Continuity mistake: In the very beginning of the movie priest Vallon is shaving. The reflection in the mirror shows a wispy, short mustache, but when we see Vallon's face as he speaks to his son his mustache is thick and twisted. (00:01:40)
Continuity mistake: As someone pointed out earlier, the poster for the commemoration of the Five Points battle claims to be the 16th anniversary, but the date shows 1863 -- 17 years after the 1846 battle. To further add to the confusion, when William Cutting is talking to Amsterdam in the bedroom after the night at the brothel, he says, "I killed the last honorable man [Priest Vallon] 15 years ago [in the Five Points battle]." So which is it? 15, 16, or 17 years? (00:02:42)
Continuity mistake: Before the big battle of Five Points begins Bill's gang comes out from a decrepit house. In the first wide shot of the place there is no smoke coming out ouf the chimney of the adjacent house to the right, but a moment later when Bill's people start to emerge it's smoking heavily. (00:06:00)
Continuity mistake: In the battle of Five Points a witch-like women with steel claws jumps at a man, already flashing her teeth in anticipation of a good bite. Before she lands on him she lowers her head that it ends up below his shoulder, but when the camera angle changes she's biting off his ear. (00:08:50)
Continuity mistake: The moment when Bill attacks Vallon is very badly edited. There's a shot of Bill raising his cleaver, and it must be at Vallon because he had his eyes fixed on him already for a while. Then you see Vallon's arm crushed by a halberd, then again Bill staring at Vallon, then Vallon turning around, unharmed as it seems, and finally Bill slashing Vallon with his cleaver. (00:09:55)
Continuity mistake: At the end of the Five Points battle, when the defeat of priest Vallon is announced, there are some shots of his shocked followers. In one you see Monk with a pretty clean face, but when the camera closes up on his face it's full of measles-looking blood stains. (00:10:35)
Continuity mistake: When Vallon lies on the ground after Bill has stabbed him he is tightly surrounded by people. When you see his son holding on to his dying father you should see other people's feet, but there aren't any. Also from the lighting of the scene you can tell that these shots were taken with no crowd around. (00:11:00)
Continuity mistake: In Vallon's death scene the blood streaks on his face change in at least three ways, most visibly those on his right cheek. Also the shaving cut he had inflicted on himself before the battle vanishes between two shots. (00:11:45)
Continuity mistake: After young Amsterdam grabs the knife his father was killed with he runs into the Old Brewery. You see his friend Johnny coming from inside while Amsterdam is running up the steps. Then a cut on Bill, then back to the brewery door, and Johnny emerges from the dark again calling out for his friend, and in this shot Amsterdam hasn't even reached the steps yet. (00:13:10)
Continuity mistake: When we see young Amsterdam run off with the knife that was used to stab Priest Vallon, he puts the knife into a little cubby hole in the floor. 16 years go by and we see Amsterdam as an adult return to the same cubby hole, but this time when he pulls out the knife it is wrapped in some type of a cloth. (00:20:30)
Continuity mistake: When Amsterdam arrives in New York City and is talking to his new friend, the bag he is holding switches from being held under his arm (camera shot from front) to being carried on his back (camera shot from the back). This happens at least four times in a row during the same scene. (00:22:55)
Continuity mistake: When Amsterdam and Johnny are looting the burning house Johnny gets trapped by a burning beam. Amsterdam can't make up his mind if he should continue the robbery or rescue his friend, looks at a heap of jewelry lying on the floor, then at Johnny, and when he grabs some pieces before he comes to his help there are only a few scattered around. (00:28:55)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where the future Ghoul Gang shares the booty, Amsterdam provokes the leader who is sitting down while the others are standing behind the table. The guy jumps at him, while the others stay where they are, but before he reaches Amsterdam the others guys separate them, emerging mysteriously from the sides. (00:30:20)
Continuity mistake: When Amsterdam is in the Chinese ballroom the first time, he shows an unfolded sheet of paper with a drawing to the man sitting across the table from him. In the next shot, he hands the paper - which is now folded - to the man, who then unfolds it. (00:33:30)
Continuity mistake: At their first encounter after Amsterdam's return to New York, Bill asks him to come closer. Amsterdam comes around the post he was leaning on, then the camera cuts to Priest Vallon's picture, and when Bill says it's close enough you see Amsterdam coming around the same post again. (00:35:15)
Continuity mistake: Before the Ghoul Gang leaves the Portuguese ship, Amsterdam throws the captain's body into the boat. It lands more or less under the seat, but in the next shot the body is placed right at the bow. (00:38:35)
Continuity mistake: The scene where Amsterdam is climbing on the Portuguese ship, we see that there are still four people left in the small boat and we see that Johnny is the first one on the ship, so how did the rest of the gang board the ship before Johnny and Amsterdam? They even know that the ship has been ransacked. (00:39:05)
Suggested correction: There was no scene that shows Johnny was first one on the ship. There was a scene where he climbs before Amsterdam who was the last on the ladder, and all the gang at that moment was already onboard, because they climbed there offscreen.
Continuity mistake: After Jenny knees Amsterdam a second time, he grabs her by the throat but when the camera angle changes his hands are now at his sides. (00:40:05)
Continuity mistake: When Amsterdam comes to Bill's place for the first time there is a little altar with priest Vallon's picture. It has an inscription saying 'In Memory of Priest Vallon, 1846'. When he comes the second time and has his fist fight with McGloin the picture falls on the ground. When Bill put's it back on its place the inscription isn't there. (00:42:50)
Continuity mistake: When Amsterdam meets Jenny for the second time he is seen stealing what looks like an apple and is in his right hand. When she runs away he doesn't have the apple, but when the when the shot is on Amsterdam the apple reappears for him to throw it to the ground. (00:45:30)
