Gangs of New York

The film opens with Priest Vallon (Liam Nesson) shaving, he cuts his cheek and then hands the blade to his son Amsterdam, who is about to wipe the blood. Vallon tells him to leave it there, and his son puts away the blade in a black cloth with a sliver cross clasp (important later). He then says a prayer to St. Michael, puts a medallion over Amersterdam's head, grabs a steel cross, and marches out of his cave with Amersterdam. They walk past people making and finishing their weapons, including a woman with "Catwoman" claws named Hellcat Maggie. Vallon, his son, and the rest take communion as they continue exiting the caves. They finally reach the top level of an old brewery. They stop and Vallon asks a man named Monk if he will join them. Monk says he'll fight for pay. Vallon promises him ten dollars, so Monk agrees picks up his wooden club, and kicks open the door, revealing the snow-filled Five Points section of New York City, 1846.

Vallon and his crew, aka the Dead Rabbits, leave the brewery and make their way onto the street. Amsterdam runs to join children on the steps of a nearby building, while the Dead Rabbits await the arrival of the Native. A few moments later, men dressed in blue, led by Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis), a ruthless New Yorker with a glass eye, walk onto the street, clearly outnumbering the Rabbits. Bill tells Vallon that New York has been ruined by the Irish who will work for less pay than the slaves and should return home. Vallon recants that it's a free country, and is then joined by more men.

Moments later, they begin fighting. Monk is mashing people in the head, Maggie is biting a man's ear off, and people's legs are getting broken while others are being stabbed. Bill and Vallon slowly make their way towards each other, but as Vallon draws near Bill directs one of his men to attack Vallon. Vallon kills the man, but is stabbed by Bill in the process. Vallon tries to fight back, but is stabbed in the rib. Vallon falls to the... [continues]

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