Hobbits lose out in battle for ‘Two Towers’; ‘Gangs of New

York’ gets down to the nitty-gritty

More sword, less sorcery in ‘Towers’

The first installment of “Lord of the Rings” presented the full

range of sword and sorcery contained in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic novels.

In “Fellowship of the Ring,” the mystical powers at work were of far

greater importance than the war being fought in the physical world

over Middle Earth. Some of the best special effects in that film

involved the wizard, Gandalf, and our hobbit hero, Frodo, moving

magically back and forth between the seen and unseen worlds.

“The Two Towers” continues the epic battle between good and evil,

but this second effort contains a lot more sword and a lot less

sorcery than the first. This film focuses almost entirely on the

great battle for Helm’s Deep, which takes up far more time on screen

than in the novel. The battle scenes are spectacular, but they are

long, loud and scary, pushing the limits of the PG-13 rating for

violence. Screen time spent on all the fighting is at the expense of

character depth and the many magical details present in the original

story.

But one marvelous character is given ample time for full

development. That is the morally conflicted Gollum, an amazing

frog-like creature whose past possession of the Ring of Power has

reduced him to his current pathetic state. Shakespearean actor Andy

Serkis brings life, heart and soul to the computer-generated Gollum,

who is at ground zero of the whirlwind struggle for the Ring.

The special effects also produce the delightful Treebeard, an

ancient living oak of the forest who walks and talks and joins the

fray against the evil Saruman’s army.

“The Two Towers” stands on its own merits as an awesome

action-adventure film with a little magic thrown in on the side. It

should please fans of the genre and garner several Oscar nominations.

But the beloved wizards and hobbits definitely take a back seat to

the din of battle in this version of the novel. Many in the audience

won’t mind, but true fans of the book may wish for fewer killing

scenes and more of the mystical adventure that is at the heart of

Tolkien’s tale.

“Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” is rated PG-13 for epic battle

sequences and scary images.

* JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator

for the Orange County public defender’s office.

‘Gangs’ shows different side of America

As Americans, we sometimes view other countries’ civil unrest as

inconceivable and appalling. It’s all too easy to forget that civil

strife was not only an integral part of our history but also a

catalyst in creating the America that we know today. In Martin

Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York,” we are transported to an America

whose growing pains were steeped in violence. Where sometimes the

enemy, whether real or imagined, lived right next door.

Since the early 1970’s, Scorsese has been fascinated with the

historical relevance of Herbert Asbury’s 1927 novel “The Gangs of New

York.” And although embellished, Scorsese has taken meticulous steps

to reenact that part of America’s past.

In the forefront, “Gangs” focuses on heritage pride and father-son

relationships while depicting, in the background, the turbulent times

during the Civil War -- cries of New York’s secession, abolishment of

slavery and riots against Lincoln’s draft.

In the opening scene, we travel to New York City circa 1846 where

innocence is shattered when the stark white snow-lined streets are

stained a ruby-red during a graphically brutal fight sequence between

two warring immigrant groups.

The Nativists, who contrary to their moniker are only one or two

generations removed from their immigrant birthright, are led by the

uncompromising Bill Cuddy a.k.a. “The Butcher” (Daniel Day-Lewis).

Their adversaries are the Dead Rabbits, the most recent Irish

immigrants, led by Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson). When Vallon’s son,

Amsterdam, witnesses his father’s death, he vows vengeance against

his killer.

Sixteen years pass and Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio) leaves the

orphanage, returning to the seedy, poverty-ridden streets of lower

Manhattan, where he quickly learns that in order to survive he must

hide his identity and befriend his father’s murderer.

Even though DiCaprio as Amsterdam and Cameron Diaz as his love

interest, Jenny, give convincing performances, it is Daniel

Day-Lewis’ phenomenal performance as Bill that is not only central to

the film, but symbolic of the times as well. Day-Lewis embodies the

vicious Bill slowly revealing multifarious layers of passion,

bigotry, admiration, struggle, despair, fear and hope.

Like Day-Lewis, Bill distinguishes himself from the other

pickpockets, swindlers and murderers. In his fresh, stylish clothes,

he’s uncharacteristically intelligent and politically savvy. However

nothing changes his true nature, and when Amsterdam threatens his

beliefs and way of life, he fights like a cornered, scrappy mongrel.

What intrigues me the most about Scorsese’s films, including

“Gangs,” is that even if they begin slowly with narrative, I always

get hooked. Unfortunately “Gangs” is a dark, borderline depressing

drama and not the lighter fare desired by a wide audience, especially

during the holiday season.

It is, however, one of the best films that I’ve seen this year.

Have you ever wondered why so many critically acclaimed films are

released during the holiday season? It’s not a coincidence. In order

to be considered for Oscar contention, a film must be released, even

in limited release, by Dec. 31.

“Gangs of New York” is rated R for intense strong violence,

sexuality, nudity and language.

* JULIE LOWRANCE is a Costa Mesa resident who works at a Newport

Beach overnight aircraft advertising agency.