Film 4 is airing one of Martin Scorsese’s most ambitious historical dramas tonight, a film that marked a major turning point in his career and brought together two actors who would go on to define an era of Hollywood.
Set during the years surrounding the Civil War, the drama follows the fierce clashes between rival groups fighting for control of Manhattan’s Five Points neighbourhood. At the centre is a young man trying to navigate a world ruled by longstanding feuds and volatile alliances, where political influence, territorial control and survival are deeply intertwined.
Scorsese spent years researching the period, working from real historical accounts to build a version of New York that reflected the chaotic social landscape of the time.
The film features Leonardo DiCaprio as Amsterdam Vallon and Daniel Day-Lewis as William “Bill the Butcher” Cutting – a role widely regarded as one of Day-Lewis’s most striking.
On Rotten Tomatoes, one reviewer wrote: “Daniel Day-Lewis’s portrayal of Bill Cutting I regard as the best performance by any actor in any movie ever.” Another added that if audiences didn’t recognise what the film achievedas a “masterpiece”, “you shouldn’t be allowed to rate movies.”
The supporting cast was unusually deep for a period drama of the early 2000s, bringing together Cameron Diaz, John C. Reilly, Brendan Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Henry Thomas, and Liam Neeson.
Many of the performances have been reassessed in recent years as viewers discover the film on streaming platforms, with one reviewer noting: “Pairing Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio in a Martin Scorsese film is a promising formula… it’s now a pleasant surprise for viewers just now discovering it.”
When it was released in 2002, the film earned ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Day-Lewis. Although it didn’t win on the night, its nomination tally remains one of the highest for any Scorsese film. It also received nominations from the Golden Globes and BAFTAs.
The plot centres on Amsterdam’s return to the neighbourhood where he grew up, seeking to understand the past that shaped him and the forces that dictate life in the notorious district. The narrative follows the tensions between long-established groups and newly arriving immigrants, culminating in one of the film’s most discussed sequences: the Civil War draft riots. Scorsese worked with historians to integrate real events into the storyline, grounding the drama in what was happening across the wider city.
Day-Lewis’s character is seen now as one of the film’s defining aspects. Reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes continue to highlight his presence, with one comment simply reading: “Never turn your back on a guy with the moniker Butcher. Powerful and gripping cinema.”
Another viewer described the film as “a fantastic historical epic set during a pivotal period for both New York City and America as a whole,” adding that the supporting cast gave depth to characters who appear only briefly.
As one reviewer put it, it’s, for some, “Scorsese’s most quality movie, right next to Goodfellas”.
Gangs of New York airs at 11.05pm on Channel 4 Film, and is also available to stream on Netflix and Apple TV.