It certainly was a long time coming, but Martin Scorsese's new historical drama, Gangs Of New York, has finally arrived. The man who made Goodfellas and Raging Bull goes back to his roots for his first film in years - and it explodes with such a level of passionate, intelligent filmmaking that any trifling flaws are quickly forgotten and forgiven.

In 1860's lower Manhattan, the Five Points section is a dark, swarming corner of the city known for vice and chaos. Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young Irish immigrant and the orphaned son of Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson)--once leader of the Dead Rabbits gang that rallied the Irish immigrants of the neighborhood. After 16 years in a reform house outside the city, Amsterdam has returned to the city to hunt down his father's killer, "Bill the Butcher" (Daniel Day-Lewis), who has since become the merciless leader of the Five Points, one with an intense dislike for the waves of immigrants coming into both New York and America.

Each year, on the anniversary of the Priest's death, the victory is commemorated with a celebration. Amsterdam's plan is clear: to lie in wait and slay his father's killer at the celebration. While waiting, Amsterdam works his way deep into the Butcher's inner circle. But the closer he gets to Bill, the more he falls under his spell and becomes conflicted--playing the role of the killer's surrogate son while keeping the true secret of his past. At the same time, Amsterdam meets Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz), a pickpocket whose independence from all that surrounds them fascinates him. When details of her closely linked past with Bill emerge, the relationship between the three intensifies. Amsterdam's fight for family honor, freedom and the woman he loves ultimately collides with a pivotal moment in New York and American history: the 1863 Civil War Draft Riots.

In addition to Amsterdam's story, the Civil War and the Draft Riots, the screenplay by Jay Cocks (Age of Innocence), Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List) and Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count On Me) also takes on the city's rampant corruption, racism and massive influx of immigrants, in particular the Irish. Any one of these topics could develop into their own three-hour film. Here, they're stuffed into a single film that runs under three hours, occasionally causing a loss of dramatic focus (the delay in the film's release is largely attributed to an editing process that pared it down from a snip short of four hours). It's a problem to be sure, but slight enough not to dilute the story's overall emotional impact, especially when it comes to the "father and son" dynamic between Amsterdam and Bill.

Very few filmmakers working today would be able to take on a project as expansive as Gangs of New York and manage to make it work so well, but then again Martin Scorsese is hardly your run-of-the-mill filmmaker. Even during its narrative lapses, the passion and brilliance of Scorsese's direction shines through in every frame. Watching this film, you can't help but feel privileged at being able to witness the work of a true artist, one who truly cares about the content of the film and not how much it will please demographic groups.

DiCaprio and Diaz, despite occasionally wavering accents, turn in solid lead performances, while Neeson, Jim Broadbent as corrupt politician 'Boss' Tweed, John C. Reilly's crooked constable Happy Jack, Brendan Gleeson's Monk McGinn and Henry Thomas as Amsterdam's friend Johnny, are all first rate in supporting roles.

All, however, stand in the shadows of Daniel Day-Lewis' performance as Bill The Butcher. Not only is the performance of 2002, Lewis' Bill is one of the most interesting and well-rounded screen villains we've seen in quite some time. Similar to Robert DeNiro's Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull or Ralph Fiennes' Amon Goeth in Schindler's List, Bill the Butcher is a character we can despise, empathize and be completely afraid of. It's an articulate, unforgettable performance worthy of every accolade the world of cinema has to offer.

Technically, Dante Ferretti's production design is incredible (good to see actual built sets and not virtual ones created by a computer), as are Thelma Schoonmaker's editing, Michael Ballhaus' rich cinematography and Sandy Powell's colorful costume design. The musical, a combination featuring the likes of Peter Gabriel, U2 and composer Howard Shore, makes for an interesting backdrop to the proceedings.

Martin Scorsese has been trying to get Gangs Of New York to the big screen for the past quarter-century, which include a couple of years of a production that could be called tumultuous at the very least. Despite the delays, setbacks and problems, we have a film that was well worth the wait. Harkening back to an era where an intelligent story, character and true artistic passion were the driving force behind making a movie, Gangs is a powerful drama that every serious film fan should seek out and treasure.

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