Gangs of New York starts off with a battle scene between the Natives and the Dead Rabbits. In this scene, Priest Vallon, the leader of the Dead Rabbits, is killed and leaves behind his son Amsterdam as his legacy. Shortly after this scene, the film jumps sixteen years forward and shows a grown Amsterdam in what seems to be a church. In this scene, a priest gives Amsterdam a Bible, which he soon throws over the bridge and into the water.
The scene is shot to look like a conversation, however, instead of using a two-shot point of view, the shot is focused on Amsterdam and only the hand of the priest is shown as he gives Amsterdam the Bible. Also, this camera angle focuses on the cross hanging on the damaged wall in the back of the church. Using this camera angle allows the viewer to see how important religion was to the Catholic Irish immigrants while also causing them to see how their religion prevented the Irish from being treated equally. Focusing the camera on a single character rather than going back and forth establishes Amsterdam as the main character of the story. This shot serves to show how religion is not Amsterdam’s primary concern.
After the church scene, the camera focuses on a sign which says, “THE WAY OF THE TRANSGRESSOR IS HARD”. The camera then moves downward and shifts to Amsterdam hugging the reverend and departing. This camera transition works as an arrow to foreshadow how Amsterdam will become the transgressor, or sinner, to avenge his father’s death. After the hug, Amsterdam leaves the church to later walk over a bridge. This scene is a walking shot that zooms in on Amsterdam while a voiceover is playing. Soon the shot switches to a sign saying “HELLGATE HOUSE OF REFORM,” which establishes Amsterdam’s setting. In this instance, the viewer realizes that Amsterdam has not been inside a church, but rather he finished his sentence at a house of reforms, which seems to be an old version of a jail.
The next shot consists of Amsterdam walking over a bridge where he throws his new Bible into the water. The camera angle, in this instance, is upward which shows how Amsterdam thinks that his religion is beneath him. Once Amsterdam throws the Bible into the water, the image focuses on the Bible sinking. The sinking of the Bible shows how his time at the house of reforms has ended and that his forgiveness was only superficial. The colors of the scene are also brighter showing how Amsterdam’s departure is the start of his new life and freedom. However, throughout the entire shot, the brown undertones are present reminding the viewer that though Amsterdam is an adult now, he is still living in his past. In short, the inclusion of the scene was to show how Amsterdam has never really forgiven Bill Cutting for his father’s death. Instead, Amsterdam must trick the people, like he tricked the priest, in order to avenge his father.
