Once Upon a Time in America

One of my all time favorites. If you ask me it's both Leone's and De Niro's best. Most people remember De Niro as Jimmy the Gent, Jake LaMotta, Travis Bickle, or young Vito Corleone, but to me he will always be David "Noodles" Aaronson, streetwise Jewish kid from the Lower East Side turned criminal kingpin. The famed "European Cut" is great, but if possible go after the 251 minute directors cut. You'll be glad you did.

Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America is not just a gangster film – it is an epic masterpiece that explores life, friendship, betrayal, and regret in a timeless story. Leone takes us on an emotional journey through New York’s Lower East Side during Prohibition and beyond, following a group of Jewish gangsters through their rise and fall.

The storytelling is brilliantly fragmented, shifting between past, present, and future. Leone’s manipulation of time creates a melancholic sense of nostalgia while emphasizing the harsh reality of confronting the past.

Robert De Niro as Noodles and James Woods as Max carry the film with their iconic performances. De Niro captures Noodles’ tortured, regretful nature with quiet strength, while Woods balances ambition and cold manipulation perfectly. Their dynamic forms the heart of the film – a friendship torn apart by greed and unforgivable betrayal.

A standout is Joe Pesci’s small role, which, despite limited screen time, leaves a lasting impression. His sharpness and presence demonstrate his talent for bringing even minor roles to life.

Ennio Morricone’s music is the soul of the film. His haunting and beautiful compositions elevate every scene, capturing a sense of lost innocence. Morricone’s creativity shines in the details – for instance, the ringing phone sound in a pivotal scene was achieved by distorting a single tone played on a flute, creating an eerie, unsettling effect that mirrors Noodles’ tormented mind.

Visually, the film is breathtaking. Leone’s meticulous attention to detail – from the gritty streets of Prohibition-era New York to the intimate, charged moments between characters – crafts a world that feels both alive and tragic.

Weaknesses:

One of the film’s flaws lies in Elizabeth McGovern’s character, Deborah, whose aging feels inconsistent compared to Noodles and the other characters. This small detail detracts slightly from the film’s overall authenticity.

The Book Behind the Film:

The movie is based on the book “The Hoods” by Harry Grey, a semi-autobiographical novel about life in New York’s underworld. While Leone’s adaptation adds a poetic, cinematic touch, Grey’s novel remains a raw and personal inspiration for this timeless epic.

Rating: 10/10

Conclusion:

Once Upon a Time in America is a film that transcends its genre to explore something profoundly human. It is a story of memories, betrayal, and regret, where every frame, every note of Morricone’s music, and every nuanced performance is meticulously crafted. Small details – like the sound of a phone or Joe Pesci’s brilliant cameo – enhance the experience. Despite minor flaws, Leone’s film is a timeless classic that lingers long after the credits roll.

Fictional biography of an Italian-American gangster.

If I were to tell you that there was an epic movie that starred some of Hollywood's biggest actors (Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, James Woods) and directed by a famed director (Sergio Leone) and you didn't hear of it, would you believe me? Probably not.
So if this movie was so good, how come you've never heard of it. The answer is simple: Sony screwed up. This movie was made in 1983 and it was a movie that Leone (director of such classics as The Good, The Bad and the Ugly and Fistful of Dollars) had tried to make since he started makinig movies. The problem is that he wanted to make it his way and that originally meant a 6 hour movie. The finished producted ended up being just shy of four hours and this is where Sony stepped in. It seems that even way back then we were a country full of dolts and Sony gambled that we wouldn't sit through four hours of goodness. I probably agree with that, but if that were the case they should have either put it out in its entirety or cut bait. Instead, they cut out the middle of the movie. Hey, what movie needs a middle? That's fine for an NBA game or a NASCAR race but not so good for movies.

The result must have been a disaster. As you may have guessed, the movie was a commercial failure in this country while simultaneously being regarded as a masterpiece in other countries. In fact, I read one review where the reviewer dubbed it worst movie of 1984 and best movie of the 80's (after he saw the whole film) - how is that for impressive?

I only saw the finished product and I thought it was brilliant. It was almost four hours long and I wish it had been eight. Those of you that have seen Leone's other works will recognize his signature style. His ability to paint a picture without words (the end of "Ugly" and the beginning of "Dollars") never ceases to amaze me. It was also nice to see De Niro in a role that he was born to play and before he became a caricature of himself (see Pacino, Al).

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An excellent gangster movie that comes close to The Godfather on therms of quality of story, acting and general vibe.

Beautiful movie about nostalgia and regrets. It’s not usual (at least for me) to hear Enio Moricone’s music in a gangster movie but he managed to create nice melodies that will get us back to the characters memories.
Age can Once Upon a Time in America, some scenes are a bit too long but everything is here, scenario, acting… and I loved to be able to choose my interpretation of the end of the story

Finally got round to watching it and what better way than with the extended 251-minute cut (the closest we've ever gotten to a 'director's cut') in an oldschool cinema on the big screen. Even had an intermission. T'was beautiful.

This film is too grand to sum up quickly but it's actually insane how every theme here is perfectly executed. It has many scenes that I'd consider among the best I've seen in a long while and Ennio Morricone's score is jaw-droppingly emotive.

I only saw it today but I can already feel it has that 'classic movie' feeling of the movie getting better and better in my head the more days pass.

There are some movies that you really want to watch but still put off forever for various reasons. For me, "Once Upon a Time in America" has been such a movie so far, and the reason is, of course, the eternally long runtime. And yet, I've never seen a movie by Sergio Leone that I didn't like, and I can always appreciate gangster stories. And of course I also thoroughly enjoyed this movie, even if the long runtime can be felt negatively at one point or another. But Leone wanted to tell a story spanning many decades, which he managed to do quite well overall.

However, you should be prepared for the fact that almost all the characters here are pretty much assholes, so you probably won't sympathize with anyone. This also applies to the main character “Noodles” (Robert De Niro), who commits truly heinous and unforgivable acts. Nevertheless, the characters feel real, and there is also a lot of unambiguous subtext, which makes the character constellations even more interesting.

And I don't need to mention that Leone's movie is flawless on a technical level. Combined with the once again fantastic score by Ennio Morricone, this creates the perfect setting for this amazing and interesting story. And overall, the movie feels like it “only” lasts 2.5 to 3 hours. Of course, you have to put in a lot of time, but it's definitely worth it in the end.