What If The Titanic Actually Made it to New York?

Yes, that is the question posed by Hollywood director Martin Scrosese and writer Jay Cocks, in their movie Gangs of New York (2002). First of all, I must say, I've never seen Gangs of New York, except for about 30 minutes worth on television. I am not qualified to write a review of this movie, but for some reason the idea hit me that I should, so now I am. As my title suggests, this movie is about what would have happened if the Titanic had actually made it to New York. Before we get to that part of the plot, however, let's start at the begining. The movie opens with a young boy seeing his father brutally murdered, I think. I don't know what that has to do with anything because next thing we see is the Titanic arriving and Leonardo DiCaprio walking up the dock. He is alone though, so I'm guessing Kate Winslet got tired of their little love boat trist and went back to the angry rich man. Money always wins out over 19th century immigrant charm. It is so unfair. Anway, Leo gets a job working for Doc, stocking shelves and sweeping up, but mostly hanging around the alley stacking cases of Coke and fretting in the basement. He frets a lot. Before long, that snake oil salesman from Disney's Pete's Dragon (1977), played by Daniel Day Lewis, comes along and tricks Leo into fighting with his gang for control of Times Square (it wasn't Times Square yet, but you can tell that's what it will become because they are building the New Year's Eve ball on top of the saloon). Daniel Day Lewis needs Leo because he has a hard time saying the name of the town he was just run out of, and Leo, being an immigrant, is able to pronounce the European name. You might think this sounds a little too much like West Side Story (1961), and you are right, its basically the same movie, only instead of 1960's era ballet and show tunes, these guys actually beat each other to death. So Leo and the snake oil salesman get their group together and go to Times Square where several other groups are assembled, at least one group is from the Broadway set of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, as witnessed by their flamboyantly colored suits. Why they were invited to the tussel I will never understand. I won't spoil the end of the movie for you, you'll just have to watch it, but I wouldn't recommend it, I hear it gets pretty graphic. All in all it is a story of romance and fun and friendship bonds that last into retirement years spent in rocking chairs on the fire escape.