Questions about hanging scene in Gangs of New York

In the movie Gangs of New York, four people are about to be hanged.

One of them shakes hands with Bill, who purchases a necklace from him, and they even negotiate about the price from 1 dollar to 1.5 dollars. Why would someone about to die want to negotiate over a necklace?

When all are hanged, people in the audience applaud! Why would they do that in the event of people losing their lives?

plot-explanation gangs-of-new-york

Best Answer

Because for them it was entertainment.

Historically, public executions were spectacles often witnessed by huge crowds

An Act of Parliament ended public hangings in Britain in 1868, but it took America nearly seventy more years to follow suit. In colonial times, says one account,

“Crowds of thirty thousand or more were expected to be at high profile hangings; viewing stands had to be erected to contain the throngs. Often chaos erupted out of these bloodthirsty crowds — a viewing stand collapsed at an execution in Cooperstown, New York, and killed two people.

^Source

The Last Public Execution in America, says a book with that name, took place in Owensboro, Kentucky, on August 14, 1936, “when some 20,000 men, women, and children witnessed it.”

The script indicates the same intention...a holiday/entertaining atmosphre...

 The CROWD is in a carnival mood; HOT CORN GIRLS, STREET VENDORS,
  "HOKEY-POKEY" (i.e., ice cream) MERCHANTS, even BUSKERS, all add to the
  holiday spirit.

Regarding the sale of the prisoner's belongings, it's less clear. The implication is that the proceeds are retained by the persons actually conducting the execitions...since the bidding is started/controlled by the Assistant Hnagman in the script.

  ASSISTANT HANGMAN
  What am I bid for this coat? A coat of some wear but excellent cut...
  containing a rather remarkable pocket silk...

It's possible that the proceeds are then passed to the prisoners heirs but given the nature of the movie and the times I would suspect that this is not the case.

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Why did they hang in Gangs of New York?

Because for them it was entertainment. In colonial times, says one account, \u201cCrowds of thirty thousand or more were expected to be at high profile hangings; viewing stands had to be erected to contain the throngs.

Is there any truth to the movie Gangs of New York?

While the film's events are largely fictional, save for the Draft Riots, much of the script was inspired directly by the extremely entertaining nonfiction book "The Gangs of New York," published in 1927 by journalist Herbert Asbury.

How much truth is there in Gangs of New York?

The Gangs of New York is widely viewed as an outstanding movie, but it is not particularly historically accurate. This movie is a 2002 epic directed by one of the greatest modern directors, Martin Scorsese. The now-defunct Miramax produced the movie, and it was based on an idea by Jay Cocks.

What did Bill the Butcher do to Amsterdam?

His name was Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio) and he was the Preist's son, hell-bent on revenge. Bill grows attached to Amsterdam, but upon learning his true identity, after Amsterdam attemps to kill him at a victory celebration, Bill tortures him in front of the crowd and "marks" him by burning a blade onto his cheek.

Innocent Citizen Hanged - Gangs of New York (2002)

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