One of my all-time favorite movies is Gangs of New York. Recently AMC has been showing the movie on random Saturdays in aticipation for movies of both Daniel-Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio, and it's a good thing they are doing it.
The reason I love the movie is because I watched once when I was younger and now as I'm older and have read the history behind it. The movie itself is addicting and may be even too gorey for some, but I correctly depicts immigrant-fille burroughs of early New York. Besides historical context, the movie also has the literature connection. The story of Amsterdam trying to avenge his father's death by killing the Butcher is similar to Shakspeare's Hamlet. Although many movies have roots in Hamlet, Gangis in New York is definitely one of the most creative and interesting films with the motif of revenge. The final reason I am completely attached to this movie is that the final fight scene between the self-proclaimed Americans and the immigrants is one of the greatests fight scenes in cinematic history. The use of color and the smoke made me, as a student in film/literature class, find more than the superficial meaning of the actions by both sides.
In short, I love Gangs of New York; not because of the action but beecause of it's style of telling an almost true story.
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