Gangs Of New York

Gangs Of New York is a 2002 American fictionalized historical drama film set in the mid-19th century in the Five Points district of Lower Manhattan in 1863. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian, and Kenneth Lonergan, inspired by Herbert Asbury's 1927 non-fiction book, The Gangs of New York. It was made in Cinecittà, Rome, distributed by Miramax Films and nominated for numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Most of the film takes place in 1863. The two principal issues of the era in New York were Irish immigration to the city and the ongoing Civil War. The story follows Bill "the Butcher" Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis) in his roles as crime boss and political kingmaker under the helm of "Boss" Tweed (Jim Broadbent). The film culminates in a violent confrontation between Cutting and his mob with protagonist Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his allies, which coincides with the New York Draft Riots of 1863.

Links To Peel
On his 21 January 2003 show, Peel had gone to the cinema the previous night to see 'Gangs Of New York', which he describes as "spectacular". He adds, ''"I think even Dennis Bergkamp would find it very, very violent." '' The Dennis Bergkamp reference was related to Arsenal's football match against West Ham, where Arsenal's Dennis Bergkamp had clashed with West Ham's Lee Bowyer and appeared to elbow him in the face. The act went unpunished by the referee but he was subsequently charged by the FA with improper conduct and fined £7500.