Beloved by moviegoers for decades, the mafia film genre typically centers around key players that make up the world of organized crime in various contexts, locations, and cultures, with a sprinkle of family life and a generous serving of violence included in the storylines. The genre traces back to the early beginnings of film, but was popularized by directors like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese in the 1970s and beyond.
Over the years, the mafia genre has continued to defy stereotypes and include elements from different film genres, like suspense or comedy. The latest mafia-related film, "Mafia Mamma," which hit theaters on April 14, presents a traditional look at the Italian mafia, with a refreshing, comedic tone delivered by Toni Collette and Monica Bellucci. In the film, Colette's character, Kristin, unexpectedly inherits her estranged grandfather's mafia empire in Calabria, Italy, and has to assume the role of mob boss...
Over the years, the mafia genre has continued to defy stereotypes and include elements from different film genres, like suspense or comedy. The latest mafia-related film, "Mafia Mamma," which hit theaters on April 14, presents a traditional look at the Italian mafia, with a refreshing, comedic tone delivered by Toni Collette and Monica Bellucci. In the film, Colette's character, Kristin, unexpectedly inherits her estranged grandfather's mafia empire in Calabria, Italy, and has to assume the role of mob boss...
- 4/20/2023
- by Alicia Geigel
- Popsugar.com
"Once Upon a Time in the West" has one of the greatest opening sequences I've ever seen. Three sinister outlaws descend on a train station in the middle of nowhere, lock up the station master, then wait a wordless eternity for the next train to arrive. For the next eight minutes, we watch them kill time; in Sergio Leone's hands, the tedium is riveting. One gunslinger sits by a water trough, cracking his knuckles. Another tries catching 40 winks but finds himself harassed by a persistent fly. The third stands under the water tower, catching drips in the brim of his hat. In the background is the singsong whine of a creaky windmill.
In a sudden burst of smoke and noise, the train gallops down the track. Pulling in at the station, it seems their target isn't onboard. Then a haunting harmonica melody rings out as the train pulls away,...
In a sudden burst of smoke and noise, the train gallops down the track. Pulling in at the station, it seems their target isn't onboard. Then a haunting harmonica melody rings out as the train pulls away,...
- 10/17/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Sergio Leone began the long road to his final film, "Once Upon a Time in America," as far back as the late 1960s, when he was in New York to meet about the marketing for "Once Upon a Time in the West." Leone had read the 1952 novel "The Hoods" by Harry Grey — believed to be the pen name of Herschel Goldberg, a real-life Jewish American gangster who had written the book as a fictional autobiography of sorts during a prison stint. Names were (to quote "Dragnet") "changed to protect the innocent," as Grey was concerned about endangering his family by writing something that might involve thinly veiled versions of real mob events that took place in the 1920s and '30s.
Owing to this, perhaps, Leone initially had a hard time getting ahold of Grey, who was obviously protective of his identity and the circumstances under which he would meet people.
Owing to this, perhaps, Leone initially had a hard time getting ahold of Grey, who was obviously protective of his identity and the circumstances under which he would meet people.
- 8/27/2022
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America is as epic as The Godfather, gorier than Goodfellas, and as streetwise as Mean Streets. It tells a full history, from childhood to old age, street hustles to political suicides, community toilets to opium dens. The version which is right now available on Netflix has been amazingly restored by Italy’s Bologna Cinematheque L’Immagine Ritrovata lab. I don’t think I have ever seen the film so clear, and it is a perennial to me, as is The Godfather.
It’s true, even the most devoted gangster fan and cinephile doesn’t watch Once Upon a Time in America as often as The Godfather, and it’s got Robert De Niro at his most gangta. For one thing, Leone’s film has never been as accessible. It is not shown regularly on any kind of broadcast channel, and even the...
It’s true, even the most devoted gangster fan and cinephile doesn’t watch Once Upon a Time in America as often as The Godfather, and it’s got Robert De Niro at his most gangta. For one thing, Leone’s film has never been as accessible. It is not shown regularly on any kind of broadcast channel, and even the...
- 9/22/2021
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
This article contains Once Upon a Time in America spoilers.
The Godfather is a great movie, possibly the best ever made. Its sequel, The Godfather, Part II, often follows it in the pantheon of classic cinema, some critics even believe it is the better film. Robert Evans, head of production at Paramount in the early 1970s, wanted The Godfather to be directed by an Italian American. Francis Ford Coppola was very much a last resort. The studio’s first choice was Sergio Leone, but he was getting ready to make his own gangster epic, Once Upon a Time in America. Though less known, it is equally magnificent.
Robert De Niro, as David “Noodles” Aaronson, and James Woods, as Maximillian “Max” Bercovicz, make up a dream gangster film pairing in Once Upon a Time in America, on par with late 1930s audiences seeing Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney team for The Roaring Twenties...
The Godfather is a great movie, possibly the best ever made. Its sequel, The Godfather, Part II, often follows it in the pantheon of classic cinema, some critics even believe it is the better film. Robert Evans, head of production at Paramount in the early 1970s, wanted The Godfather to be directed by an Italian American. Francis Ford Coppola was very much a last resort. The studio’s first choice was Sergio Leone, but he was getting ready to make his own gangster epic, Once Upon a Time in America. Though less known, it is equally magnificent.
Robert De Niro, as David “Noodles” Aaronson, and James Woods, as Maximillian “Max” Bercovicz, make up a dream gangster film pairing in Once Upon a Time in America, on par with late 1930s audiences seeing Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney team for The Roaring Twenties...
- 9/7/2021
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Once Upon a Time in America
Directed by Sergio Leone
Written by Leonardo Benvenuti, Piero De Bernardi, Enrico Medioli, Franco Arcalli, Franco Ferrini, Sergio Leone
Italy/USA, 1984
Widely and justly heralded for his trendsetting Spaghetti Westerns, Sergio Leone’s final and arguably most ambitious work was in another staple American genre. Like these Westerns though, this film was as much of its respective variety as it was about it. Once Upon a Time in America, with its name obviously derived from Leone’s previous Once Upon a Time in the West, is a gangster film of the highest order, and, at the same time, it recalls so many of its predecessors, from the Warner Brothers classics of the 1930s to The Godfather. This was by design. As Leone himself notes, “My film was to be an homage to the American films I love, and to America itself.”
Out now on...
Directed by Sergio Leone
Written by Leonardo Benvenuti, Piero De Bernardi, Enrico Medioli, Franco Arcalli, Franco Ferrini, Sergio Leone
Italy/USA, 1984
Widely and justly heralded for his trendsetting Spaghetti Westerns, Sergio Leone’s final and arguably most ambitious work was in another staple American genre. Like these Westerns though, this film was as much of its respective variety as it was about it. Once Upon a Time in America, with its name obviously derived from Leone’s previous Once Upon a Time in the West, is a gangster film of the highest order, and, at the same time, it recalls so many of its predecessors, from the Warner Brothers classics of the 1930s to The Godfather. This was by design. As Leone himself notes, “My film was to be an homage to the American films I love, and to America itself.”
Out now on...
- 10/15/2014
- by Jeremy Carr
- SoundOnSight
For someone who's considered one of the greatest filmmakers in history, Sergio Leone was not especially prolific. While he worked extensively as an assistant director (with credits including "Bicycle Thieves," "Quo Vadis" and "Ben Hur"), he was only credited on seven films across his thirty-year career (with uncredited direction work on three others -- "The Last Days Of Pompeii," "My Name Is Nobody" and "A Genius, Two Partners and A Dupe").
But given that those films include some of the greatest Westerns -- the Man With No Name trilogy, and "Once Upon A Time In The West" -- and a wonderful crime epic, "Once Upon A Time In America," it's hard not to mourn that we didn't get more films from the director, who passed away 23 years ago today, on April 30th, 1989. But it wasn't for a lack of trying, as there were a number of other projects that Leone considered,...
But given that those films include some of the greatest Westerns -- the Man With No Name trilogy, and "Once Upon A Time In The West" -- and a wonderful crime epic, "Once Upon A Time In America," it's hard not to mourn that we didn't get more films from the director, who passed away 23 years ago today, on April 30th, 1989. But it wasn't for a lack of trying, as there were a number of other projects that Leone considered,...
- 4/30/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Well, we're one day away from the unveiling of the Cannes Film Festival lineup, but as usual, organizers will also highlight films from the past, and in 2012 they've landed a restoration of a film that will be adding plenty of new material for cinephiles to take in.
First announced last spring, Bologna Cinemetheque L'Immagine Ritrovata, Martin Scorsese's The Film Foundation and uh, Gucci, have teamed to digitally restore Sergio Leone's "Once Upon A Time In America," adding 40 minutes of footage to the already sprawling 229 minute runtime. This brings the film back to the original 269-minute run time Leone first crafted, before it was cut down for the Cannes premiere in 1984. The director's original vision was to release the movie -- based on Harry Grey's novel -- as two separate three-hour movies. And while that didn't come to pass, Leone's 4-hour version never really got its due, having...
First announced last spring, Bologna Cinemetheque L'Immagine Ritrovata, Martin Scorsese's The Film Foundation and uh, Gucci, have teamed to digitally restore Sergio Leone's "Once Upon A Time In America," adding 40 minutes of footage to the already sprawling 229 minute runtime. This brings the film back to the original 269-minute run time Leone first crafted, before it was cut down for the Cannes premiere in 1984. The director's original vision was to release the movie -- based on Harry Grey's novel -- as two separate three-hour movies. And while that didn't come to pass, Leone's 4-hour version never really got its due, having...
- 4/18/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
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