Hi Rob ..............it's been ages. Hope you're well.
Hubby and I watched 'gangs o n y' on our projector a couple of weeks ago. We loved it. I guess there are some common threads with our own history in Australia, the Irish influx, the gangs, the criminals, the corruption, the pride and the passion! And most of all the determination.
The whole effect of the movie was powerful and touching. I recommend it, just be warned...........there is quite a bit of blood and violence for those faint-hearted ones.
Funny this pops up. Nina and I saw Gangs of New York over the weekend. I thought it was a very good movie, but it bogged down in the middle, I thought 20 minutes could have been cut and it would have been sharper. I don't know much about the Tammany Hall political machine so it was interesting to see a peek into the way things were done in New York in the good old days.
I left the movie wondering if it was really that extremist, or were events hyped up just a bit. Also I was unsure for quite a long time if this was taking place before or during the Civil War. Like I say, I thought it was good, but I guess I didn't enjoy it as much as others.
If you get the chance, the books "The Alienist" and "The Angel of Dark" go into the same timeframe. Both books are by C. Caleb - and both are excellent - stories & details.
The Alienist is outstanding. It's set in 1890's New York, which is a little later. I haven't read Angel of Dark, though I want to. Scorcese also did a film a few years ago entitled, "The Age of Innocence" which coincidently starred Daniel Day Lewis set in 1870s New York. A better film I thought than Gangs of New York, although two entirely different stories.
Big Tex, I've read Alienist and Angel of Dark. The first was great second not so good. The author also wrote a terrific history about an American soldier in China who helped the Chinese and became a hero ... monument and all.
The Gangs of NewYork is based on fact. The location, 5-points was a real place. A real slum. Except for the DeCaprio character many of the characters were historic, especially Mr.Tweed (wish they'd had more about him but you got the point), It was the Civil War and the conscription was (draft) new . The War history contains loads of info on the Irish battalions. I mean hey these guys often had never shot a rifle! They were fodder for the southern army. Anyway, even the names of the gangs were the real names, although by the civil war the Daed Rabbits were pretty much gone. Most of the 5 points story happened before the Civil war. This just shows that my crime in America class really paid off!!! I can understand a movie!!!
I had heard of Five Points (Robert Redford's character in "The Sting" claimed to be from Five Points) and I knew it was supposed to be one nasty place. Honestly though the blood and violence got to be a bit , well not boring, but I got tired of it. I got the point. You know?
As I understand it, the movie was showing the origins of the gangs, which led to the Mafia. Or at least that was my understanding of the movie.
Big Tex, Yeah it was bloody. Especially that riot which the gov't used overkill to quash. But those fights between fire clubs went on for decades. Imagine, "my house is burning", but the firemen are too busy fighting one another. Sheeesh.
I didn't know that about the Sting. That was my professors favorite movie.
The Italians came mostly after the Civil war closer to the turn of the century. 5 points was no longer the same wood and brick buildings it had been. Did you know that the Gangs of NewYork was a book, a real primary source. I don't know if it's in reprint because of the movie, do you know? Panda
No I didn't know that. Now didn't the Italians settle somewhere else than Five Points? I thought it was still mainly Irish even then.
I think it's been said, but watching that movie and then hearing the Society talk about how things have gotten worse sine 1914, makes me realize how silly it is to make generalized statements!
LOL I thought the exact same thing!!! I sure would rather live NOW. just the smell must've been awful. Yuck.
I think Little Italy is named for it's large number of Italian immigrants. Every year Little Italy (which you could see in Godfather II) has the SanGenero festival. Now it's a tourist thing. But While I was growing up it was a full blown Italian Catholic jamboree --- food statues money gifts wine food wine food..The Bowery was full of the poor, but maybe more Jewish there after the pogroms in Russia (before the USSR). And Brooklyn was full of immigrants. Before the Brooklyn bridge the only way to get there was by boat. So most cemetaries were located there.
Say do you remember that cemetary at the end of Gangs of NewYork? I've been wondering about that this week. When I get to the library I'll see what I can find. Makes me feel like the Alienist detectives. Even my husband (Nick) who does not LOVE history really thought Gangs was a great film. He also especially appreciated the Daniel Day Lewis character.
Are you kidding? I'm a massive history buff. I do remember the cemetary at the end of the film. Was it real? Do you think it is still there? I had heard of some of the characters in the movie, and I'd heard of the Bowery Boys. But I really didn't know much about anyone of them. I think that was one reason I was a bit skeptical about the authenticity of how it was presented. It seemed a bit over the top, but that's probably a minor criticism.
I'm really kind of glad they're doing some movies on American history besides the old west. When I was a kid I always wondered what was happening back east when they were playing cowboys and indians? Now we're beginning to find out I guess.
Big Tex I didn't get out today but I am determined to find out about that cemetary. I mean with the crosses and all it must've belonged to a Catholic church, right?
Hey, I have 4 older brothers, I got their hand me down clothes and toys --- we played cowboys and Indians --- faithfully watched Bonanza --- the Dodge City Matt Dillon show (I forget the title) Sugarfoot, Maverick and the rest. I wore my gun belt and hat from the time I could wrestle them away from my brothers. So us East coast kids played like we were in Texas!
