The movie is inaccurate. The reviewer clearly never read the "novel". First, its a resource book, not a novel. There's no story. It's a history book. The reviewer is an idiot. Second, the book spans several decades... Bill the Butcher and the Dead Rabbits never even met. They were different generations. The gangs and people portrayed were taken across several decades and smashed together for a movie.
With regard to the Irish being given citizenship in exchange for service in the Civil War: My great grandfather, immigrant from Ireland in about 1860-61 was told that joining the army would grant him automatic citizenship, or so he said...it’s possible he may have misunderstood, he was an Irish language speaker who may have had shaky English skills. However, he served not only in the Civil War, but remained in the army as his career until he retired. In 1906, the year in which he ultimately died, he investigated his immigration (citizenship) status, discovered that he was, in fact, NOT a citizen. He remedied that situation, being sworn in as a citizen after a long career in the US Army and a relatively) brief period of retirement, during which time he married (an Irish-speaking Irish immigrant) and produced at least ten American-born children.
I loved this movie even with the long running time never a boring scene Gets better every time I watch it. Daniel day Lewis is such a phenomenal and believable actor in this movie.
I remember watching this movie as a child, and thinking how unrealistic and fantastical it all was- dare I say even whimsical! With the top hats and costumes, the gang living in an old mineshaft or cave, Throwing fruits at performers on stage, brawling firefighters, etc, etc. It looked like a world from a fantasy novel. BOY was I surpirsed when I learned that's how people actually lived. Having grown up in the 90's and 2000's it seems so alien!!! Suffice to say, it is now one of my favorite films.
Something else that happens in the movie that he touches base on but doesn't really go into is about Bill being a firefighter, the scene in the movie where two different firefighting outfits are fighting each other while the house burns feet away from them actually did happen all the time back then. In those days the law read like marine salvage laws, whatever the firefighters could salvage from out of a building became theirs, quite often multiple firefighting departments would show up at a fire and start fighting each other over the homes valuables and as a result the house would burn down while they were pounding each other out in the street. Also the richer a resident was the more he'd have to pay the local firefighters to keep them from intentionally lighting their house on fire so they could claim salvage rights over the contents of the house. Nice huh?
If someone had told me this past December 2019, that we'd have a virus epidemic and protests all over the country over the death of one man, plus riots in Portland turning to anarchy, and another in Kenosha Wisconsin ready to become anarchy, I'd of said the same thing.
@@dukecraig2402 That's pretty much the way things work under laissez-faire capitalist regimes -- in the absence of adequate law or governance, life becomes a racket run by gangs led by despotic bosses. It's also pretty much been the story of Western society from ancient Rome forward.
@@PogueMahone1 Oh yea, sure thing, we can credit every bit of progress since Roman times as having come from systems run by totalitarian governments as opposed to capitalist systems, like the very UA-cam that you're on right now. Do you say things just to make it look like you swallowed a dictionary or do you really mean that nonsense? Because if you do I really don't think you've thought things through very well.
Definite fan of the movie. When I found out "The Dead Rabbits" was an actual, historical gang, I became much more intrigued by the story portrayed in the film. Thanks for producing this insightful look into the actual history behind "Gangs of New York."
Their name is the English pronunciation of the actual name of their gang. I heard it once in a documentary, it's pronounced "deed rabeen" or something close to that, it was a term in Irish that meant "large hulking man", it wound up being known as "dead rabbits" because that's what people thought they were saying when they told them the name of their organization.
Every gang actually named in the movie was a real thing back then. And William cutting "bill the butcher" was about as accurately portrayed as possible from what is known.
Most of this story is based on real stuff. There was a “priest” Vallon. Who likely was not an ordained priest, just as it’s inferred that Vallons status in the movie was a bit in limbo. Riots. Race problems. Massive political corruption. Ballot tampering. Starting to sound a lot like 2020. Hell cat Maggie was real, as were quite a few others.
I took a class under Prof. Anbinder (pronounced Anne-bine-der) when I was an undergrad at GWU. He said he had worked as a historical consultant on the film. He said every time he would point out the history of the time, Scorcese would shoot him down saying it has to match the tone of the film or he had had a dream about it. The only suggestion he had that was put in was the different color ballots for different parties used during the election scene.
I did not know that, thank you! More proof that Scorcese knew his 1800's history, and decided that order be damned, he was going to rearrange it however he liked.
@@imgeorge81n Really, dude? Is that supposed to be a dig? You found a nerdy comment under a review of a 3 hour long period movie on a history-focused channel? Well I'll be damned, how is that even possible?
@@HistoryClarified Loved this video, jsut found it again - and watched it again. The main thing that bugged me - other than all of the soldiers wearing forage caps, and wearing them like Shakos - was the buildings. You mention that by then there were 5+ story buildings, important to mention. I've seen pictures of Civil War-era NYC with up to 9 stories, so buildings definitely are too small. Also, a key thing to note is the fashion; as someone very into 19th-Century fashion, they're all dressed very 1840s-1850s. Pictures of the time alone of typical city folk would tell you the fashion, much like most other historical details, is decades behind.
There is a scene in Gangs of New York which amazed me, jaw dropping. From a ship at dock young Irishmen are disembarking, walking down the dock to land. On the dock is a desk with a Union soldier writing down names as a Union officer informs the Irishmen they are recruited into the Union Army. This scene reenacted exactly family lore of my Irish ancestor who arrived in NYC in 1861. He was recruited into the Union Army while disembarking from the ship he took from Ireland. He entered the 8th Connecticut Regiment; fought at Antietam, was wounded when AP Hill made his flanking attack against the Union left saving Lee's army. He settled in DC and for my family the rest is history. Great scene, good movie.
I've got a similar ancestor story except he got sucked into the Civil War when he got off a boat from Germany, promptly got his ass (literally) shot at some battle down in the Carolinas. Of course he survived the war, otherwise I wouldn't be here telling you about him.
He saved (General Robert Edward) Lee's (traitorous) army by flanking the (whole) Union's left....(alone)? Confederate Rambo shit. Nice! Puts Benedict Arnold to shame. What confuses me, though, is how the Union ended up losing the war 🤯 I'm just glad he settled in DC like the conqueror he may or may not have been. Love live the lost cause! 👻 🤣...😐 what?!?!
"Did this really happen?" I asked my mother 18 years ago, when I first saw this movie. She didn't have an answer, but after all this time you've given me one. Thanks!
At the end of the movie, I like how Martin Scorsese do the time-lapse from 1860's to present on the same background scene while U2's soundtrack, "The hands that built america", plays.
@@mookiestewart3776 manual labor you mean? With out yt people nothing would have ever happened. In fact they should demand repetitions for what blk people have done to their creation.
I always loved this movie. One of my ancestors was Isaac Varian the 63rd Mayor of New York from 1839-1841. He was the leader of Tammany Hall from1835 until 1842. He died one year after the draft riots. I really felt this movie portrayed the times and feel of that era. An absolute masterpiece!
@@natalie_watson My father is a historian and a genealogist. I spent most of my childhood being dragged around the country looking for dead relatives. I used to joke that I've met more of my dead relatives than living. Boring as hell when you're a little kid, but I so appreciate it today.
William Poole didn’t die from the leg wound. He was shot in the chest after he fell to the floor. He did survive for 14 days after. Great video, love the history!
Wow.... this was the fastest 20 minutes I’ve ever experienced. This is such a good video. I haven’t ever heard your channel but I’m checking your stuff out now. UA-cam recommendations for the win.
That's a fair way of putting it. Listening to Anbinder's lectures, Scorcese was fully aware of the actual timeline, but knowingly compressed and scrambled events for dramatic effect.
@@HistoryClarified Quite often movie makers have to do that to tell a story that takes place over a period of years inside of the amount of time a movie can run in, no movie executive's want to hear about a 14 hour movie. Besides, movies aren't history lessons they're entertainment, one of the biggest mistakes people make is learning history from movies, if I see something like Lawrence of Arabia and it sparks my interest in something then I'll start researching it, but I never quote verse about something that I learned about in a movie, that's a big mistake.
It's absolutely impossible to be accurate in a Historical movie. There is no way to avoid embellishment of some sort in the many different scenes. Fiction gets mixed with Non Fiction no matter what.
And as a result, it's a great film, I was massively entertained, and sparked my interest in 19th Century American history, starting with Asbury's book. So much better than a more accurate, less entertaining film.
Absolutely Phenomenal take on all this. Without making it a political focus, the potato famine was also coupled with the exportation of food from Ireland at the same time as the potato blight. Any irish (or even scot which experienced much the same treatment during the Highland clearances) would say that the immigration of gaelic populations, was the result of attempted genocide. The word "Famine" has been used to subvert the actual extent of the treatment of irish people, however when you look at that in context with Irish America, it helps to explain why the irish were very much fed-up, why they had to fight for even identity.
Reading about this time, and the choices that English politicians made regarding famine relief is heartbreaking and sobering. At that time, there was also more of a determinist view of Christianity, and many believed that the poor deserved their dire fates.
@@evelynwaugh4053 Absolutely. The very treatment has been coined after the name of the man responsible, Malthusian. After Thomas Malthus, who thought the poor simply the equivalent of rabbits, and that them dying would naturally remedy the imbalance in the economy.
@Anno Domini Well said !! Also explains why Irish parents were willing to sell their kids into "indentured servitude"-- a form of White Slavery. It was a better shot at survival for the next generation, however harsh. Funny how the world acknowledges the 1990s famines in Dafur & Somalia, the deliberate famine in 1930's Ukraine, the Deliberate famine in Cambodia under Pol Pot, yet when it comes to the Irish famine nobody wants to admit British Culpability. "Civilized people" don't do such horrible things
@Tom Sanders It sounds like the state did a shit job since a million people died. They probably could have used some of those exports domestically to save human lives, but that was secondary to business and state interests apparently.
@@evelynwaugh4053 That part about Christianity believing the poor deserved their fates is totally untrue. Since the beginning of Christianity, they have always made a special effort to help the poor. I have no idea where you get such rubbish, except you may have read some of the more atheist style histories, where many untruths are told
Love your stuff dude. You actually brought me into the game because I stumbled on your videos when looking at something I don't even remember. Keep it up my dude!
Because most local US school boards want you to know Jack Shit. US schools exist solely to produce fresh, young cogs and widgets to replace old, damaged, worn-out ones within our overheated capitalist economic machine. To it, we are not people, only interchangeable meat parts.
I think the real question is... why the fuck would they teach this in schools? History is about broad strokes, unless you're actually a historian. Hows that course work gonna go? Revolution, civil war, gangs, reconstruction, world war 1, world war 2... well, the point is "gangs" isn't quite as important as the other things on the list.
@@PogueMahone1 Well the purpose of public schools in general is to teach people how to be productive and improve the society in which they live. The purpose of public schools IS NOT to teach you how to think as an individual or whatever the hell else you think it is. Parents teach their children how to be "happy". Then you can pay to go to college that teaches you what you want to learn. We both kind of said the same thing, but you said it with way more snark than is necessary considering your lack of understanding.
@@cushseth4276 teaching of gangs in a broader sense might actually do some good. It might give people insight on what people generally do when society takes away most of their options. Most people are ignorant to that.
Just found you and this video. Nicely done! Your review does a fantastic job dealing with one of the difficulties of being a historian and reviewing historical fiction (be it movies or novels). I particularly liked your quote "if you can put aside (historical inaccuracies) then this does a great job of capturing the themes of the era if not the actual history itself." This is a perfect way to describe the historian's quandary: enjoying a film or novel but getting slowed down by historical inaccuracies. Ever considered doing a similar review on "Glory"? Enough historical inaccuracies and still a fantastic film. Thanks again. Cheers!
As a Limerick man whose ancestors somehow survived the Great Genocide and avoided a coffin ship (as I'm still here bemoaning the rain); It always annoys me how people whinge about Cameron Diaz and Di Caprio's accents. The characters they play are born and bred in the USA so if they had a distinct dialect from a region of Ireland like I do, it would be strange.Their accents and characters are Irish-American and I've never had a problem with it. There are plenty of authentic Irish accents in the movie as Amsterdam (Leo) alludes to narrating and describing whilst walking through the 5-Points - great scene too
Exactly. Accents in the US were just developing and we would barely recognise them today. First generation Irish-Americans would’ve had a weird mix of their parents accent and whatever the New York accent was at the time.
The thing is, he's not a traditional villain. He has clear convictions and motivations. The viewer might not agree with him politically, but he doesn't do anything really outside the norm of what the protagonists do. By the end, you have sympathy for Bill, culminating in the time lapse showing the march of progress surrounding his grave. It's genius.
@@darrenfreyauthor one of the best parts of the film is the overlayed power structure. Bill is the "villain" as a nativist, compared to the Irish protagonists. The thing is, both are being victimized by the corrupt Tammany Hall system, who are probably the actual villains of the story. Then the godlike power of the Federal government crushes everyone. Faced with that, you end up sympathizing with Bill. He was a creation, not a monster.
Saxon do you mean learning to speak Native Americans' languages and practising their religions? Because the English language and Protestantism certainly isn't indigenous to America now is it?
Excellent video and commentary on one my favourite movies and a time and place period that has begun to fascinate me more and more, away from the 1790-1820 period i've been mostly fixated on. Thank you for creating this excellent video, I can't wait to see what else you come up with!
@@danevertt3210 Mostly the Napoleonic wars, but also the massive political upheavals that were taking place worldwide at the time: the bloody slave rebellions in the Caribbean, the South American colonies breaking away from Spain and Portugal etc.
The firefighter scene is more accurate than many may think. The history of firefighting in that era is absolutely amazing and fascinating. Truly criminal stuff, with the engine companies fighting one another both figuratively and literally
This was just so awesome. I love this movie and it was great to see the historical accuracy depicted on fact rather than opinion. Keep up the good work! I look forward to more of your videos.
One person who's definitely out of time and place is the character called "Monk" who carves notches on his bat for each person he's clobbered with it. He's based on Monk Eastman, the 'Prince of Gangsters', a Jewish gang leader from the lower East Side a generation or two later. By his time, Five Points was full of Italian immigrants and their gangs battled Jewish gangs.
I watched this video because i was curious about the accuracy of this movie. The fact that you're splitting hairs on some of these examples so much makes me respect this movie for being damn close to the mark, as well as a very entertaining, moving period piece.
Thank you for pointing out the Irish-African American relations. Irish in mass supported generally racist Democrats through out the 19th century and were active participants and instigators of the anti-black riots not only in 19th, but in the 20th century also. There's an active myth of "we are Irish - we can't be racist!", which is close to saying "we are German - we can't be nazis!"
Finding out about my countrymens violence against the Africans was very disturbing to me back when this film was made. Then, seeing a fair bit of racism in my own country, Ireland, in the early 2000s as we gained our own African and Eastern European immigrants made me realise that we irish aren't as friendly as some think we are. We're great over here at bigging ourselves up as the underdogs who fought through to win, totally forgetting our part in forging the world through violence along with every other nation. I guess people are just the same across the world.
@@thebonerfromhell hiya, I'm sorry for coming out as a cunt towards the Irish, this "underdog" thing makes me overreact. I think it's the whole human nature to treat someone who's different this way. And it's also our nature to find the ways to connect. So you're absolutely right.
@@YesYouAreAbsolutelyCorrect nah, you're not being a cunt. It's true that the Irish gained whiteness through violent means and there were many Irish who who committed atrocities towards Africans in those days. Which strikes me as odd seeing as we were treated with similar contempt by the English.
As an Irish person I made a point of watching this film although the xenophobia and religious bigotry of Nativists was something I was well aware of beforehand. Some of the things in the film did seem larger than life to me but I was more concerned about the message the film appeared to want to convey. And for me that message was primarily about the destructive nature of prejudice. I think the film also said to Americans that America was not nearly as welcoming to 'the huddled masses' as they sometimes like to believe. The film should have reminded us Irish and our diaspora of the hypocrisy of us whinging about how we have been treated whilst demonstrating Nativist attitudes to immigrants who arrived in places after us.
@Bosco's box strange that because my own brother sneaked into America illegally. Tens of thousands of Irish have sneaked into America and that's why a succession of Irish Governments begged America for them to be given Green Cards and naturalised. And seeing as Irish are massively over represented in the numbers of people who are homeless and in hostels in the UK it might be an idea if you think a bit more carefully the next time you are tempted to bang on about hand outs. If you actually knew what you're trying to slabber about you'd know a substantial number of Irish immigrants to America actually landed in Canada first then made their way to America. And that artificial construct you talk about was forced upon a particularly ancient culture that has been subverted way more than any immigrants in Ireland have managed to do. With the number of Irish people unwilling to learn Irish or participate in any Irish cultural activities we don't actually need foreigners to subvert our culture,we can do that just fine. But feel free to kid on you're Uber Irish as you cheer on English soccer teams,watch English soap operas and obsess about Royal weddings. I work with immigrants and real asylum seekers. Individuals who had muscles in their arms cut by the Iranian Government when being tortured for being pro-democracy. I've met others battered by the Congolese Police for being Trade Union reps. None of them had a pot to piss in. I do however like the comedic value of your far left Marxist histrionics...... exaggeration is always good for a few giggles especially when it involves kidding on that the neo-liberal and centre right politicians who fund NGOs are really Marxists. 👍😂
@@gypsyHAASy Doesn't care what I think but responds twice. Nearly as cringey as telling folk not to comment on something American then slabbering about The North and whatever the fuck ",the other kind of Irish," is.
The Irish gangs were an extention of the Irish of clans. Ireland was a system of warring clans. In the movie, it is shown that only Irish that were from the same county in Ireland were considered kin. The Irish system of clans warfare went back to before the Romans.
This video is sooo good! And it did 1.5 million views! Why have you not done a whole series like this with historical movies?? I would watch them all lol
This remains my favorite Scorsese film. My only real issue with the film is that the editing of certain scenes is spotty, but can be ignored. It’s one of my favorite films of all time.
That scene in this video at 3:38 I think is supposed to be a depiction of a famous photo called Bandits' Roost. The timeline is historically "off" but the sentiment is there. This is right at "Mulberry Bend" on Mulberry Street in NYC. The whole block was eventually razed. There are some ironies about what was built right next to this area but I'll let you read about the history of the Five Points.
Back in my catholic school years in Dublin, our history teacher played this for our class. All my 14 year old eyes saw was the violence, but watching it now I see it for the hugely important story it's trying to tell, that's still relevant today. Amazing film!
A surprisingly rewatchable epic I haven't tired of. The sets and costumes create an otherworldly cinematic immersion 👽🌎 Memorable characters like the chilling, charming Bill The Butcher add significantly to the entertainment value, while historical inaccuracy is reason enough to dig deeper.
The only major inaccuracy is the scene around the church. That is a factual scene but happened in 1836 and was the beginning of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America. The story is good and factual but the sequence of some events is not always accurate.
Good job man. I enjoyed that. Its worth mentioning that these movies are theatrical and not documentaries, there "poetic license" is acceptable to tell a dramatic story.
The scene of firefighters fighting each other and hearing how the municipality operated is interesting. They weren't ran by the city and on their own program
This is what happens if you had privatised fire or police. I’m surprised the film did not show a house and fire and the firefighters saying to the occupants “sorry we won’t do anything as you’re not a subscriber to us”.
paused 42 seconds in... and just gotta say... great video already... loved finding this in my feed.. and hope you bring this movie the credits it deserves... will comment after as well...
@@godofthisshit Cinecittà Studios is indeed on the outskirts of Rome, way out on the Via Tuscolana. I worked as a PA (gopher/interpreter/tech advisor) on this job and, when we had early call time, it took me 15-20 minutes by scooter to get from my neighborhood (near the Acquario Romano by Stazione Termini) out to Cinecitta Studios on the Tuscolana. The big ring road (GRA Grande Raccordo Anulare) is less than 2 miles beyond Cinecittà. So yeah, it’s it is on the outskirts of the city and nowhere near the Coliseum, St. Peter’s, Piazza Navona, etc. 😄😄😄
My favourite scene is the way the Natives melt out of the scenery and when Day Lewis strikes the ground with his stick and each time in zooms in on his eye 😄
Wow I was hooked, this was such a great video very interesting and great explanations between comparisons to fact and fiction, I was definitely entertained and wanted more LOL Thank you for uploading definitely subscribing 6/27/23
Wonderful video!! ..My friend was a NYPD detective for many years. He said by far the most vicious gang was the "Westies". An Irish gang centered in Hell's Kitchen. Jack said that if they got a "Westies" call, the officers would be pretty nervous. lol Makes sense... a long history of grit.
There's plenty of heightened reality in any movie due to dramatic needs and artistic license, but beyond that consideration, "Gangs of New York" is reasonably accurate.
The Draft Riot is one of the saddest points; exploited, impoverished immigrants turned against other exploited people. The Irish had faced oppression, colonisation, several famines and rebellions and during An Gorta Mór forced to emigrate to America where they thought they would get a better life. When they got there they were forced into the army or still lived in poverty. In the five points they mixed with the free African Americans initially relations were good and tap dance was created through mixing of African and Irish music and dance. But then tensions started to rise with more Irish people arriving and with emancipation coming for African American slaves. The press began to print anti black stories and pseudoscientific talks. They’d started to spread that the free slaves would come and take their jobs. This stoked tensions and started to drive the wedge. The Irish had just faced starvation and didn’t want to face it again. When conscription came and black people were exempt because they weren’t considered citizens (3/5ths of a person) and this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. But instead of joining up with their African brothers and sisters and working class solidarity against the upper class oppressors, they took the anti black bate and during the draft riot cruelly lynched and murdered black people. It’s heartbreaking. People who had stood in tears back home in Ireland at the stories of Frederick Douglass about his and black American brothers and sisters treatment in America , here in America they now were lynching them. It’s shameful and in hindsight we can see how it was engineered. I wonder how things would have turned out if they had have stood in solidarity instead of forcing themselves up the ladder by pushing the black Americans off.
You used "consequently" backwards. Life in NY was heavily influenced by gang life, consequently, the movie was too. Not the other way around. It would be impossible for something in the movie to have consequences on the past.
I saw it when it first came out. Being married to a descendant of the Irish who fled because of the Famine I knew some of the errors you pointed out, but not most of them. Great video!
Fascinating! Thanks for the analysis of what I thought was a intriguing, but largely just a "sad" film. This video helps explain it's significance beyond it's spectical. Thank You!
I very much agreed with you there at a point you made at the end where people were accusing it of cherry picking the most explosive of events and you largely dismissed that argument this is a part of American history that rarely gets displayed and as such I don't mind the somewhat broad brush he painted with because he got so much right. If it were another WWII movie or something like that I would want it to be very specific as we already have great movies about it generally and the place to go to mine for interesting content is to get specific at this point. But the relatively unsung part of American history needs more of the poetic truth to give people an idea of the feel before it's important to get into the nitty gritty of the details.
When i was young i looked through a garbage pile and found a book from the 1890s called "Darkness and Daylight or Lights and Shadows of New York Life" originals can be found cheap. It's full of etchings taken from photographs along with writings by a retired chief of police, a woman involved with a Christian charity and a detective. The cultures of gangs, sailors, beggars, pickpockets, opium dens and others are detailed. One of my favorite books ever! In it I found that the Humane Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals preceded and supported Child protection law!
One thing I’ve come to understand about street fights and scuffles is that usually the number of people dead is very low. Watch any clash and you’ll see that most people are sticking to their side and occasionally grappling with an opponent. People don’t just throw themselves into the opps like they do movies. Most fights only a few people are REALLY fighting and everyone is trying to survive. People weren’t just magically suicidal back in the day. My point being that just because “only 8 people died” doesn’t mean it wasn’t a massive fight.
You're right, it would have been more like the kind of situations in the modern era when different protest groups clash. A few people fighting, most holding back. A lot of people getting out of there. More of a riot than an actual battle
Would the Chinese have been able to vote in NYC at this period in time? They show the natives rounding them up to vote but at this period in time wasn't there legislation in place preventing Chinese naturalization or was this too early?
The movie is highly inaccurate. The reviewer is an idiot. The "novel" is a history book. A resource book. None of these gangs or people existed together. Just read the book. Its better... and actually has facts in it.
As with all movies for entertainment it deviates from history but keeps it within arms length for sure. It’s a great film regardless of what any naysayers decide to purport.
I always thought this was Scorsese’s best film since Goodfellas, blown away when I saw it at the cinema, got the feeling the audience did not appreciate it but I sat there in awe! And the ending credits felt like the most stylish thing I’d ever seen.
Fantastic video. Great job pulling in historical quotes and references. Very well done and entertaining!
Thank you. I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for being a Patron!
He should like it. He's on the credits at the end. Fake review.
Brian McCarthy as a patron, he requested that I do this video, so I did. That is one of my patreon tiers.
DRJ Sweetapple 😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩
The movie is inaccurate. The reviewer clearly never read the "novel". First, its a resource book, not a novel. There's no story. It's a history book. The reviewer is an idiot. Second, the book spans several decades... Bill the Butcher and the Dead Rabbits never even met. They were different generations. The gangs and people portrayed were taken across several decades and smashed together for a movie.
With regard to the Irish being given citizenship in exchange for service in the Civil War: My great grandfather, immigrant from Ireland in about 1860-61 was told that joining the army would grant him automatic citizenship, or so he said...it’s possible he may have misunderstood, he was an Irish language speaker who may have had shaky English skills. However, he served not only in the Civil War, but remained in the army as his career until he retired. In 1906, the year in which he ultimately died, he investigated his immigration (citizenship) status, discovered that he was, in fact, NOT a citizen. He remedied that situation, being sworn in as a citizen after a long career in the US Army and a relatively) brief period of retirement, during which time he married (an Irish-speaking Irish immigrant) and produced at least ten American-born children.
Hey, that’s awesome, thank you for the story and, I hope he’s resting proud knowing he’s got his legacy living strong!
Thanks for that I found that interesting.
He had 10 children in the same year he died? What a legend!
Ten? Tf?
10 children were not unusual for that time.
Accurate or not, I love the ending with the time lapse graveyard to the present.
And the music that plays as well.
I still watch this movie every couple months.
Gangs of New York is in my top 3 ALL-TIME favorite movies! It was scripted, and acted amazingly.
it is the best part, coupled with leo’s narration “will they know we were here”...it makes me tear every time i see it
@eric sosa yeah...its funny i cry at movies and music, but not irl
You know what isn’t accurate? Cameron Diaz’s Irish accent.....
HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!! ...lmao....
As a British person I didn’t even know she was attempting one, it’s that bad.
@@him050 looool same
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, that's cultural appropriation for ya
tezzo55 isn’t oi vey a Jewish thing anyway? 😂
I loved this movie even with the long running time never a boring scene
Gets better every time I watch it. Daniel day Lewis is such a phenomenal and believable actor in this movie.
I already wore out one dvd.. I was told that was not possible, but it is..
It's a great movie, no doubt.
Where do they find you people? I don’t think I ever want to see it again it was so meh and everything was predictable.
@D Legionnaire took your advice. What a shit movie……..
@@verycoolguy5947 if you are talking about the mercenary, you are F’ING spot on……..garbage
I can’t get over Daniel Day’s insanely amazing performance!! His character is one of my all time favs. He’s also one of the greatest actors ever
He should have gotten the Oscar for best actor here, not Adrian Brody
@@paulden3158 For sure!!!!
He is a great actor. Daniel Plainview was another character he played perfectly.
@@unrealuknow864 He definitely drink Adrien Brody's milkshake. He drink it up! FSSSTTT!!!! DRRRRAAAAIIIINAGE!!!!
@@scipioafricanus5871 dang, not I’m going to be saying that all day……… “DRAINAGE “
So are you telling me people rioted and fought before 2020? Get out of town.
Over racial issues, no less.
About once every couple generations
It's almost like the USA was built on racism
Lmao.
We just kill more people during today's riots.
I remember watching this movie as a child, and thinking how unrealistic and fantastical it all was- dare I say even whimsical! With the top hats and costumes, the gang living in an old mineshaft or cave, Throwing fruits at performers on stage, brawling firefighters, etc, etc. It looked like a world from a fantasy novel. BOY was I surpirsed when I learned that's how people actually lived. Having grown up in the 90's and 2000's it seems so alien!!! Suffice to say, it is now one of my favorite films.
Something else that happens in the movie that he touches base on but doesn't really go into is about Bill being a firefighter, the scene in the movie where two different firefighting outfits are fighting each other while the house burns feet away from them actually did happen all the time back then.
In those days the law read like marine salvage laws, whatever the firefighters could salvage from out of a building became theirs, quite often multiple firefighting departments would show up at a fire and start fighting each other over the homes valuables and as a result the house would burn down while they were pounding each other out in the street.
Also the richer a resident was the more he'd have to pay the local firefighters to keep them from intentionally lighting their house on fire so they could claim salvage rights over the contents of the house.
Nice huh?
@@dukecraig2402 Yay, capitalism!
If someone had told me this past December 2019, that we'd have a virus epidemic and protests all over the country over the death of one man, plus riots in Portland turning to anarchy, and another in Kenosha Wisconsin ready to become anarchy, I'd of said the same thing.
@@dukecraig2402 That's pretty much the way things work under laissez-faire capitalist regimes -- in the absence of adequate law or governance, life becomes a racket run by gangs led by despotic bosses.
It's also pretty much been the story of Western society from ancient Rome forward.
@@PogueMahone1
Oh yea, sure thing, we can credit every bit of progress since Roman times as having come from systems run by totalitarian governments as opposed to capitalist systems, like the very UA-cam that you're on right now.
Do you say things just to make it look like you swallowed a dictionary or do you really mean that nonsense? Because if you do I really don't think you've thought things through very well.
Definite fan of the movie. When I found out "The Dead Rabbits" was an actual, historical gang, I became much more intrigued by the story portrayed in the film. Thanks for producing this insightful look into the actual history behind "Gangs of New York."
Their name is the English pronunciation of the actual name of their gang.
I heard it once in a documentary, it's pronounced "deed rabeen" or something close to that, it was a term in Irish that meant "large hulking man", it wound up being known as "dead rabbits" because that's what people thought they were saying when they told them the name of their organization.
@@dukecraig2402 awesome. Thanks for the additional info.
dude. you should really dig the book. Book is quite decent. Not sure to the day on how accurate it is but it's a really interesting read
I think several of the gangs in the movie were real gangs of that area back then.
Every gang actually named in the movie was a real thing back then. And William cutting "bill the butcher" was about as accurately portrayed as possible from what is known.
So we just gonna ignore the fact there actually was a cat woman...Hell Cat Maggie. That shits crazy.
Yeah can't see anyone talk about her
Most of this story is based on real stuff. There was a “priest” Vallon. Who likely was not an ordained priest, just as it’s inferred that Vallons status in the movie was a bit in limbo.
Riots. Race problems. Massive political corruption.
Ballot tampering.
Starting to sound a lot like 2020.
Hell cat Maggie was real, as were quite a few others.
C'mon man!! Every city has at least one Hellcat Mary....theres one begging in Leeds city, UK right now!!,😂
Irish women are nuts.
@@cocksure8430 Same Francisco, LA, and Portland have them on damn near everyone street corner.
I took a class under Prof. Anbinder (pronounced Anne-bine-der) when I was an undergrad at GWU. He said he had worked as a historical consultant on the film. He said every time he would point out the history of the time, Scorcese would shoot him down saying it has to match the tone of the film or he had had a dream about it. The only suggestion he had that was put in was the different color ballots for different parties used during the election scene.
Thanks for the pronunciation guide since I cite him a lot! Yeah, for anyone who hasn’t listened to his interviews or lectures, I highly recommend it!
In the opening scene Priest Valon teaches Amsterdam the St. Michael prayer, however that prayer wasnt composed until the 1870s by Pope Leo XIII.
I did not know that, thank you! More proof that Scorcese knew his 1800's history, and decided that order be damned, he was going to rearrange it however he liked.
If Scorsese said that Priest Valon recited the St Michael's Prayer in 1848 then by God he did
Nerd
@@imgeorge81n Really, dude? Is that supposed to be a dig? You found a nerdy comment under a review of a 3 hour long period movie on a history-focused channel? Well I'll be damned, how is that even possible?
@@TheHalflingLad nerds, both of you 🤓 🤓
This recommendation was spot on; stopped watching, watched the movie, enjoyed it, and came back to the video. Great job!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
@@HistoryClarified Loved this video, jsut found it again - and watched it again. The main thing that bugged me - other than all of the soldiers wearing forage caps, and wearing them like Shakos - was the buildings. You mention that by then there were 5+ story buildings, important to mention. I've seen pictures of Civil War-era NYC with up to 9 stories, so buildings definitely are too small. Also, a key thing to note is the fashion; as someone very into 19th-Century fashion, they're all dressed very 1840s-1850s. Pictures of the time alone of typical city folk would tell you the fashion, much like most other historical details, is decades behind.
There is a scene in Gangs of New York which amazed me, jaw dropping.
From a ship at dock young Irishmen are disembarking, walking down the dock to land. On the dock is a desk with a Union soldier writing down names as a Union officer informs the Irishmen they are recruited into the Union Army.
This scene reenacted exactly family lore of my Irish ancestor who arrived in NYC in 1861. He was recruited into the Union Army while disembarking from the ship he took from Ireland. He entered the 8th Connecticut Regiment; fought at Antietam, was wounded when AP Hill made his flanking attack against the Union left saving Lee's army. He settled in DC and for my family the rest is history.
Great scene, good movie.
Ked to the conscription riots
I've got a similar ancestor story except he got sucked into the Civil War when he got off a boat from Germany, promptly got his ass (literally) shot at some battle down in the Carolinas.
Of course he survived the war, otherwise I wouldn't be here telling you about him.
Great fanily history story
Lovely
He saved (General Robert Edward) Lee's (traitorous) army by flanking the (whole) Union's left....(alone)? Confederate Rambo shit. Nice! Puts Benedict Arnold to shame. What confuses me, though, is how the Union ended up losing the war 🤯
I'm just glad he settled in DC like the conqueror he may or may not have been. Love live the lost cause! 👻
🤣...😐 what?!?!
Cool video. 10/10.
- Great breakdown of even some of the minor parts of the movie
- Great graphical cutscenes etc.
- Great audio. (not monotonous).
Great points! Agreed!
"Did this really happen?" I asked my mother 18 years ago, when I first saw this movie. She didn't have an answer, but after all this time you've given me one. Thanks!
Good choice - hit every notable entry that History Buffs hasn't covered. Was shocked that they haven't covered this one.
It was based on historical figures and events even Priest Fallon was based on a real person
@@michaelmckinnon1591 If you watched the film you'd know that's not true. They're loosely based on historical people, some of them.
@@michaelmckinnon1591it’s “vallon”
At the end of the movie, I like how Martin Scorsese do the time-lapse from 1860's to present on the same background scene while U2's soundtrack, "The hands that built america", plays.
The hands that built America you say? Couldn't grow a damn spud though!
So black people????
@@mookiestewart3776 lmao!!!!!!!!
@@mookiestewart3776 manual labor you mean? With out yt people nothing would have ever happened. In fact they should demand repetitions for what blk people have done to their creation.
@@deadlyoneablebased
I always loved this movie. One of my ancestors was Isaac Varian the 63rd Mayor of New York from 1839-1841. He was the leader of Tammany Hall from1835 until 1842. He died one year after the draft riots. I really felt this movie portrayed the times and feel of that era. An absolute masterpiece!
That's cool as hell. How did u find out that info??
@@natalie_watson My father is a historian and a genealogist. I spent most of my childhood being dragged around the country looking for dead relatives. I used to joke that I've met more of my dead relatives than living. Boring as hell when you're a little kid, but I so appreciate it today.
William Poole didn’t die from the leg wound. He was shot in the chest after he fell to the floor. He did survive for 14 days after. Great video, love the history!
Wow.... this was the fastest 20 minutes I’ve ever experienced. This is such a good video. I haven’t ever heard your channel but I’m checking your stuff out now.
UA-cam recommendations for the win.
its authentic not accurate
That's a fair way of putting it. Listening to Anbinder's lectures, Scorcese was fully aware of the actual timeline, but knowingly compressed and scrambled events for dramatic effect.
Yea, maybe went for immersion over historical accuracy.
@@HistoryClarified
Quite often movie makers have to do that to tell a story that takes place over a period of years inside of the amount of time a movie can run in, no movie executive's want to hear about a 14 hour movie.
Besides, movies aren't history lessons they're entertainment, one of the biggest mistakes people make is learning history from movies, if I see something like Lawrence of Arabia and it sparks my interest in something then I'll start researching it, but I never quote verse about something that I learned about in a movie, that's a big mistake.
It's absolutely impossible to be accurate in a Historical movie. There is no way to avoid embellishment of some sort in the many different scenes.
Fiction gets mixed with Non Fiction no matter what.
And as a result, it's a great film, I was massively entertained, and sparked my interest in 19th Century American history, starting with Asbury's book. So much better than a more accurate, less entertaining film.
Absolutely Phenomenal take on all this.
Without making it a political focus, the potato famine was also coupled with the exportation of food from Ireland at the same time as the potato blight. Any irish (or even scot which experienced much the same treatment during the Highland clearances) would say that the immigration of gaelic populations, was the result of attempted genocide.
The word "Famine" has been used to subvert the actual extent of the treatment of irish people, however when you look at that in context with Irish America, it helps to explain why the irish were very much fed-up, why they had to fight for even identity.
Reading about this time, and the choices that English politicians made regarding famine relief is heartbreaking and sobering. At that time, there was also more of a determinist view of Christianity, and many believed that the poor deserved their dire fates.
@@evelynwaugh4053 Absolutely. The very treatment has been coined after the name of the man responsible, Malthusian. After Thomas Malthus, who thought the poor simply the equivalent of rabbits, and that them dying would naturally remedy the imbalance in the economy.
@Anno Domini Well said !!
Also explains why Irish parents were willing to sell their kids into "indentured servitude"-- a form of White Slavery. It was a better shot at survival for the next generation, however harsh. Funny how the world acknowledges the 1990s famines in Dafur & Somalia, the deliberate famine in 1930's Ukraine, the Deliberate famine in Cambodia under Pol Pot, yet when it comes to the Irish famine nobody wants to admit British Culpability. "Civilized people" don't do such horrible things
@Tom Sanders It sounds like the state did a shit job since a million people died. They probably could have used some of those exports domestically to save human lives, but that was secondary to business and state interests apparently.
@@evelynwaugh4053 That part about Christianity believing the poor deserved their fates is totally untrue. Since the beginning of Christianity, they have always made a special effort to help the poor. I have no idea where you get such rubbish, except you may have read some of the more atheist style histories, where many untruths are told
This was a great video and so interesting! I’m glad I found you. Can’t wait to watch more!
Love your stuff dude. You actually brought me into the game because I stumbled on your videos when looking at something I don't even remember.
Keep it up my dude!
So why isn't this stuff taught in schools? Why do I have learn about it randomly on UA-cam? Amazing stuff.
Because most local US school boards want you to know Jack Shit.
US schools exist solely to produce fresh, young cogs and widgets to replace old, damaged, worn-out ones within our overheated capitalist economic machine.
To it, we are not people, only interchangeable meat parts.
Because schools don't have the years to teach every thing in the world. It's up to the individual, if curious, to learn more throughout life.
I think the real question is... why the fuck would they teach this in schools? History is about broad strokes, unless you're actually a historian. Hows that course work gonna go? Revolution, civil war, gangs, reconstruction, world war 1, world war 2... well, the point is "gangs" isn't quite as important as the other things on the list.
@@PogueMahone1 Well the purpose of public schools in general is to teach people how to be productive and improve the society in which they live. The purpose of public schools IS NOT to teach you how to think as an individual or whatever the hell else you think it is. Parents teach their children how to be "happy". Then you can pay to go to college that teaches you what you want to learn.
We both kind of said the same thing, but you said it with way more snark than is necessary considering your lack of understanding.
@@cushseth4276 teaching of gangs in a broader sense might actually do some good. It might give people insight on what people generally do when society takes away most of their options. Most people are ignorant to that.
Just found you and this video. Nicely done! Your review does a fantastic job dealing with one of the difficulties of being a historian and reviewing historical fiction (be it movies or novels). I particularly liked your quote "if you can put aside (historical inaccuracies) then this does a great job of capturing the themes of the era if not the actual history itself." This is a perfect way to describe the historian's quandary: enjoying a film or novel but getting slowed down by historical inaccuracies. Ever considered doing a similar review on "Glory"? Enough historical inaccuracies and still a fantastic film.
Thanks again. Cheers!
As a Limerick man whose ancestors somehow survived the Great Genocide and avoided a coffin ship (as I'm still here bemoaning the rain); It always annoys me how people whinge about Cameron Diaz and Di Caprio's accents.
The characters they play are born and bred in the USA so if they had a distinct dialect from a region of Ireland like I do, it would be strange.Their accents and characters are Irish-American and I've never had a problem with it.
There are plenty of authentic Irish accents in the movie as Amsterdam (Leo) alludes to narrating and describing whilst walking through the 5-Points - great scene too
Exactly. Accents in the US were just developing and we would barely recognise them today. First generation Irish-Americans would’ve had a weird mix of their parents accent and whatever the New York accent was at the time.
"Thank God, I die a true American." Villain or not, that line was beautiful!
The thing is, he's not a traditional villain. He has clear convictions and motivations. The viewer might not agree with him politically, but he doesn't do anything really outside the norm of what the protagonists do. By the end, you have sympathy for Bill, culminating in the time lapse showing the march of progress surrounding his grave.
It's genius.
@@SAVikingSA that was very well said! Thank you.
@@darrenfreyauthor one of the best parts of the film is the overlayed power structure. Bill is the "villain" as a nativist, compared to the Irish protagonists. The thing is, both are being victimized by the corrupt Tammany Hall system, who are probably the actual villains of the story. Then the godlike power of the Federal government crushes everyone.
Faced with that, you end up sympathizing with Bill. He was a creation, not a monster.
what does a "villain" have to do with how beautiful a line is lol
@@SAVikingSA ...I had the opposite problem. By the time the movie was over, my sympathy had dried up for *_everyone_* involved.
Interesting that the Protestants and the Catholics brought their centuries old feud with them to mid 1800's New York.
Sometimes I think the Irish dont like being kicked around.
@@julianshepherd2038 do you blame them?
Common occurance tbh.
@@julianshepherd2038 If that's true then they should've respected the customs and culture of their new home.
Saxon do you mean learning to speak Native Americans' languages and practising their religions? Because the English language and Protestantism certainly isn't indigenous to America now is it?
Excellent video and commentary on one my favourite movies and a time and place period that has begun to fascinate me more and more, away from the 1790-1820 period i've been mostly fixated on. Thank you for creating this excellent video, I can't wait to see what else you come up with!
Why are you fixated on 1790-1820??
@@danevertt3210 Mostly the Napoleonic wars, but also the massive political upheavals that were taking place worldwide at the time: the bloody slave rebellions in the Caribbean, the South American colonies breaking away from Spain and Portugal etc.
@@exidy-yt yea I figured it would be napoleon heavy. I don’t blame you sir
I’m pretty impressed with your video. You definitely deserve more views and recognition
Thank you. That’s kind of you to say.
What about the scene at end from the graveyard overlooking the town. Where might that have been if there was such a spot?
John Morrissey also held a seat in the house of representative. It is good to know that murders where also politicians, some things never change.
Wow! I thought almost everything was made up for this movie, I guess not! Good video!
Usually when a movie is based on a nonfiction book, it's not all made up
It was.
Especially the flying Irish ninja catwoman in the opening streetfight. Apparently she actually existed.
I thought Lord of the Rings was made up but then I found out that “men” were a thing
The firefighter scene is more accurate than many may think. The history of firefighting in that era is absolutely amazing and fascinating. Truly criminal stuff, with the engine companies fighting one another both figuratively and literally
This was once the only movie TNT owned.
I did not know that. Kewl share
This and A Christmas Story.
@@dukecraig2402 oh God. Don't remind me.
@@inthedeadhours
TNT will remind us of that every year.
@@dukecraig2402 this is my hell.
Beautiful essay. Thank you so much. Best and happy holidays.
This was just so awesome. I love this movie and it was great to see the historical accuracy depicted on fact rather than opinion. Keep up the good work! I look forward to more of your videos.
The gang members were much better dressed and more politically aware back then...
There was no real indoor plumbing .....they stank lol
@@mookiestewart3776 the poor ones, yeah because soap was expensive
Ya no. Italian american mafia in New York during the 60's-80's were way more politically aware
They were still ruthless bastards, who gives a fuck what they wore.
@@Xpwnxage you seem angry…
Really good movie. Its just a seemingly perfect fit for describing the way the standards of life were in such times. Brutal and unforgiving.
Very well done. My father kept the original printing in the library, and I read it as a teen. After she film, I read it a second time as well.
One person who's definitely out of time and place is the character called "Monk" who carves notches on his bat for each person he's clobbered with it. He's based on Monk Eastman, the 'Prince of Gangsters', a Jewish gang leader from the lower East Side a generation or two later. By his time, Five Points was full of Italian immigrants and their gangs battled Jewish gangs.
I watched this video because i was curious about the accuracy of this movie. The fact that you're splitting hairs on some of these examples so much makes me respect this movie for being damn close to the mark, as well as a very entertaining, moving period piece.
Thank you for pointing out the Irish-African American relations. Irish in mass supported generally racist Democrats through out the 19th century and were active participants and instigators of the anti-black riots not only in 19th, but in the 20th century also. There's an active myth of "we are Irish - we can't be racist!", which is close to saying "we are German - we can't be nazis!"
Calling an entire people and country racist.... 😎😎😎 class act
@@fearmorpiercemacmaghnais7186 I never did that.
Finding out about my countrymens violence against the Africans was very disturbing to me back when this film was made. Then, seeing a fair bit of racism in my own country, Ireland, in the early 2000s as we gained our own African and Eastern European immigrants made me realise that we irish aren't as friendly as some think we are. We're great over here at bigging ourselves up as the underdogs who fought through to win, totally forgetting our part in forging the world through violence along with every other nation. I guess people are just the same across the world.
@@thebonerfromhell hiya, I'm sorry for coming out as a cunt towards the Irish, this "underdog" thing makes me overreact. I think it's the whole human nature to treat someone who's different this way. And it's also our nature to find the ways to connect. So you're absolutely right.
@@YesYouAreAbsolutelyCorrect nah, you're not being a cunt. It's true that the Irish gained whiteness through violent means and there were many Irish who who committed atrocities towards Africans in those days. Which strikes me as odd seeing as we were treated with similar contempt by the English.
This is super interesting. Thanks for making such a great video on one of my favourite films!
Glad you enjoyed it!
As an Irish person I made a point of watching this film although the xenophobia and religious bigotry of Nativists was something I was well aware of beforehand.
Some of the things in the film did seem larger than life to me but I was more concerned about the message the film appeared to want to convey. And for me that message was primarily about the destructive nature of prejudice.
I think the film also said to Americans that America was not nearly as welcoming to 'the huddled masses' as they sometimes like to believe. The film should have reminded us Irish and our diaspora of the hypocrisy of us whinging about how we have been treated whilst demonstrating Nativist attitudes to immigrants who arrived in places after us.
@@gypsyHAASy my first words were ",as an Irish person." I never mentioned being American.
@Bosco's box strange that because my own brother sneaked into America illegally. Tens of thousands of Irish have sneaked into America and that's why a succession of Irish Governments begged America for them to be given Green Cards and naturalised. And seeing as Irish are massively over represented in the numbers of people who are homeless and in hostels in the UK it might be an idea if you think a bit more carefully the next time you are tempted to bang on about hand outs.
If you actually knew what you're trying to slabber about you'd know a substantial number of Irish immigrants to America actually landed in Canada first then made their way to America. And that artificial construct you talk about was forced upon a particularly ancient culture that has been subverted way more than any immigrants in Ireland have managed to do. With the number of Irish people unwilling to learn Irish or participate in any Irish cultural activities we don't actually need foreigners to subvert our culture,we can do that just fine. But feel free to kid on you're Uber Irish as you cheer on English soccer teams,watch English soap operas and obsess about Royal weddings.
I work with immigrants and real asylum seekers. Individuals who had muscles in their arms cut by the Iranian Government when being tortured for being pro-democracy. I've met others battered by the Congolese Police for being Trade Union reps. None of them had a pot to piss in.
I do however like the comedic value of your far left Marxist histrionics...... exaggeration is always good for a few giggles especially when it involves kidding on that the neo-liberal and centre right politicians who fund NGOs are really Marxists. 👍😂
@@gypsyHAASy Doesn't care what I think but responds twice. Nearly as cringey as telling folk not to comment on something American then slabbering about The North and whatever the fuck ",the other kind of Irish," is.
What about Irish racism and sectarianism during draft riotsor is it the Irish are always the Victims?
@@michellepeoplelikeyoumurde8373 did you miss the bit where I said Irish folk shouldn't demonstrate Nativist attitudes towards others?
The Irish gangs were an extention of the Irish of clans.
Ireland was a system of warring clans. In the movie, it is shown that only Irish that were from the same county in Ireland were considered kin.
The Irish system of clans warfare went back to before the Romans.
This video is sooo good! And it did 1.5 million views! Why have you not done a whole series like this with historical movies?? I would watch them all lol
Gangs of New York is one of my favorite Scorsese movies. My favorite D.D. Lewis film, and just an all around kick arse flick
sorry DDL his left foot...
better than My Left Foot or Linkoln?
If you haven't watched There Will Be Blood, watch it. His best acting IMO.
This remains my favorite Scorsese film. My only real issue with the film is that the editing of certain scenes is spotty, but can be ignored. It’s one of my favorite films of all time.
Goodfella's sorry, his mom is in it...
This movie got me heavily interested in US history
My 8th grade US History teacher showed us the movie and then hastily paused at the Draft Riot scene yelling "wait the Navy never did that!"
@@HistoryClarified actually your history teacher was wrong, the US Navy did that to break up the rioting because of how bad it got
That scene in this video at 3:38 I think is supposed to be a depiction of a famous photo called Bandits' Roost. The timeline is historically "off" but the sentiment is there. This is right at "Mulberry Bend" on Mulberry Street in NYC. The whole block was eventually razed. There are some ironies about what was built right next to this area but I'll let you read about the history of the Five Points.
Back in my catholic school years in Dublin, our history teacher played this for our class. All my 14 year old eyes saw was the violence, but watching it now I see it for the hugely important story it's trying to tell, that's still relevant today.
Amazing film!
The 5 points were no different from the east side of London back then I presume?
Yeah pretty much
A surprisingly rewatchable epic I haven't tired of. The sets and costumes create an otherworldly cinematic immersion 👽🌎 Memorable characters like the chilling, charming Bill The Butcher add significantly to the entertainment value, while historical inaccuracy is reason enough to dig deeper.
The only major inaccuracy is the scene around the church. That is a factual scene but happened in 1836 and was the beginning of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America. The story is good and factual but the sequence of some events is not always accurate.
The book which the movie was based on, "The Gangs Of New York", did mention about Chinese immigrant presence before the Civil War.
Good job man. I enjoyed that. Its worth mentioning that these movies are theatrical and not documentaries, there "poetic license" is acceptable to tell a dramatic story.
Great video, I love the film and I am pleased to see the tone, and themes were accurate. Now I'm off to watch it again......
The scene of firefighters fighting each other and hearing how the municipality operated is interesting. They weren't ran by the city and on their own program
This is what happens if you had privatised fire or police. I’m surprised the film did not show a house and fire and the firefighters saying to the occupants “sorry we won’t do anything as you’re not a subscriber to us”.
This story is about my neighborhood
paused 42 seconds in... and just gotta say... great video already... loved finding this in my feed.. and hope you bring this movie the credits it deserves... will comment after as well...
Good job young man! I'm 4th gen from Ireland. I can tell you stories of my great great grandparents! I"m a proud Texan, and enjoyed your prospective!!
Brilliant video! enjoyed it through and through. Thanks a lot and cheers!
Martin really had a 1800’s new york built for this movie.
the magic of green screen and small sets
Yep... in the middle of Rome, Italy. It's still standing.
@@lordvlygar2963 Is it on the outskirts?
@@godofthisshit It's at Cinecitta studios, which I think is in Municipio vii.
@@godofthisshit Cinecittà Studios is indeed on the outskirts of Rome, way out on the Via Tuscolana. I worked as a PA (gopher/interpreter/tech advisor) on this job and, when we had early call time, it took me 15-20 minutes by scooter to get from my neighborhood (near the Acquario Romano by Stazione Termini) out to Cinecitta Studios on the Tuscolana. The big ring road (GRA Grande Raccordo Anulare) is less than 2 miles beyond Cinecittà. So yeah, it’s it is on the outskirts of the city and nowhere near the Coliseum, St. Peter’s, Piazza Navona, etc. 😄😄😄
My favourite scene is the way the Natives melt out of the scenery and when Day Lewis strikes the ground with his stick and each time in zooms in on his eye 😄
Wow I was hooked, this was such a great video very interesting and great explanations between comparisons to fact and fiction, I was definitely entertained and wanted more LOL Thank you for uploading definitely subscribing
6/27/23
Please, make more history movie reviews! It is amazing and I was always wondering how accurate this movie was.
Just found this channel and I love it!
Wonderful video!! ..My friend was a NYPD detective for many years. He said by far the most vicious gang was the "Westies". An Irish gang centered in Hell's Kitchen. Jack said that if they got a "Westies" call, the officers would be pretty nervous. lol Makes sense... a long history of grit.
Do what the cops here in ireland used to do when there was gang trouble. Put the kettle on and head down later to pick up the pieces.
The Westies did some vile shit at certain points of there active years
Excellent job of research and profound thought. I tend to criticize everything but I could not find a fault, well done !
great video, so good that I liked and subscribed. Keep up the good work
1:40 Is that when they started doing that? They never stopped. Some of them are even slit laterally.
There's plenty of heightened reality in any movie due to dramatic needs and artistic license, but beyond that consideration, "Gangs of New York" is reasonably accurate.
Do this is real and enemy at the gates is a lie. Give me a break
great comparison with book, its amazing any immigrants survived the poverty and resentment that greeted them- nice video thanks so much
The Draft Riot is one of the saddest points; exploited, impoverished immigrants turned against other exploited people. The Irish had faced oppression, colonisation, several famines and rebellions and during An Gorta Mór forced to emigrate to America where they thought they would get a better life. When they got there they were forced into the army or still lived in poverty. In the five points they mixed with the free African Americans initially relations were good and tap dance was created through mixing of African and Irish music and dance. But then tensions started to rise with more Irish people arriving and with emancipation coming for African American slaves. The press began to print anti black stories and pseudoscientific talks. They’d started to spread that the free slaves would come and take their jobs. This stoked tensions and started to drive the wedge. The Irish had just faced starvation and didn’t want to face it again. When conscription came and black people were exempt because they weren’t considered citizens (3/5ths of a person) and this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. But instead of joining up with their African brothers and sisters and working class solidarity against the upper class oppressors, they took the anti black bate and during the draft riot cruelly lynched and murdered black people. It’s heartbreaking. People who had stood in tears back home in Ireland at the stories of Frederick Douglass about his and black American brothers and sisters treatment in America , here in America they now were lynching them. It’s shameful and in hindsight we can see how it was engineered. I wonder how things would have turned out if they had have stood in solidarity instead of forcing themselves up the ladder by pushing the black Americans off.
You used "consequently" backwards. Life in NY was heavily influenced by gang life, consequently, the movie was too. Not the other way around. It would be impossible for something in the movie to have consequences on the past.
In the Movie: Same "Democrat Machine Politics" as Today! Stunning similarities in the movie!
I saw it when it first came out. Being married to a descendant of the Irish who fled because of the Famine I knew some of the errors you pointed out, but not most of them. Great video!
Fascinating! Thanks for the analysis of what I thought was a intriguing, but largely just a "sad" film. This video helps explain it's significance beyond it's spectical. Thank You!
And Democrat corruption continues in NYC unabated to this very day.
So, you're saying that the area with all the worst parts of humanity was diverse? How could this be?
This was a great, balanced review- with a lot of detail - I’d be interested in your views on ‘Far & Away’
And this many years later....people are STILL crammed into small apartments so the owners can get more money.
I very much agreed with you there at a point you made at the end where people were accusing it of cherry picking the most explosive of events and you largely dismissed that argument this is a part of American history that rarely gets displayed and as such I don't mind the somewhat broad brush he painted with because he got so much right. If it were another WWII movie or something like that I would want it to be very specific as we already have great movies about it generally and the place to go to mine for interesting content is to get specific at this point. But the relatively unsung part of American history needs more of the poetic truth to give people an idea of the feel before it's important to get into the nitty gritty of the details.
Thank you, I'm glad that came across.
When i was young i looked through a garbage pile and found a book from the 1890s called "Darkness and Daylight or Lights and Shadows of New York Life" originals can be found cheap. It's full of etchings taken from photographs along with writings by a retired chief of police, a woman involved with a Christian charity and a detective. The cultures of gangs, sailors, beggars, pickpockets, opium dens and others are detailed. One of my favorite books ever! In it I found that the Humane Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals preceded and supported Child protection law!
Wow, I'll have to read that book for sure. Thanks.
One thing I’ve come to understand about street fights and scuffles is that usually the number of people dead is very low. Watch any clash and you’ll see that most people are sticking to their side and occasionally grappling with an opponent. People don’t just throw themselves into the opps like they do movies. Most fights only a few people are REALLY fighting and everyone is trying to survive. People weren’t just magically suicidal back in the day.
My point being that just because “only 8 people died” doesn’t mean it wasn’t a massive fight.
You're right, it would have been more like the kind of situations in the modern era when different protest groups clash. A few people fighting, most holding back. A lot of people getting out of there. More of a riot than an actual battle
great viddeo. just discovered your channel cant wait to watch more
Can’t wait to see the Gangs of Portland sequel!!!
I too was thinking that the Ds are the same today as yesterday...... lol
As a historical reenactor myself, I've always loved the clothes in this film...excellent wardrobe...
Sectarian violence pt1 Ulster
Sectarian violence pt2 the football fields of Glasgow
Sectarian violence pt3 streets of New York
Would the Chinese have been able to vote in NYC at this period in time? They show the natives rounding them up to vote but at this period in time wasn't there legislation in place preventing Chinese naturalization or was this too early?
I can't be sure, but I certainly have my doubts.
Well now you’ve peaked my curiosity - I need to watch this now...
The movie is highly inaccurate. The reviewer is an idiot. The "novel" is a history book. A resource book. None of these gangs or people existed together.
Just read the book. Its better... and actually has facts in it.
As with all movies for entertainment it deviates from history but keeps it within arms length for sure. It’s a great film regardless of what any naysayers decide to purport.
Stove pipe, brother. Not stove top.
Hay WTH I like STUFFING..... please.
"he based it off multiple paintings and engravings..."
1:22 must have overlooked that half the people in those paintings were of color.
Being dark complexioned was indicative of being poor working class and not necessarily contemporary views on race.
My ancestors were Irish immigrants, but mine went to Maine not New York, ironically I have more ancestors that are Italian that did go to New York.
So its a wee BAPPITY BAPPITY BOOPITY and a dram of guiness to be sure to be sure
@@nolesy34 Make it a few drams Lad, I'm very Irish.
I really enjoyed your video...great job😉
I always thought this was Scorsese’s best film since Goodfellas, blown away when I saw it at the cinema, got the feeling the audience did not appreciate it but I sat there in awe! And the ending credits felt like the most stylish thing I’d ever seen.
Completely agree with you.
I remember seeing this brand new when I was 14 or 15 and realizing that was going on 19 years ago makes me feel old. Lmao 😅