XtineFiles

Gangs of New York is one of my favorite films, its no wonder that even though I own it on DVD I found myself watching it tonight on television. And sure, it is like me to love a Scorsese/ DiCaprio flick (some of you can attest to how much I cried this year when the Academy didn't give either them a damn Oscar for Aviator--I couldn't get to the airport fast enough, I wanted to come home to Scorsese's town like never before). But beyond that, the poetry of Gangs will always be ingrained in my soul.

I first saw a glimpse of Gangs of New York in a 30minute preview at the Cannes Film Festival. The entire cast had gathered as Martin Scorsese presented his preview for the first time to the world. Later that day at the press conference I listened to Harvey Weinstein yell at the press for questioning how long the film took to make and how much money it cost (the quote went something like, "I'll f*cking tell you why this f*cking film took so long to f*cking make...").

When it came out in theaters I saw it with my friend JP. We cried, and cried some more, we felt pride for the city that we live in and the heritage that looms on the streets we walk every day. The whole film is a gem, but it is the last scene when the camera pans over the Butcher and the Priest's grave over looking the Brooklyn bridge that sums the film up best. Scorsese transports us across time as New York changed ending at our city's lost jewel. It is the moment that seals this film as a masterpiece which perhaps was more appropriate to the time it was made in than even the period it was about.

I cant review this film in the way I normally review movies on xtinefiles. For some reason tonight, I just needed to talk about it. Thanks for listening.