Twenty years have passed since ‘Gangs of New York’ hit the big screen, but, before its premiere, its premiere was full of stars and promises of success. We recovered the best photographs of that night, in which Martin Scorsese’s film came to light and Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Díaz, Daniel Day-Lewis and company toasted his health. Personalities like Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman and even U2 were also invited to the party because they wrote the song ‘The Hands That Built America’ for the official soundtrack of the film.
One of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best films, ‘Gangs of New York’ takes us back to the year 1860, when the Civil War is shaking an entire country. But in New York there is another war being waged in the underworld, in that significant space where poverty and crime reign between the port and the growing Wall Street.. Immigrants struggle to make a place for themselves while the settled and wealthy look down on them. In this context, a group of characters with very different situations and goals will try to make their way: William “Boss” Tweed (Jim Broadbent) is a Democratic politician who wants to capture the votes of newcomers, Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz) is a girl a rich woman who is attracted to this world so different from her own, and Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo Di Caprio) is the head of the Dead Rabbits gang who seeks to avenge the death of his father (Liam Neeson) murdered at the hands of Bill the Butcher. (Daniel Day-Lewis). Who will survive the wars that cemented the birth of the United States of America?
In the review of ‘Gangs of New York’ published two decades ago by the magazine FOTOGRAMAS, Sergi Sánchez defined it as “the great film about the birth of a nation that stinks of sweat and blood”, and that “completes the hyperbolic vision that Scorsese has America, a land of immigrants that has grown fertile by violence and brutality.” He even ventured to consider it a kind of prequel to some of Martin Scorsese’s best films, such as ‘Mean Streets’, ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘One of Us’ and ‘Casino’. For the critic, the greatest success of the film is “the creation of its own universe, consistent and atypical”. And the worst? “His excessive ambitions” and “delusions of grandeur”.
Delusions surely were not lacking either in the night of December 9, 2002, when the official presentation of the film took place in the Big Applewith a after party held neither more nor less than in the New York City Public Library. There we move through these images that are not wasted.
Cameron Diaz and Leonardo DiCaprio they were the protagonists of ‘Gangs of New York’, so they could not miss the presentation of the film in 2002. He, in a suit and slicked-back hair; her, like Britney Spears going to buy bread.
Liam Neeson played Leonardo DiCaprio’s father in fiction in Scorsese’s film, and attended the presentation with an open neck. It seems that the screening did not sit well with him, and we do not understand why: ‘Gangs of New York’ is counted in our list of the best Liam Neeson movies.
Martin Scorsese and his fabulous eyebrows did not miss the premiere of his moviewhich may not be the favorite of its fans next to classics like ‘Raging Bull’ or ‘Taxi Driver’, but which is undoubtedly a must.
Among the best films by Daniel Day-Lewis we can safely count ‘Gangs of New York’, where he plays the terrifying Bill the Butcher. Although the (method) actor always surprises us with his performances regardless of the stage. Here we see him with his wife at the time, Rebecca Miller.
That’s how innocent he looked at the camera Nicole Kidman, one of the guests at the premiere of the film. He ate a fabulous plate of asparagus, tomato and mozzarella.
We do not know what would Tim Robbins be saying to Jack Black right nowbut imagining possibilities is much more fun.
It’s okay that it was December, but David Bowie didn’t want to catch a cold at the ‘Gangs of New York’ premiere and wrapped himself to the top with a green scarf and a long coat. Next to him is the model Iman, his partner since 1992.
Natalie Portman posed for this photo during the after party of the premiere a little looking like he wanted to go home and put on some slippers and watch ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Menace’.
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My house, phone and… and the way out?
In the cast of ‘Gangs of New York’ we also find Henry Thomasthat many will remember as the boy from ‘ET, the extraterrestrial’ and others as the patriarch of the family starring in Netflix’s ‘The Haunting of Hill House’.
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Take a video, watch it slow mo
Bono was already a fan of Chanel before she came third in Eurovision in 2022: Here we see him with Daniel Day-Lewis and Dave Howell Evans (better known as Edge), the guitarist, keyboardist and backup singer of U2.
The now famous presenter of late night Jimmy Fallon was already rubbing shoulders with the Hollywood elite in these early 2000s. Here we see him with billy zanethe rancid boyfriend of ‘Titanic’ who had to be the new Marlon Brando and around this time he began to be forgotten.
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Let’s see how I explain
Another director who joined the party was Baz Luhrmann, who had just premiered ‘Moulin Rouge’ the previous year in 2001. Here we see him explaining something very deep to Bono, perhaps the selection process of playlist in his movies.
As if there weren’t enough in the film, the premiere photographer didn’t miss the opportunity to take a good closeup to Cameron Diaz.
After rising to fame with his role in ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ in 1999 and appearing as a secondary in ‘American Psycho’, Chloë Sevigny was also seen at the most exclusive parties from Hollywood (in this case, from New York).
This is how Stanley Tucci wore in the presentation of ‘Gangs of New York’. What fashion comment would Miranda Presley make? Would you like the scarf?
But let’s see for a moment: How is it possible that Cameron Diaz is holding up the New York Post with a picture of her and DiCaprio at the premiere she is attending right now? We need a thorough investigation into this matter.
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Caught on the red carpet
The eternal protagonist of ‘Jaws’, Roy Scheider, attended the premiere with his wife Brenda Kingboth in shades of green and in keeping with how cold it must have been in New York in December.
What joke was told to Tom Robbins while taking this photo? Bets accepted.
Leonardo DiCaprio posed for the photo with Natasha Richardsoniconic actress from ‘You to London and me to California’ as well as the wife of Liam Neeson, her co-star and father in fiction.
If you’re going to do it, do it like Sonia Braga: The Brazilian actress stopped by the New York City Library to celebrate Scorsese’s film. Let’s remember that Braga made her first steps in Hollywood with ‘A Place Called Miracle’ and ‘The Beginner’, in addition to being nominated for the Golden Globes for the first time for ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’.
Harvey Keitel attended the premiere with his wife Daphna Kastnerwho is also an actress, director and screenwriter.
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The entire ‘Gangs of New York’ crew
The men and women who made up the main team of ‘Gangs in New York’, in a single snapshot. A last memory of an unforgettable night!
Mireia Mullor
She writes about cinema and series beyond her means, especially if they allow her to talk about forgotten stories from the big screen, feminist claims, the films of Studio Ghibli and Agnès Varda.
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