fair that is contrived at best. There is no spark between these two characters mostly because the movie did not bother to develop their relationship or their characters to begin with. There are plenty of movie out there that are action packed and full of violence like Lord of the Rings and Braveheart that do not forget to develop their characters and the plot, there is no excuse that Gangs could not have done the same. If you want to see one violent packed scene after another with nothing holding them to together this is the movie for you, otherwise wait for the video and save your money.
1.5 stars out of 5