After 25 years in the development oven, Martin Scorsese's 19th-century American Epic sure comes out overcooked. But even the blurry focus of its historical sweep can't stop Irish immigrant Amsterdam's (Leonardo DiCaprio) mission of vengeance from swelling into a compelling spectacle of violence and energy. Ultimately, though, you'll watch it for one thing: Daniel Day-Lewis' sky-scraping performance as Bill `The Butcher' Cutting, an unforgettable vision of ham soaked black with blood.
DVD Extras:
Right, straight to the biggie. Scorsese's first Region Two commentary is just what you'd expect - packed, allusive, intelligent. If anything, Marty does too good a job, his jabbering overlapping with much of this double-discer's material. There's hefty historical emphasis here, with two featurettes digging up the story of the real Five Points' gangs. Elsewhere, all the cast do brief talkies in the Making Of, costume, and set-design featurettes but you can't shake the feeling it's all one big history lesson. That said, Scorsese and production designer Dante Ferretti's stroll around their huge recreation of Noo Yawk is impressive stuff. A good effort, then, padded with an A to Z of NY lingo plus U2's music vid.
