Film Analysis: The Gangs Of New York

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Film Analysis: The Gangs of New York After watching the Gangs of New York, I have noticed that it has some important historical accuracy as well as inaccuracies. The movie is based in lower Manhattan during the 1860’s. The movie opens in 1846 with a gang battle between the Dead Rabbits, a gang that consist of Catholic Irish people, against the U.S.- born Nativist. The “captain” of the Dead Rabbits, Priest Vallon, ends up getting killed by his arch enemy Bill Cutting. Fallon’s young son, Amsterdam, is sent to Hellgate were he will stay at an orphanage for 16 years. When he is “freed”, it is 1862 and Lincoln has passed the Emancipation Proclamation and the civil war is beginning. New York is a booming place during the time. While the North and…show more content…
The antagonist of the movie, Bill Cutting is extremely powerful. He has come to celebrate the death of the priest every year. People of Manhattan fear him. He has several people that work for him making him unbeatable. He has made connections that put him in power. He has the option to make or break the political officials in the city. Amsterdam reencounters with an old friend named Johnny who anonymously reintroduces Amsterdam to Cutting. Cutting finds Amsterdam fit for a quittance and takes him under his wing. Amsterdam soon gets very involved with Tammany Hall, the political Empire ruled by Tweed. Soon Amsterdam is discovered is great disaster unfolds. Bloody battles are executed and Manhattan becomes devoured in a blood bath, and Amsterdam finally achieves revenge on…show more content…
Tammany Hall was a major political organization that had really taken its hold before the mid eighteen hundreds; however, it became increasingly powerful and dangerous during the time of the civil war. Tammany grew increasingly large taking part in the immigrant community. The Tammany candidates wanted to increase their political power by getting the majority votes from the foreign (mainly Irish) immigrants. Tammany offered foreigners help to obtain jobs, a place to live and also citizenship so that they could vote for Tammany candidates and state elections. However, by the eighteen fifties, Tammany became a major political force that conferred immense power on the cities bosses, allowing them to enrich themselves and their associates through corruption and administrative abuse.(gwu.edu) During this time and on through Lincoln’s election and the civil war, a man named William Marcy “Boss” Tweed, was the leader of the powerful Tammany Hall.(History.com). He caused an overload or corruption throughout New

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