Once Upon a Time in America (1984) User Reviews

Probably the best movie I have ever seen

[zeki-4 · 9/10 · 21 January 2020]

Make sure you watch the 220 minute version which is perfect. The butchered 139 minute version should never have been released and the added faded clips in the much longer 269 minute version aren't worth it.

It's not an easy watch. The story builds patiently and jumps back and forth in time, spanning three generations. It's not the usual gangster flick, but a tale of forgiveness, betrayal, greed and nostalgia. The sets, the fantastic score by Morricone, De Niro at the pinnacle of his career.

A beautiful epic swan song by the master Sergio Leone this is.

Epic film

[dimosthenis-21413 · 9/10 · 21 May 2019]

An incredible film, very emotional coming with an astonishing acting especially from De Niro. The pictures are full of meaning and make you want to be there. Sergio Leone achieved to depict the mysterious and dismal atmosphere of the story. Additionally I need to thing for long time so that to find the right word for the soundtrack, It's just an unrepeatable one. I can easily say that this film is a masterpiece from all aspects.

How Should I Feel About This Movie?

[evanston_dad · 8/10 · 22 May 2023]

Oh, how to feel about this movie?

I was mostly riveted by it, let's get that out of the way. It's gorgeous to look at with those Sergio Leone compositions, and gorgeous to listen to with that Ennio Morricone score. Like so many of Leone's films, it has a plaintive, nostalgic glow to it that makes you ache emotionally without even knowing exactly what you're aching for.

And there's where I get conflicted with this movie. The character created by Robert De Niro is a repulsive human being. He murders, he rapes. The film cannot be forgiven for the way it handles rape. In one instance, the woman treats it like it was a naughty prank and comes back to fondle the rapist and his buddies in a scene played for laughs. In the other instance, the film at least has the decency to make it seem like something traumatic to the woman, but that woman is Elizabeth McGovern, who reappears later in the film and acts like she's full of regret over the relationship she and De Niro were denied, despite the fact that that relationship consisted almost entirely of him just stalking her and then taking her against her will in the back of a car when she tells him she's leaving for California to become an actress. We follow Robert De Niro both as a young man and as an older man looking back ruefully on his life, but we don't sense that he regrets any of the things he actually did. He just regrets what he lost. It's like he's sad that his days of murdering and raping without consequence are over, and that elegiac Sergio Leone tone left me wondering, what exactly are we supposed to be feeling nostalgic about?

So I guess I understand both people who think this movie is something great and those who think it's reprehensible. I guess it's proof that things can be many things at once.

Grade: A.

Last, butchered, unappreciated, work from one of the greatest...

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 6 November 2013]

... Directors of all time. Let's start with a story. Many years ago, when your grandfather was still a boy, a failed, beaten-down actor named Clint Eastwood packed up his horse and saddle (speaking metaphorically here), left Hollywood forever (or so he thought) and headed out to Europe to pick up cash wherever he could. He ended up doing a film in Italy for an almost-unknown director named Sergio Leone and an almost-unknown sound guy named Ennio Morricone. The film was (as history would later record) an "Italian Western," that is, as the iconic western drama was all but disappearing in the US, it was being "re-imagined" by Italian writers and directors, and then filmed in Italy, using mainly Italian actors. On the set, Eastwood spoke in English and everyone else spoke in Italian. (Dubbing later fixed all that). Filming now over, Eastwood took his cash and left. Weeks later, in a bar in another part of Europe, he overheard mention that a certain film was the leading box office attraction on the continent. The name sounded familiar but, frankly, during production, a final name for the film he'd just done had not even been selected. He investigated. Yes, this was the film he had just completed, now titled A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. The rest is history. Sort of. Two sequels were done with Eastwood playing the same character. Monster hits.

By this point the critics began to acknowledge not only Clint, but also the man behind the camera, Leone, who was one of the most promising directors of the era. HE DID THINGS WITH THE CAMERA THAT NO ONE HAS DONE BEFORE OR SINCE, especially his use of closeups, especially his ability to match powerful emotional orchestrals to key scenes. The fourth film in the series, done by Leone but by this time lacking Eastwood, was ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. (Eastwood meanwhile had returned to America as a major celebrity, formed his own production company, Malpaso, and over time became a director as well as the #1 box office star. Over the course of his career, Eastwood subtly voiced his distaste for Leone's work by scrupulously avoiding all Leone's trademark camera angles, even in his westerns!)

Back to Leone. While he lent his name to a handful of oddball productions, the last passionate work he left behind as his legacy was this film. OMG. What a film. Showcasing not only Leone's talent behind the camera, but also his musical magic as well as his ability to tell a complex tale like no one before him. It was by and large produced in obscure locations in NA, and the performances of the players, especially James Woods, and also de Niro, could possibly rank even today as the best they have ever given. (Also a performance from a young and charismatic Jennifer Connolly that by itself is worth the price of the ticket)

The film is magical. But here is the catch. Very few people have ever seen it. Even people who "think" they have seen it, really have not. The studio behind the film went berserk when they saw the length and, fearful of losing dollars when they could be changing reels and selling more tickets, they brought in a butcher to shorten it. Now maybe the new editor was not a butcher by trade, but he was sure one by disposition. The late Roger Ebert said that, in his career, this was the most abusive re-edit he had ever seen. The actual film, the one that Leone left, was not seen until years later when the director's version surfaced. It is astounding. It is magical. It is one of the best films ever made. It is a must see. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Make sure you get the director's cut!

[philip_vanderveken · 10/10 · 19 September 2004]

Many people compare "Once Upon a Time in America" with "The Godfather". In my opinion these two movies can't be compared. Both are masterpieces in their own way, but each of them has a different style. You don't compare a Picasso to Michelangelo's Sixteen Chapel either, do you?

What is it that makes this movie a masterpiece? Well, first of all there is the director. Sergio Leone is a real master when it comes to creating a special atmosphere, full of mystery, surprises and drama... He's one of the few directors who understands the art of cutting a movie in such a way that you stay focused until the end.

The way the movie was cut is also the reason why a lot of Americans don't think this movie is very special. There are three versions, but only the European version is how the director imagined it to be. He didn't want his movie to be shown in chronological order (1910's - 1930's - 1960's), but wanted to mix these three periods of time. The studio cut the movie in chronological order, loosing a lot of its originality and therefor getting a lot of bad critics. If you want to see this film the way Sergio Leone saw it, you have to make sure you get the director's cut.

The second reason why this movie is so great is the music. Ennio Morricone, who is seen as the greatest writer of film music ever, did an excellent job. Together with the images, the music speaks for itself in this movie. From time to time there isn't said a word, but the music and the images on their own tell the story. He understood perfectly what Sergio Leone wanted and composed most of the music even before the movie was shot.

Last but not least there is also the acting and the script. The actors all did an excellent job. But what else can you expect from actors like Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci... They helped making this movie as great as it is by putting there best effort in it. The script helped them with it. It took twelve years to complete, but it hasn't left any detail untouched. The writers really thought of everything when creating it.

I can really recommend this movie to everyone, but especially to people who like the gangster genre. When you want to see the movie, you better be sure that you will have the time for it. This isn't a movie that is finished after 90 minutes. You'll have to be able to stay focused during 3 hours and 47 minutes, which will certainly not be easy during the first 20 to 30 minutes. Some scenes at the beginning only make sense when you have seen the end of the movie. But when you are able to stay focused, you'll find this one of the best movies you've ever seen. I certainly did and I rewarded it with a well deserved 10/10.

A wonderful epic that is really only about one man's regret - excellent

[bob the moo · 21 September 2002]

Noodles returns to the New York of his youth in response to an invitation to come and meet. His return is his first for half his life having fled New York to avoid being killed for ratting out his gangster friends. His return is mysterious and he doesn't know why he has been summoned. His return sparks memories of his childhood and adulthood growing up in the area with his friends and eventual business partners.

A three and a half hour movie may not be everyone's idea of fun. On the other hand, many people who see a running time over 180 minutes immediately assume it is an epic that must be `the greatest film ever made'. In this case the time is worth the effort, even if it a little luxurious and overlong. The plot is too sweeping to go into detail, encompassing 30 years in the main part and a further 30 by way of suggestion. Basically it comes down to Noodles memories of his life when he was growing up, up till the point we find him now, as an old man with little but those memories. As a story this is moving and involving. There are maybe too many lingering shots of Noodles staring into the distance but these don't feel as lazy as they have in other films.

Noodles past and the misery of him now is involving enough, but the main thread is Noodle's past, both childhood and adulthood in crime and love. The sheer detail that must be covered is well done. The film not only includes many major events but also minor things like the scene where the boy is tempted to eat a cream cake! This mix is very rewarding and makes it feel a lot more detailed than it actually is. The story is a real feel of several generations of crime and is very involving.

The cast make the film and hold the attention during the scenes that are longer than they should be etc. De Niro convinces as youth and bitter old man and holds the eye easily as both. Woods is much better than usual even if his character is the same. McGovern is good considering she has a minor role, but as an `old woman' she looks the same as she was when she was young. Actors like Williams, Aiello, Forsythe, Hayden etc easily fill out the gangster etc roles without falling into cliché or caricature. Just as rewarding are the child actors who carry the first hour of the film. Not only do they actually look like the actors in question, but they also do a very good job. There are some bum notes but they do mange the innocence of youth with the emotional basis for the rest of the film.

The direction is excellent – both gritty streets but with an affectionate slant of Noodles' memories. The direction is made almost perfect by the use of Ennio Morricone's score. It is at once haunting but slightly warming and `Debra's theme' has become one of my favourite tunes. The overall effect is one of a rich tapestry that eventually weaves into a very personal epic of regret and loss.

An excellent film that deserves to be recognised as both one of the great crime epics but also a personal and moving film.

Beautiful, elegaic storytelling

[goggy turk · 10/10 · 25 December 2000]

I decided, on Christmas Eve, to reacquaint myself with an old friend- Sergio Leone's heavyweight gangster epic, which I had previously watched in two sittings, 10 years previously, at Uni.

I was rewarded with a movie of tremendous vision and creative style as well as emotional integrity. When you take an idiosyncratic, brilliant, stylish director like Leone, his composer counterpart, Morricone, and a cast including two of the foremost actors of their generation (de Niro and Woods) then you have an idea of the kind of quality this film has. In fact, the only gangster movie(s) I've seen that match it are the first two Godfathers (in fact Leone almost directed those too... now that would have been interesting).

In contrast to earlier Leone Westerns, the characters are more fully developed- although the detachment of the characters in these movies made for a more rollercoaster, loose style of cinema, no one was ever going to win an award appearing in one, although they were all great movies.

Although I could tell I was in a Leone movie almost from the beginning, what was different was the inner lives of the characters dictated the way the plot flowed in a pleasing way. I also think that the performance de Niro put in was the best of any film I've seen him in, and that includes any Scorcese picture. To make the audience actually care about a character who does such evil (including raping the woman he loves) is a towering achievement. The apparent effortlessness with which he achieves this is a mark of true greatness. Leone's style of filmmaking, with its long silences and pauses and (in this case) slow pace suit de Niro's style of acting perfectly. It's a real pity that they never had the chance to work together again.

I think this a great film, and, at 3 3/4 hours, it kept me at least interested and often gripped all the way through. Why are Hollywood studios scared of movies like this? Some people out there love them.

A Profound Expression of Truth Regarding Friendship andBetrayal

[RobertCartland · 10/10 · 17 January 2000]

This film is a profound expression of truth regarding friendship and betrayal. Noodles, played by Robert De Niro and Scott Tiler (during childhood), is a simple man and a thug with one credo: you can battle the entire world but you never betray a friend. During the course of this film we experience various pieces of Noodles's life, from childhood, through young adulthood and old age. We learn what happens to his friends, his foes and the love of his life, Deborah. The time span considered is long, including Noodles's childhood shortly after the turn of the century, through the prohibition era, and finally the 1960's.

The film is about relationships; the many years Noodles spends away from his friends receive only a cursory mention. The film, like life and memories, unfolds slowly and reflectively. Sergio Leone's cuts are long and each scene is beautifully amplified my Ennio Morricone's haunting score. The story is not told chronologically. Instead, the chapters of the story are slowly revealed like pieces of a great jigsaw puzzle. Each delicious piece might make us laugh, or cry, or smile, or feel shock. But, as each piece falls into place, a mystery unfolds. When the final piece is revealed, the true essence of the story becomes clear and a sad and beautiful tapestry comes into view.

This film is a true masterpiece, expressing a profound statement about friendship and betrayal, with fantastic acting, writing, directing and music. There is a shortened, two-and-a-half-hour version of the film released that is a disaster. It is like trying to understand a jigsaw puzzle with half of the pieces missing. The original four-hour film can be viewed and enjoyed several times and each time the viewer will see something new.

A masterpiece and an atrocity!

[oldguybc · 10/10 · 11 January 2005]

This movie was a masterpiece. It ranks as one of the very best in film history, if not the best. At Cannes people yelled and screamed, couldn't believe just how good it was. The profound atrocity was a combination of two completely brainless acts, the first being Zack Stienberg's hatchet job for US release, supposedly requested by either Warner Bros or The Ladd Company (one blames the other now) and the second was the lack of anyone (and everyone)to post anything in this great film for Academy Award consideration, of which probably as many as 14 nominations and 4 sure- fire Oscars went down the toilet.

These atrocities were perpretrated, I believe, with two reasons in mind, the first to preserve the dim hope of "The Killing Fields" (Daly & Semel's baby) of garnering any awards... and second, to try to boost up the non- foreign chances. Warner Bros knew just how good it was, that goes without saying. The problem was... they already had their share of cash cows and they wanted a real star- studded showpiece to point at. The small minds already had their showpiece but, alas, it was an "eye- tallyan" flick with a producer/director who didn't communicate well. The hatchet job was carefully planned, I believe... the so- called "sneak preview" was done in Canada and not well received, probably due to the fact that the sound system was over- amped and the film 'broke' 3 or 4 times during the showing, what a farce! The awards snub started with the GGs and carried right thru. What a myriad of stupid and utterly pointless decisions! Must have literally tore Leone's heart out when he learned what they had done.

Morricone's score was a sure- thing Oscar, no question about it. DeNiro and maybe even Woods would have fought it out for best actor, Tuesday Weld as supporting actress, any one of 4 or 5 other supporting actors & actresses, most notably William Forsythe, cinematography, film editing, the list goes on & on... (best picture...Amadeus???? give me a break!!) Just what in the hell were they thinking?

Saw it in a theater 20 years ago and then again on TV about 1998 and finally in its correct format(on DVD) about two years ago and again last week at a friend's house. Stirred up all those angry thoughts all over again... sorry about that, getting' old & crotchety.

Borrow 3h 49min

[jeangervil · 10/10 · 8 May 2019]

My dad is a huge fan of The Godfather (so I am), and he told me about this movie when I was around 20, and 2 years later a good friend sent him the dvd, so I finally had it. I watched it with not so much excitement; expectation was mild. My head was blown off, not by huge special effects or big explosions, there's nothing of that in the movie, but from an amazing story, beautifully told, and lots of detail. You really need to turn off from the world to see this masterpiece. It has great acting, great plot, awesome music, long silent scenes where music is the only story teller. This is not your normal movie hit, it's a deep, slow movie. I won't even try to tell you what is it about, because you can't reduce it like that.

Are We Supposed To Ignore What Happened?

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 7 November 2019]

I think I should give myself a good rating for being able to watch a nearly four hour movie. It was good, but nothing that couldn't be covered in let's say two or two and a half hours.

It's a long tale focusing mainly on the character Noodles (Robert De Niro). We're taken through three distinct points in his life and his rather topsy turvy relationship with his running mate Max (James Woods). The two of them led a rugged pack of friends that graduated from petty crimes to big time licks.

It was an interesting tale yet nothing spectacular. It's hard to ignore the fact that the main character is a two time rapist.

The first woman, Carol (Tuesday Weld), actually enjoyed the sexual assault. This is not me misinterpreting the sexual encounter through male eyes, this is me seeing the woman truly enjoying being raped and wanting to rendezvous with Noodles again when they later met. It could be said that her enjoyment of that sexual encounter led Noodles to strike again. Perhaps, he internalized that experience as "this is how women like to be treated."

Which leads to his second rape. This time it was Deborah (Elizabeth McGovern), a woman he "cared" about and she did not enjoy any part of it. If the first rape could be dismissed as an aggressive act of giving a woman what she wanted, the second rape absolutely could not be. Yes, Deborah kissed him, but she also vigorously and demonstratively rebuffed Noodles' aggressive advances. There was no ambiguity there. She wanted no part of that sexual encounter.

Even with those two heinous acts, it's like they show you that but don't want those acts to define him. He is more than those two rapes. Sure, OK. But much like I'm sure Deborah never forgot it, I couldn't forget it. And how many rapists and killers are out there that have done very humanitarian things beyond their crimes?

I am reviewing the entire movie though. The movie is more than just those two acts of rape, even though I had a hard time moving past them. The movie as a whole is better than average, but nothing spectacular.

Once a street teenager

[w-71474 · 10/10 · 15 May 2020]

Years later, the desperate noodles returned to New York. In the bar of an old friend, loyal and foolish, he slowly asked him: "How have you lived in these 35 years?" Quietly answered: "I just go to bed every morning." It's hard to say a word, full of vicissitudes. His temples were covered with white hair. He was no longer a gangster on the street, and he was no longer a gangster in the sky. He was just a calm, stumbling old man. He had nothing but memories ...

His life was about several brothers who were born and died, and a beautiful girl; about friendship and dreams, about youth and love, and about loyalty and betrayal. In those years, when a person was silently displaced and traveled far away, what was he holding in his heart? Is it the betrayal of the ringing phone reminder after years? Is it a girl who is ignorant of the angelic dance peeping through the teenager's doorway? Years later, he finally realized that he had been guilty for 35 years, which was originally pure loyalty and friendship; the brother he devoted to and maintained for life had deceived him for 35 years.

There is nothing new under the sun, and the key to good movies lies in the way they tell stories. The yellowish color of the film seems to be covered with a layer of mist, so that each lens is like an old yellowed picture; the high and distant pan flute is awkward. The music and the plot blended together to complement each other, and several transitions were made to happen. In the four-hour movie, the plot is clear when you see the second pass. If you watch it a few times, you will find that almost every shot is instructive and indispensable. The people behind the camera used Noodles to vent the concept: the void of the void, everything is the void.

Once Upon a Long, Long Time...

[Xstal · 6/10 · 28 September 2020]

It takes forty minutes to develop a sustaining head of steam and then proceeds to interject sub stories and plots that do little more than extend the feature to its epic length. I watched this a couple of times when it came out on VHS in the 80s and the only bit I could recall was the baby lottery, either confirms my senility or that it's just not that memorable a movie. Yes, the performances are great, believable and earnest enough but ultimately they fail to distract from the marathon placed before you and the stamina expected to make it to the end.

The 8+ rating threw me off, not worth the time.

[bernardorfeitosa · 4/10 · 31 August 2023]

Long scenes that don't add to mood, character arc, motif, aesthetic or anything else that I would expect from a film. Mostly reticle acting, some OK. The story itself just seems to me like a bunch of bros dealing with their stupid ideas and regretting some of them, but mostly just acting like total a**holes. The rest of society seems to think that they're cool or something, and they don't seem to have very good reason to even survive in their own world, so they basically drift between intensifying chaos and doing whatever they feel like. I didn't hate the movie, but I did hate wasting more than 3 hours watching such nonsense just to get some obvious metaphors that have been drilled on any other b-movie. Not worth it.

Mesmerizing and haunting tale of love, greed, regret, betrayal and revenge

[jeanpaul-3 · 29 October 1999]

This is, for me, one of the finest examples of cinematic art. It isn't a simple, cut-n-dried 90 minute little package that gets wrapped up with a pretty bow at the end. You get pulled in by the enigmatic opening that unwinds the threads of the story to be found later. For many people having half an hour of purely visual story telling, of stories that are only mysteries at that point, before anything becomes truly linear is difficult to follow and discourages to many people. Our own memories are only snippets that only become linear as we concentrate on scenes from our lives. Once Upon a Time in America is like that as we follow Noodles through the `significant' part of his life - the times that formed him. When the story actually starts, we meet the girl that he always loved but could never have.

David `Noodles' Aaronson (DeNiro) was a kid on the very mean streets of Brooklyn when organized crime was born in America and he grew into and out of it. That's the simplest synopsis of the plot. The reality is that this isn't a movie about gangsters. Being a gangster is the easiest way for Noodles to survive and get ahead, but it also alienates and ruins his one love. Whenever he is close to giving himself to Deborah he always gets pulled back into the gang, in some form or another.

DeNiro's portrayal is of a gangster, through and through, who also has a conscience that, while not preventing him from being a ruthless killer, rules his life with regret, remorse and guilt. Leone takes a bit of poet/historic license by showing the Brooklyn Bridge being built in the background (the bridge had been built 40 years before), but it symbolizes Noodles' own growth. When the bridge is just pilings and incomplete towers, Noodles is just forming his future. By the time the bridge is complete, Noodles is nothing but a gangster and the bridge is majestic. When he returns 35 years later our view of the bridge is from under a freeway -- the world has moved along, but the bridge and Noodles are just as they were.

The length: If you're looking for a brief distraction that you'll barely remember 30 minutes later, this isn't the movie for you. However, if you are prepared and able to be undistributed for the nearly 4 hours that this film uses to compress a lifetime -- you will be rewarded with many facets of thought and examination.

A Potpourri of Vestiges Review: Leone's magnum opus and a testament to the free spirit of Art

[murtaza_mma · 10/10 · 23 October 2011]

In order to cater to their everlasting lust for making money, the movie production studios have always endorsed the motto of quid pro quo – "A favor in return of another". Every movie-maker capable enough to be called an auteur—by the virtue of his knack for eccentricity and novelty—has had to borne the brunt of this naked opportunism: be it D.W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Orson Welles or Stanley Kubrick. Sergio Leone too had to pay collaterally by having to make five Westerns in order to get funding for his dream project, Once Upon a time in America (OUTA). OUTA is a masterpiece of epic proportions and is consummate on almost every level. The uniqueness of the movie is such that it can be looked upon from various angles with each perspective adding immensely to movie's substance and profundity. The movie not only transcends genres by making simultaneous forays into the realms of Crime, Drama, Mystery, Suspense and Fantasy, but also crosses on several occasions the fine line that separates Dream from Reality.

At the beginning of his career, Leone got widely proclaimed as a master of technique and style as he added new dimensions to cinematography and screenplay. Leone's directorial debut was 'A Fistful of dollars'. Movie's success was marred when Akira Kurosawa sued the production house for plagiarizing Yojimbo. Leone bounced back with 'For a Few More Dollars'. He single-handedly reinvented the Western genre by providing a completely different perspective to the Old West, which was hitherto portrayed as the battle ground for the epic battle of virtue versus vice in the backdrop of chivalry and machismo. With 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly', Leone perpetuated what would become his trademark: Spaghetti Western. Leone's distinctive style included juxtapositions, super close- ups, long continuous shots, and the rotating camera shots. Leone's collaboration with master-composer Ennio Morricone gave cinema some of its most mellifluous compositions. Once Upon a Time in the West elevated Leone from the position of a showman to a serious movie-maker—an auteur capable of much profound works. Leone refused a multitude of projects, including the opportunity to direct 'The Godfather', in a bid to realize his dream project.

OUTA is an epic crime saga based on the lives of Jewish gangsters from their humble childhood in the ghettos of New York to their rise in world of organized crime. 'Noodles', 'Patsy', 'Cockeye', and little Dominic struggle as street kids in the East Side of Manhattan in the early 1920s. They work for 'Bugsy', a local gangster, until they meet 'Max' and decide to start an independent operation, triggering a series of incidents which changes their lives for ever. Robert De Niro as 'Noodles' gives one of the most subtle performances of his career. James Woods is chillingly menacing as 'Max'. Young 13-year-old Jennifer Connelly as 'Deborah' serves as a pulchritudinous delight for the sour eyes, and I say this as a testament to her ethereal, nymphean charm that was evident even at such a tender age. The rest of the cast gives a great support to the actors in lead with special mention of Elizabeth McGovern, James Hayden and Joe Pesci. The music is composed by Leone's long-time collaborator Ennio Morricone, who once again works his magic by creating music that is so plaintively divine that even Mozart would be proud of it.

The film poignantly explores the themes of love, lust, friendship, greed, betrayal and loss of innocence in the backdrop of the 20th century America. For the European release, Leone cut down his original version to 229 minutes to appease the distributors. However, for the US release, OUTA was ignominiously edited down to 139 minutes by the muddle-headed studio personnel against the director's wishes. In this short version, the flashback narrative was omitted as the scenes were put back in the chronological order. Many of the movie's most beautiful shots are not present in the shorter version, including the nigh magical sequence in which time-switching is indicated by the conjuration of a Frisbee. Movie's abysmal show in the US is attributed to this sabotage. Leone was reportedly heartbroken by the American cut, and never made another film again.

The dreamlike screenplay of OUTA gives it a lyrical, almost hypnotic feel. OUTA is a tapestry of highly complex mesh work: the story depicts the lives of same individuals across three different timelines. The time-switching techniques used in the movie are so effective that the switching seems absolutely seem-less. The mystical ringing tone that the viewer gets to hear in the beginning of the movie provides a great subterfuge in unison with the dream-like finale, and adds surrealistic elements to the movie by raising doubts that the events depicted in the movie could well have been a part of a drug-induced dream that Noodles would have been experiencing under the hypnotic effect of opium. The movie has a multitude of unforgettable moments, which can be cherished again and again with the same levels of indulgence. The sequence in which little Dominic—caught between the want to satiate his newly attained puberty and the fundamental urges—buys a pastry to charm a neighborhood girl, but succumbs to the universal temptation and ends up eating it himself is pure gold. The scene which depicts Robert De Niro molesting his childhood love represents cinema at its most macabre. The make-up, set designing and costume designing are all top- notch. The make-up artists have gone about their business with such meticulousness that the actors seem to genuinely represent their character's age in each era.

Overall, OUTA is a testament to Sergio Leone's dedication to the free spirit of Art. It succeeds at multiple levels and makes the viewer go through an entire gamut of emotions, keeping him engaged throughout. It is sanguinary and is surfeited with blood-cuddling violence that makes it unsuitable for the weak-hearted. OUTA, however, is as a must for the enthusiasts of the genre and the cineastes worldwide. 10/10

http://www.apotpourriofvestiges.com/

A sprawling, deliberately paced, and generally a superbly crafted piece of work

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 19 October 2003]

It's been said that when one watches a "spaghetti" western (one of the "Man with no name" films with Clint Eastwood) filmmaker Sergio Leone's trademark cinema style and flair for clear storytelling is instantly recognizable. This is no truer than in his most ambitious effort, Once Upon a Time in America, in which his usage of close-ups, concise camera movement, sound transitions and syncs, and the sudden change in some scenes from tenderness to violence. And, he pulls it off without making the viewer feel dis-interested. Of course, it's hard to feel that way when watching the cast he has put together; even the child actors (one of which a young Jennifer Connelly as the young Deborah) are believable. Robert De Niro projects his subtitles like a pro, with his occasional outburst in the right place; James Woods gives one of his first great performances as Max; Elizabeth McGovern is the heart of the film; and Joe Pesci should've had more than just a one scene appearance, thought it's still good.

It's a story of life-long friends, in the tradition of the Godfather movies with obvious differences, and the story cuts back and forth to Noodles (De Niro) in his old age returning from exile, looking back on his childhood in Brooklyn, his rise to power with his partners, and the twists come quite unexpectedly. The pace is slow, but not detrimental, and it gives the viewer time to let the emotions sink in. The story is also non-linear, and yet doesn't give away facts to the viewer- this is something that more than likely influenced Tarantino (and many others) in style. By the end, every detail that has mounted up makes the whole experience rather fulfilling, if not perfect. Finally, I'd like to point out the exceptional musical score. Ennio Morricone, as it says on this site, has scored over four hundred films in forty years, including Leone's movies. This would have to be, arguably, one of his ten best works- his score is equally lively, saddened, intense, and perhaps majestic for a gangster epic. Overall, it's filled with the same spirit Leone had in directing the picture, and it corresponds beautifully- there are some scenes in this film that would simply not work without the strings. Grade: A

Quite Possibly The Greatest Film Ever Made

[jrandazzofilms-1 · 10/10 · 4 September 2006]

Now, I am by no means a Sergio Leone fan, but he deserved the Oscar for Direction for this film. I firmly believe that this film stands up there with "The Godfather, Part II", "Casablanca", and "Citizen Kane" as one of the greatest films ever released (maybe the best). Sergio Leone's violent, visual, masterpiece of turn of the century Jewish boys from New York growing into a life of crime has a different effect on all those who have viewed it in its various forms. I, personally have never seen the shortened version so I can not comment on it. There isn't anything in this film that isn't worth the four hour running time. Brilliant, poetic visuals, great photography and fantastic performances across the board.

Leone touches on issues of violence (the scenes are gory and sometimes explicit), sexual depravity (its no coincidence that all sexual encounters are in unconventional places and only in Noodles' rape of Deborah does he exhibit any kind of emotion toward any of his partners, gently caressing and kissing her as he violates her in a pathetic attempt to show his love), and simply growing old (brought about by the reminisces of Noodles' childhood with a beautiful good 'ol days type feeling despite the criminal nature of his childhood) and leaves us clamoring for more after the four hours are through.

Robert DeNiro is fantastic as always as Noodles. But it is James Woods, in my opinion that steals the show as Max. William Forsythe, Treat Williams, Danny Aiello, Burt Young, Joe Pesci, Jennifer Connely and Tuesday Weld add to this film just as actors of their quality are expected to. Their performances, as well as the two leads at the very least deserved, but didn't receive any, Academy Award nominations. (In fact, the Oscars were the only ceremony to snub this film). Ennio Morricone's score was as beautiful and evocative as one would expect from the master of the Italian score.

Worth seeing. Sit back, take the phone off the hook and prepare for a cinematic experience.

Damn-near perfect

[Catfish-3 · 10/10 · 1 June 2006]

This film is masterfully made. View only the directors cut. All other versions fail. There will be a time when Leone's family releases an even longer version, restoring over 45 minutes more of this film.

Through paced story-telling, Leone reveals the tender and tough underpinnings of America's Mob-Labor-Politico history. This is the story of how the immigrants arrived, and succeeded in the tough streets of New York. All are heroes, all are bad guys, all are trying to make a living.

The teaming of DeNiro, Woods, Pesci and Weld is perfect. Vulnerability show through all of these tragic figures. This is one of DeNiros finest roles. James Woods shines as the brains of the gang. Treat Williams has never been better.

The soundtrack is incredible. That it was never submitted for an Oscar is one of the largest oversights in films history. Perfectly scored.

I cannot wait until I see the rest of the story. Truly one of the best films ever made.

10* out of 10*

An operatic epic

[tgdane · 10/10 · 6 January 2002]

Once Upon a Time in America, which bookends Once Upon a Time in the West as director Sergio Leone's best work, is a powerhouse of a movie. A gangster epic told in a very different style than the standard of the genre, The Godfather, it is in some ways (at least to this viewer) even more emotionally compelling. Although the movie was sabotaged upon release by an edited studio version eliminating about 40% of its original length, the version now available for rental is thankfully the nearly 4 hour version intended by Leone. The story is at essence a basic one about friendship among thieves, telling the story of a group of Jewish kids in New York near the turn of the century who grow up to become powerful and ruthless mobsters, while maintaining (or trying to) their bond with one another. As was most famously done in the taxi scene between Rod Steiger and Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront, the movie again makes the point that bad people can have good aspects to them, such as loyalty, devotion, and even love. I think this movie includes one of Deniro's best roles, and far and away James Woods best film work. The score, by arguably the greatest movie composer of all time, Ennio Morricone, is incredibly haunting in its beauty and sadness (with no fewer than three separate themes that are breathtakingly beautiful). The non-chronological manner in which the story is told results in a wonderfully effective narrative device: the movie begins and ends with the same scene. The first time you see the scene, it is a frantic jumble, without meaning or context, and you do not know why it is so important. When the scene recurs at the end of the film, everything has become clear, and the scene has an incredible poignancy and sadness to it: although it occurs in the middle of events chronologically, you realize that, in a real sense, life stopped at this point for one of the film's main characters. There is no other event that matters anymore to him. This is not a simple movie, and it merits repeated viewings. Indeed, in my view one cannot fully appreciate the greatness of the film until the second viewing, when the full story is known, and the events of the film resonate with knowledge of where they ultimately, and tragically, lead.

Leone classic will live on for decades

[mark-whait · 10/10 · 12 April 2011]

Master of the Western Sergio Leone swapped Clint Eastwood for Robert DeNiro, Cowboys for Gangsters and the Wild West for an even wilder New York, with this seminal masterpiece. It was Leone's last film before his tragically early death at just 60, and although he was working on a big budget World War II film at the time of his demise, in a way that is tragically fitting as no film could have topped this one. Of course, whilst Leone naturally made his name in the sixties with the infamous Spaghetti western, the sheer sprawling grandeur of OUATIA is an unforgettable experience that attacks the senses. From the opening image of Robert DeNiro's opium filled body to the final scene some 229 minutes later, the sensation carries on throughout and hits home more powerfully than any cheroot-chewing Clint or twanging Morricone soundtrack ever did. DeNiro plays 'Noodles', a young man who grew up with his compatriots in Prohibition America, who then returns to his old haunts three decades later to reflect on his life as a hard-bitten gangster. Every scene is pitch perfect, and whilst there are some caps doffed to the likes of The Godfather, Leone doesn't hold back with scenes of rape, murder and brutality that give the film an edge sharper than a month's worth of Eastwood stubble. It's amazing in that Leone was returning to the helm of a movie for the first time in over a decade - there is no let up in the brilliance and certainly no signs of rustiness. And legendary collaborator Morricone is also back in tandem. Morricone delivers one of his most mesmerising scores and it was reported that DeNiro demanded some music be pre-written for scenes and then played back whilst they were being shot just so he could pitch the mood of his character. It's hard to say that this is Morricone's best work because his career is generously decorated with brilliant soundtracks, but it's also the case that 'Deborah's Theme', for example, is even played at funerals these days, such is the power of the music. Even Lennon and McCartney's 'Yesterday' gets an airing. James Woods and Elizabeth McGovern provide faultless support from the cast, but this is a movie of colossal brilliance and will rightfully live on for many decades to come.

Repeated graphic depictions of rape mar this film

[kathrynaegis · 6/10 · 19 May 2023]

Several of Sergio Leone's other films are top favorites of mine, repeated viewingg classics and I really wanted to extend that same level of appreciation to this one. Unfortunately, the lead character is a rapist. Not a cad, not a womanizer, but a predatory compulsive rapist, and the depictions of his rapes are long and graphic. The male characters get beaten and shot for stated reasons, the women characters get raped for no reasons at all other than they exist. I do not know the director's intent in doing so, but the entire tone of the film seems to support an explanation of 'boys will be boys' and 'what did she expect'. It edges on nihilism and I won't be viewing this film ever again.

One of the few films to boast a near 4 hour running time, yet not to feel a moment of it...

[pdmarsay · 10/10 · 3 January 2006]

This film is an amazing cinematic experience. Sergio Leones final film is in my opinion, also his best. The story is so deep, and so rich. The themes, love, friendship, betrayal, morality, memory, life, etc... are so poignant and universal that it is hard not to relate to the characters and situations in this film at least in some way. All the performances are exceptional, James Woods being the highlight in my opinion. I have watched this film three times now, and I plan on re-visiting it even more in the future, as I now own the DVD. To describe this film it is hard to know where to start, as the story is told almost completely out of chronological order; it is a film which literally requires you to watch it more than once. Basically, it is a film about the life of a man, played by Robert De Niro, from his boyhood, right through to his old age, and about the friends and enemies he makes, and all the major issues he encounters. But more specifically, it is about his relationship with one main friend, the adult part of whom is played by James Woods. I can't think what else to say but to recommend this powerful tale to you as strongly as possible, and to wish you several equally enthralling viewings of it!

I watched...I rewound and rewached. An 8.4, it ain't.

[guyzradio · 6/10 · 18 October 2018]

Perusing Netflix, I recognized this movie title and the names Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone; I particularly enjoyed the music of Cinema Paradiso, also the work of Morricone. The line-up of actors pulled me right in, but to what? After watching for a little while, I looked up the movie and noted how 10 hours of film were sliced and diced to a disastrous 2h 19m for US release, whereas the 3h 49m release was the one to make everything right. Well, at least I had that going for me.

At the end, it was still a disappointment. A movie that forces you to pay fanatic attention to detail to "get it" is not the product of good direction. It is the result of a riding on one's own name to varnish a deeply flawed product as "art." Even at 3h 49m, continuity suffered. The flashback method of story telling was clumsy and not handled nearly as smoothly as in its inspiration, Godfather II. The fact that these were kids from a Jewish neighborhood was inconsequential. Things happen in the movie often for no apparent reason and go nowhere, the opening 10 or 15 minutes being a prime example. Even the music of Ennio Morricone seems worn out by the end, as the same theme repeats throughout scenes where it seems misplaced or simply gets in the way.

You might will dismiss this review as the ramblings of someone who isn't sophisticated enough to realize what a masterpiece this really is. My guess is there is a coherent, thought-provoking story somewhere among the frames that made it to the screen and what was left on the cutting room floor. This still isn't it. To suggest that less than a point separates this move from The Godfather I just doesn't pass the sniff test.

A Rambling Incoherent Mess - Spoilers!

[fdbjr · 1/10 · 12 June 2020]

A sloppy mess, with so many loose ends you could trip up a convention of shoe salesman. - and, yes, I am talking about the director's cut. Unmotivated action, characters that come and go without explanation. But worst . . .

. . . you see a callous and vicious rape occurs in the back seat of a car, perpetrated by the lead character 'Noodles' on the woman he has been desiring all his life. Why he does this, of course, is completely mysterious. Then, after disappearing for 35 years to Buffalo, doing . . . What? How? . . . he reappears. The rape victim (Elizabeth McGovern), has become a well known actress. He reappears in her dressing room and . . . Soft misty music, . . . Violins. . . . not a word of recrimination, accusation . . . Are you kidding me? Not to mention the resurrection of Best Friend Max. Who was killed but NOT killed as the result of a dime dropped by our hero . . .

An utterly worthless movie.