Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Director:

Sergio Leone

Writers:

Harry Grey (novel)
Leonardo Benvenuti (writer) ...

Release Date:

1 June 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Crime, passion and lust for power - Sergio Leone's explosive saga of gangland America. [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to Brooklyn over 30 years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.

Plot Keywords:

New York | Jewish | Gangster | Prohibition | Friend

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 11 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	David 'Noodles' Aaronson
James Woods	...	Maximilian 'Max' Bercovicz / Secretary Christopher Bailey
Elizabeth McGovern	...	Deborah Gelly
Tuesday Weld	...	Carol
Treat Williams	...	James Conway O'Donnell
James Hayden	...	Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg
Joe Pesci	...	Frankie Minoldi
Larry Rapp	...	'Fat' Moe Gelly
Danny Aiello	...	Police Chief Vincent Aiello
William Forsythe	...	Philip 'Cockeye' Stein
Burt Young	...	Joe
Darlanne Fluegel	...	Eve (as Darlanne Fleugel)
Dutch Miller	...	Van Linden
Robert Harper	...	Sharkey
Richard Bright	...	Chicken Joe

Also Known As:

C'era una volta in America (Italy)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, language and some drug use. (edited version)

Runtime:

229 min | USA:139 min (re-cut)

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English | Italian | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (1990) | Finland:K-18 (1984) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | Iceland:16 | UK:18 (cut) | Brazil:14 | Germany:16 (f) (re-rating) (2003) | West Germany:18 (f) (original rating) (1984-2003) | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:R | France:-12 (re-rating) (2003) | France:-16 (original rating) | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:12 (original rating) | Netherlands:16 (re-rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Embassy International Pictures

Trivia:

Fat Moe's 1968 bar was based on an actual location where Sergio Leone met Harry Grey; this bar, which was Grey's recommendation, was situated near New York's New Calvary Cemetery, just off Greenpoint Avenue, and was, as Leone described, "dark and sordid with people sitting at little tables in the shadows having secret conversations in whispers." Leone claimed the bartender even looked like Fat Moe himself.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In 1968, Noodles returns to the train station and opens a briefcase full of money. As he gets set to close the briefcase, we hear the chug-chug of a steam locomotive starting up in the background, then a steam whistle sounds. New York City banned steam locomotives in 1860. In the US, most steam engines were replaced with diesel locomotives by 1958.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[In 1933, two goons rudely question a young woman]
Beefy: Where is he? Where's he hiding?
Eve: I don't know... I've been looking for him since yesterday.
[second goon slaps her harshly; she falls onto the bed]
Beefy: I'm gonna ask you for the last time: Where is he?
Eve: I don't know... What are you gonna do to him?
[Two shots are head]
Beefy: [to his partner] Stay here in case that rat shows up...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Nayakan (1987)

Soundtrack:

YESTERDAY

Make sure you get the director's cut!

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.