As the saying goes, you just can’t win ‘em all. Nobody knows that better than director Martin Scorsese, whose 2002 movie Gangs of New York was one of the biggest Oscar snubs of the 21st century. Gangs of New York is an epic historical drama set in 1862 during a time of intense Catholic-Protestant feuding. The film follows a young Irish immigrant named Amsterdam, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who gets released from prison and plots revenge against William Cutting, the man who killed his father. Cutting, who is played by Daniel Day-Lewis, is a staunch anti-immigrant gang leader who has taken control of the Manhattan neighborhood known as the Five Points. To have his revenge and win solace for the Irish people, Amsterdam must worm his way into the upper echelon of Cutting’s gang.

Scorsese had developed the film for nearly 20 years before it finally got picked up for production in 1999, and then, upon the film’s completion in 2001, the release was delayed due to the September 11th attacks. The troubled film finally saw release in 2002, and scored a whopping 10 Oscar nominations. Astonishingly, it didn’t win in even one of its nominated categories. According to The Cinessential, “If it wasn’t for The Color Purple and The Turning Point, Gangs of New York would live in infamy as the Oscar’s biggest loser.” Here’s why the historical epic was one of the biggest snubs in the history of the Academy Awards.

An Underappreciated Master

Gangs of New York by Martin Scorsese
Miramax Films

Despite critic Roger Ebert calling Martin Scorsese “our greatest active American director,” the auteur filmmaker has only ever won one Academy Award, which was for his 2006 film The Departed. The esteemed director of such classics as Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and The Wolf of Wall Street is one of the most consistently impressive filmmakers of all-time, having very few (if any) duds in his filmography. With Gangs of New York, his 20-year passion project, the odds of Scorsese finally scoring his first Oscar win seemed higher than ever. It was so close, but unfortunately, no cigar.

Related: Best Martin Scorsese Films, Ranked

An Instant Classic

Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York
Miramax Films

When Gangs of New York released in 2002, it was a success, surpassing box-office expectations and garnering positive reviews. Though some critics found the film to be too sprawling for its own good, most agreed that the historical epic was worth the long production delays. On the TV program At the Movies, reputable critic Richard Roeper went as far as to call it a “masterpiece.” The film kicked off a series of collaborations between Scorsese and DiCaprio, and remains one of the duo’s best works. Its riveting action, top-notch performances, and incredible attention to period-detail make it a stand-out film in the prolific director’s filmography, and one of the most impressive historical dramas of the 2000s.

Oscar-Worthy Performances

DiCaprio in Gangs of New York
Miramax Films

Aside from Scorsese’s impeccable direction, which should have won him the Oscar, Gangs of New York features many incredible performances that were unjustly overlooked by the Academy. Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic as the vengeful street tough Amsterdam, and Henry Thomas does a great job playing his old friend-turned-rival Johnny. Despite receiving criticism for her not-so-convincing fake Irish accent, Cameron Diaz turns in a memorable performance as Jenny — who sits in the center of a love triangle between DiCaprio’s and Henry Thomas’ characters. Most notably of all, Gangs of New York features one of Daniel Day-Lewis’ all-time best performances; in his role of William Cutting, Day-Lewis taps into a savage intensity, and compliments it with a sick sense of humor. His performance is electric and positively scene-stealing, and remains one of the veteran actor’s greatest triumphs.

Related: The 10 Biggest Oscar Acting Nomination Snubs of the 21st Century…So Far

A Failed Campaign

Daniel Day Lewis Gangs of New York
Miramax Films

Gangs of New York famously stirred up both controversy and Academy reform in its award campaign. With the Rob Marshall hit Chicago drawing all the press attention away from Scorsese’s historical epic, production company Miramax needed some way to drum up interest in Gangs of New York. They did this by putting out an article in the Los Angeles Daily News that quoted two-time Oscar winner Robert Wise in giving his opinion that Gangs of New York deserved the award. The quote was plastered all over ads for the film, and the strategy worked for a while. However, it soon came to light that the article was commissioned by Miramax, which led many to criticize and rethink the way production companies campaign for award ceremonies.

While this was for the greater good of the Academy Awards, it most likely played a role in preventing Scorsese’s film from winning the Oscar. Regardless of the snub, Gangs of New York remains a star-studded classic that is worthy of continued praise and recognition. Fortunately, the film does still garner attention and appreciation, as exemplified by the recent news of Scorsese adapting the movie into a new television series.