| abstract
| - "Priest" Vallon was the leader of the Dead Rabbits and the father of Amsterdam Vallon, the protagonist in the 2002 film Gangs of New York. The Dead Rabbits were one of the many gangs of Irish immigrants in 19th century New York City. In 1846, his gang and several others engaged in battle with opposing rivals in the city. One gang leader in particular, Bill the Butcher, the film's antagonist was Priest's rival who ended up killing him (at the same time respecting him greatly). Though only seen in the first ten minutes of the film and mentioned throughout the rest, Priest is a minor character and was portayed by Liam Neeson. Many years after Priest's death, Bill talked to Amsterdam about Priest, unbeknownst that he is his son. Bill said Priest was the only man he killed worth remembering (he even has his picture). One night, the two got in a fight and Priest almost killed Bill but decided to spare him and let him live in defeat and shame. The two then decided a challenge between the Bill's protestant natives and Priest's catholic immigrants which occurred at the beginning of the film. The film opens up with Priest getting ready to fight as a young Amsterdam eagerly waits to watch his father in action. Though called Priest and dresses up as one, he is not really a priest. His weapons are a sword and a giant cross which he uses to hit people with. The battle occurs in the heart of the Five Points, the immigrant central of New York City. Priest rounded up every Irish, catholic immigrant while Bill rounded every Protestant white American. The battle begins and a bloodbath ensues. Priest slays many natives while Bill cuts down many Irish to get to Priest on the other side of the battlefield. As Bill got closer, he yelled Priest's name and Priest began to strike but Bill throws a decoy so Priest lodges his weapons in the decoy and Bill goes in for the kill. He stabs Priest but Priest tries to strangle Bill in order to take him with him but Bill pierces Priest with a knife to the lung which knocks him down. Amsterdam witnesses the killing and Bill calls off the battle by holding up Priest's dying body and letting out a victory yell. As Priest laid dying, he has his son remember him and never to give up their cause for freedom in America and has Bill finish with the final blow, killing him. Bill has no one on both sides take any money, clothes, weapons or body parts from them as Bill wants Priest to cross over whole in honor. One of Priest's allies, a mercenary named Monk, takes something from Priest's pockets and Amsterdam never forgave him for it. After Amsterdam is sent to a boarding house in upstate NY, Bill declares that Priest died a noble death but the Dead Rabbits outlawed, and their name to never be mentioned again. Priest's former comrades either join Bill's side or die which many do the latter when Amsterdam returns to the points. Amsterdam learns that Bill has a little memorial for Priest on the anniversary of his death but the natives celebrate it as a holiday. At the 15th anniversary, Amsterdam attempts to kill Bill but is folied and Bill severly injures him and makes him live in shame. The audience learns later that what Monk took was a razor belonging to Priest and hopes Amsterdam could use it to take revenge against Bill for killing Priest. Monk, the first to learn Amsterdam's true identity, tells him that for all his faults, his father "was a man who loved his people." At the end of the film, Amsterdam finally gets his revenge and kills Bill but out of respect, he buries him next to Priest's grave where they both can view the river. Amsterdam also buries Priest's razor next to his father as well.
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