Historical Accuracy : Gangs of New York

Historical Accuracy: Gangs of New York

The Movie Gangs of New York, released in 2002, gives insight into the violence, corruption, and disarray that occurred in The Five Points of Manhattan during the 19th century, and reveals one of the biggest skeletons in New York’s closet. Martin Scorsese’s translation of the events in the film proves to be very intriguing, and for the most part accurate. However, there are a few aspects of the film he did not correctly portray: the timing of events, and the scale of the events that occurred.

The main character’s story starts off in 1863, as he returns to the Five Points from an orphanage in which he spent most of his childhood. Amsterdam Valon’s father was a Catholic Priest, and leader of an Irish immigrant group called the Dead Rabbits. He was killed by Bill �The Butcher’ Cutting, a Native American Protestant leader, when Amsterdam was a young child. He returns to the bustling Five Points to avenge his father’s death by killing the Butcher. The film continues with Amsterdam’s steps closer and closer under his enemy’s wing, and finally ends with his identity and motives revealed, and