Much like so many other pictures of the era, this is a title that is quite direct, by way of maintaining a steady pace over its tight runtime. In at least one way, though, it diverges from so many of its brethren that were produced nearly en masse by film studios: there's some delightful subtlety and detail peppered throughout the feature. This is true even as in more than a few ways the movie bears the appearance of austerity, such as set design and decoration that appears bare-bones and bare-budget, costume design that while suitable is scarcely anything to write home about, and other small touches (such as a cell block of prisoners jeering) that make little attempt at authenticity. More important than these, though - there's some sharp wit in the dialogue and scene writing, and the very premise is clever and well thought out. Some chief characters are written with wonderful personality, making them distinct and easy to get invested in. There are times in the course of events when as a viewer we have to ask how undercover agent John Franklin can possibly perfectly imitate crime boss Rocky Thorpe - but the screenplay is sufficiently dexterous to also mind those considerations. I'm not going to sit here and say it's perfect, but 1938's 'Gangs of New York' somewhat impresses fairly quickly.
Sure, some of the movie is marginally ham-handed and a little predictable. Much more so than not, though, I rather think it's just swell. Wherever the credit belongs for the writing (there seem to be a surprisingly large number of names attached), those behind the typewriters deserve commendations for work that is unexpectedly rich, and engaging. Other elements struggle to stand out - the direction serves its purpose but doesn't inspire; either surviving prints have deteriorated over the years before being digitized, or the cinematography and sound design were a few steps down on the list of priorities in the first place. Still, hand in hand with the screenplay, I can only express earnest pleasure as a viewer at the strength of the performances. I'm gratified to say that unlike in some other forthright features of the time, the actors filling the roles (not least of all star Charles Bickford, more or less playing two parts as Franklin and Thorpe) are allowed to show their capabilities. They match the fine substance in how those roles are written, illustrating excellent range, nuance, and poise throughout, and adapting to the needs of each scene. Hats off to them all!
It needs to be said that the very concept of the film is frankly troubling in and of itself. It's a vast understatement to say that law enforcement and correctional officers depicted in 'Gangs of New York' demonstrate an astounding overreach and abuse of power, neatly ignoring constitutional rights as the foundational plot device. I'm willing to overlook a lot of holes and errors when it comes to watching movies, but as glaring an issue as this story beat would be in real life (or at least should be, if we didn't live in Unaccountable Police State Hell), it also inherently represents a flaw in the fictional narrative that is never addressed. Yes, of course it all builds compelling drama, and a duly engrossing experience as a movie-goer - but under the circumstances, at the same time that John Franklin is centered as the protagonist, crime boss Rocky Thorpe becomes a sympathetic character in his own right. As strong as the feature is at large, this is a point worth honing in on, and analyzing.
To whatever extent it may falter, however, far and away this is a title that stands pretty tall alongside its contemporaries, and still holds up fairly well decades later. Once more: the writing is pretty solid, if imperfect, and the acting is better still. Though the very final scene is pointlessly contrived as an ending, the climax is done very well. Overall 'Gangs of New York' is a slightly mixed bag, including one necessary teachable moment of both civics, law and ethics, and screenwriting that must not be ignored. When all is said and done, though, above all it's entertaining - and that, after all, is just what it's intended to be. There's no need to go out of your way for this, but if you happen to come across it, it's a fair way to spend 66 minutes!
