June 5th: GANGS OF NEW YORK (Martin Scorsese, 2002)

OUTDOOR SEASON GRAND OPENING

In the notorious Five Points slum of 1860's New York city, a young man seeks revenge against the gang leader who killed his father.

Martin Scorsese realized a 30+ year ambition with this project, based loosely on a non-fiction book by Herbert Asbury. An attempt to begin production in the late 70's/early 80's was abandoned after funding proved too difficult to secure. At various points, rock band The Clash, Malcolm McDowell and Robert De Niro were all in talks with the director to participate. The large amount of money required to fully depict the film's setting and scope would eventually come from Miramax Films head Harvey Weinstein.

Meticulous research went into the film's sets, the various dialects and slang, and the music of the period, with a cast of characters that includes real life historical figures, fictional creations, and a combination of the two. The screenplay was written by Jay Cocks (who had adapted The Age Of Innocence with Scorsese), Academy Award-winner Steven Zallian (Schindler's List), Kenneth Lonnergan, and an uncredited Scorsese himself. Because modern New York City bears little resemblance to how it looked in the time period, the decision was made to shoot entirely on sets, built at Rome's famed Cinecitta Studios (made famous by director Federico Fellini). Production designer Dante Ferretti was responsible for envisioning approximately a mile's worth of city streets, buildings, and a waterfront including two ships.

After longtime Scorsese collaborator Robert De Niro was forced to leave the project due to scheduling conflicts, Daniel Day-Lewis was cast as the film's charismatic villain. As per his usual practice, Day-Lewis went deeply into character for the duration of the filming, speaking only in the unique dialect chosen for his role. Leonardo DiCaprio, still riding the wave of the Titanic phenomenon but looking for more serious material, here began what has become a fruitful relationship with Scorsese that resulted in three subsequent films together. The studios insistence of another bankable star resulted in the casting of Cameron Diaz, a controversial choice for some despite the actress having proven her dramatic chops with her against-type work in 1999's Being John Malkovich. The rest of the cast is peppered with well-known/veteran actors including Liam Neeson, John C. Reilly, Brendon Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Henry Thomas, Eddie Marsan, Alec McOwen, and David Hemmings.

Veterans returning to assist Scorsese were editor Thelma Schoonmaker and Robbie Robertson, former frontman of The Band, who took great effort to assemble sound recordings inspired by and reflective of the era, encompassing orchestral/classical, folk, and world music. Despite this attention to historical detail, Scorsese still felt free to make more liberal decisions, like using a modern rock track over an important battle scene.

The post-production on the film resulted in a fair amount of controversy, with a supposed struggle over the film's length and editing approach between Scorsese and Weinstein. Rumors swirled around about a supposed 3-hour workprint that was closer to the director's intentions, with the official theatrical cut clocking in around 2 hrs, 30 minutes. Scorsese maintained publicly that this was the only version and that no "Director's Cut" would be forthcoming.

The film was released in December of 2002 and while it did not earn back its large budget in the United States, overseas box office ensured a small amount of profitability. The film was received favorably by critics overall, though many felt it fell short of the masterpiece they had been hoping for (and the production's difficult history certainly influenced reactions). Weinstein campaigned heavily during the 2002-03 awards season, viewing it as his obligation to get Scorsese a long-deserved Oscar. Another controversy regarding a promotional ad taken out for the film turned some Academy members sour, and despite earning ten nominations, it went home empty-handed.