Gangs of New York is Martin Scorsese's epic tale of old New York's general thuggery. Focused on a central point of the lower end called the Five Points, we're introduced to a myriad of different gangs all with colorful names like the Plug Uglies and the Slaughterhowsers (sp). However, our focus for this feature are the Natives lead by Bill "The Butcher" Cutting (played by Daniel Day-Lewis) and the Dead Rabbits lead by Priest Vallon (played by Liam Neeson). These two clans are at war over control of the Five Points, and the war can only end when one of them is dead.
Of course, this is just a setup to our actual main story which takes place sixteen years later, when Amsterdam (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) returns from boarding school a man hellbent on avenging his father's death. I call it a stroke of genius to cast a heavyweight like Liam Neeson as Priest Vallon, given his short stay in the film. His death comes as a shock, and the reverence shown to him by Bill adds much needed layers to what could otherwise be looked at as a common antagonist.
