Movies

Scorsese’s Gangs of New York Filmed in Rome, Not NYC

BBG News

Martin Scorsese’s movie “Gangs of New York” utilized authentic filming locations to breathe life into the historical drama. Set in Lower Manhattan’s Five Points district during the 1860s, “Gangs of New York” offered viewers a captivating insight into New York City’s past, filtered through Scorsese’s unique artistic perspective. Inspired by a 1927 book, Scorsese portrayed the challenging circumstances faced by Irish immigrants caught in the midst of political, societal, and religious turmoil. The end product was one of the greatest immigrant films ever made, earning nominations for Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards.

Despite encountering several hurdles during production, it took three years to bring Gangs of New York to life. The set designs and shooting locations were among the difficulties faced. Martin Scorsese had disagreements with producer Harvey Weinstein over Scorsese’s insistence on getting every detail correct and true-to-life for New York City during that era. Contrary to his commitment to authenticity, the main filming site for Gangs of New York wasn’t actually New York City itself.

Rome, Italy

Scorsese Had To Take Production Abroad To Create 19th-Century New York City

The notorious Five Points slum, portrayed in “Gangs of New York,” existed for 70 years. Known for its crime and violence, as depicted in the movie, it has since been replaced by a modern Civic Center housing various federal, state, and local government buildings. Martin Scorsese, renowned for his New York-based films, couldn’t film at the actual location due to historical accuracy concerns.

Instead, the main shooting site for Gangs of New York was actually Cinecittà Studio in Rome, Italy. Scorsese worked alongside production designer Dante Ferretti to reproduce the Five Points and multiple other New York City spots. Over a mile-long expanse of structures were built to mimic 19th-century New York, including a five-block segment of Lower Manhattan with the Five Points. The studio also accommodated two full-sized sailing ships, a church, tavern, theater, casino, and a replica of Tammany Hall, which was used in Gangs of New York.

In the movie, the Roman settings served a dual purpose: they not only portrayed the gritty and impoverished section of the city, but also highlighted the wealthy side of New York City during that time, emphasizing one of the main themes. Specifically, when characters Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Jenny (Cameron Diaz) are in grand country estates, the Institute Marymount Nomentana in Rome represents the mansion, and the tree-lined park they walk through is modeled after Villa Borghese Park.

New York City

The Movie Didn’t Film Any Full Scenes In New York

Interestingly, despite its title, just two days of shooting for “Gangs of New York” were carried out in the actual city of New York. When filming moved to the city, it was done at Silvercup Studios located in Long Island City. Notably, this studio has been a popular choice for other renowned TV shows and films set in New York, such as “Mad Men,” “Sex and the City,” and “Gossip Girl.” However, “Gangs of New York” didn’t spend much time there; it quickly moved on to other locations.

The entire principal photography for this film didn’t occur in New York City; instead, it was filmed in Italy. After wrapping up the production of “Gangs of New York”, additional scenes were planned to be re-filmed to enhance clarity in the climactic battle sequence at the end of the movie. Since this battle scene is one of Martin Scorsese’s iconic film conclusions, it was crucial to perfect it. American Cinematographer reported that the initial shooting of this scene took place about a year before the reshoot.

Despite having to re-create a daylight scene filled with grenade smoke on a studio set, which presented numerous difficulties, the crew in New York managed to do so, showcasing once again the meticulous detail that went into Gangs of New York. In another demonstration of their focus on authenticity, the sets were skillfully integrated.

Filming Caused All Sorts Of Problems On Set

Martin Scorsese Clashed With Producer Harvey Weinstein

When Martin Scorsese began filming “Gangs of New York”, he was already well-respected as one of cinema’s greats, with films like “Taxi Driver”, “Raging Bull”, and “Goodfellas” under his belt. Yet, this project presented challenges and chaos even for him. Initially, Scorsese wanted to create the film in the 1980s, but the cost of recreating old New York City was too high at that time. Even two decades later, realizing his vision wasn’t any simpler.

The production expenses escalated significantly as the film’s budget was bumped up by 25%, surpassing $100 million. This escalation in costs led to mounting tensions between Scorsese and the controversial producer, Harvey Weinstein, during the making of Gangs of New York. The Independent’s retrospective on the film’s challenging production recalls Weinstein’s frequent visits to the set, urging Scorsese to work swiftly while also imposing conditions to boost the movie’s box office appeal. These demands included alterations such as changing the historically accurate gang name of the Dead Rabbits, enhancing Daniel Day-Lewis’ costume for a more visually appealing poster look, and reducing the film’s running time.

Eventually, “Gangs of New York” garnered nearly $200 million globally and received impressive critical praise. Despite their tumultuous partnership, Scorsese collaborated again with Weinstein on his next film featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, titled “The Aviator“.

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2025-04-19 16:17

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