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Once Upon a Time in America
?
Embassy International Pictures
PSO PSO
?
Rafran Cinematografica
The Ladd Company The Ladd Company

Not part of a collection.

Once Upon a Time in America

Crime, passion and lust for power.

1984 139 min ★ 8.4 (6,190) Released
Crime Drama

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

Original title
Once Upon a Time in America
Language
EN
Country
US
Budget
$30,000,000
Revenue
$5,500,000
Reviews & Ratings 3
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

May 25, 2023 · via TMDB

★ 7.0

Told by way of a really potent (and well scored by Morricone) retrospective, this sits us down and takes us through a forty year period in the life of the now down-at-heel "Noodles" (Robert De Niro) and of the development of the city of New York. The contents of an old briefcase serve as an aide memoire as the retrospective illustrates just how he and three of his childhood friends decided that the gutter was not for them, and that using the "system" to get on was the only way. Prohibition, violence, crime, brutality were the currency back then and "Noodles" learned not to have scruples about such things. Love, romance feature too - choices, compromises and tragedy all feature as Sergio Leone and De Niro immerses us in the characterful and emotionally charged chronology. The film looks great, the attention to detail is superb, and a really strong supporting cast help offer us s sense that we are actually there for much of the time. Living and breathing the squalor, the danger, the opportunity and perhaps, the inevitability, of the paths these kids took in a the 1930s. It is very long, but that's effective rather than dull. It allows the characters to develop, to breathe and then to disappear - only, perhaps, to reappear in a different guise later on. Ageing is also a factor here too - just as they rose, others rise too with differing standards and ethics - their sense of loyalty and integrity not quite marrying up! No Oscar nominations which is really rather odd - this is easily one of the best, most authentic-looking, depictions of the rise of NYC that cinema has ever delivered. Director's cut on a big screen if you can - it helps focus the attention, shows the cinematography to best effect and helps appreciate just how vast Leone's vision was.

Filipe Manuel Neto

Filipe Manuel Neto

Oct 10, 2022 · via TMDB

★ 8.0

**It's an excellent film, which proves the importance of good post-production, and how bad editing can ruin the whole thing.** There are certain films that impress us so much when we see them that we are really surprised when we discover how ignored they were by the great awards. This film is one of them: I was really shocked to find that it wasn't even nominated for an Oscar or a Golden Globe… and I had to read a bit to understand why that happened. The film is perhaps one of the best in Sérgio Leone's extensive filmography, and is often compared to other great gangster films such as "Godfather". I, personally, wouldn't dare to do that, but I could still put this film in the “top ten” of the great mobster films. Amazingly, it was a huge box office failure in the US because they insisted on releasing there an extremely cut version, with about two and a half hours. A version so forgettable and badly edited that no one understood the story and that the film had no chance of running for the highest awards in the industry! It was a shot in the foot and proves the importance of a good edition for the quality of the product. Sometimes a longer film is preferable to a sterile, abridged version. The script is wonderful and follows the criminal path of a small group of youngsters from a Jewish community in New York, stretching from the 20s to the 60s. The story revolves around Noodles, but the main character ends up being Max, who becomes the gang's boss. The relationship between them is very well explored. However, not everything went well: there is a love sub-plot between Noodles and Deborah that is never taken further, there are several characters that seem too sketchy and underdeveloped and there are situations that the film doesn't know how to explore as it should (the most glaring being the violent death of the youngest gang member). I just can't say how many of these problems started in the editing room, with radical cuts in the story told. Robert DeNiro was one of the first names to be hired for the cast, and had a say in the choice of several other actors. DeNiro is impeccable, and he provides us with excellent quality work. Moreover, I think that this helped to glue the actor's image a little to the criminal films in the popular imagination, along with “Taxi Driver” and “Goodfellas”. James Woods is also amazing in the role he has been given and leaves with this film his greatest film work. Elizabeth McGovern also does very well here, although I feel that the actress was not able to make her career take off afterward (I only saw her really successful now, with “Downton Abbey”). I also liked the brief, but remarkable, participation of Jennifer Connelly, still very young. And I feel sorry for Joe Pesci, because the actor is wasted by appearing only in a couple of scenes (perhaps another victim of the radical cuts in the editing room). Leone uses everything he knows in this film and provides us with incredible, beautiful cinematography, which knows how to take advantage of slow camera movements, close-ups in the most striking scenes and intense colors. The flashbacks are quite well-marked, and anyone familiar with the cinematic resource will have no difficulty in following the temporal advances and retreats that take place. The special effects do their job well, the costumes are excellent, and the characterization has its moments (DeNiro has been masterfully aged, and very much resembles what he is today). As a film where crime and violence are things we expect to find, we have an array of violent scenes and graphic situations that include not only brutal murders, beatings and shootings but also teen sex, voyeurism and, most notably, a long and particularly graphic rape scene. It's not a movie for the faint-hearted. A final word for the soundtrack, by Ennio Morricone. It is highly regarded by connoisseurs and I admit it works, but I'm not a fan of the pan pipe. I feel it gives the film an oriental touch, it would be something I would expect more from a martial arts film soundtrack.

A

Andres Gomez

Mar 15, 2013 · via TMDB

★ 8.0

Stereotypical Sergio Leone film with endless waitings and sight crossings. One of the performances that made Robert de Niro de actor he is and an interesting way of telling a story and the evolution of America during the years of the alcohol prohibition.

User reviews courtesy of TMDB.

Keywords 25
1920s 1930s 1960s aggressive based on novel or book brooklyn bridge childhood friends corruption gangster jewish american life and death lovesickness mafia boss memory money laundering murder new york city opium prohibition era rape regret sadistic sexual abuse street gang torture
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Cast 39
Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro

Noodles

James Woods

James Woods

Max

Elizabeth McGovern

Elizabeth McGovern

Deborah

Joe Pesci

Joe Pesci

Frankie

Burt Young

Burt Young

Joe

Tuesday Weld

Tuesday Weld

Carol

Treat Williams

Treat Williams

Jimmy O'Donnell

Danny Aiello

Danny Aiello

Police Chief Aiello

Richard Bright

Richard Bright

Chicken Joe

James Hayden

James Hayden

Patsy

William Forsythe

William Forsythe

Cockeye

Darlanne Fluegel

Darlanne Fluegel

Eve

Richard Foronjy

Richard Foronjy

Whitey

Robert Harper

Robert Harper

Sharkey

Olga Karlatos

Olga Karlatos

Woman in Puppet Theatre

Mario Brega

Mario Brega

Mandy

Frank Gio

Frank Gio

Beefy

Scott Schutzman Tiler

Scott Schutzman Tiler

Young Noodles

Rusty Jacobs

Rusty Jacobs

Young Max / David

Brian Bloom

Brian Bloom

Young Patsy

James Russo

James Russo

Bugsy

Clem Caserta

Clem Caserta

Al Capuano

Paul Herman

Paul Herman

Monkey

Joey Faye

Joey Faye

Adorable Old Man

Tandy Cronyn

Tandy Cronyn

Reporter #1

Arnon Milchan

Arnon Milchan

Chauffeur

Marcia Jean Kurtz

Marcia Jean Kurtz

Max's Mother

Estelle Harris

Estelle Harris

Peggy's Mother

Jennifer Connelly

Jennifer Connelly

Young Deborah

Salvatore Billa

Salvatore Billa

Beefy's Thug (uncredited)

Scott Coffey

Scott Coffey

Bugsy's Gang (uncredited)

Marco Stefanelli

Marco Stefanelli

Bugsy's Gang (uncredited)

Bruno Bilotta

Bruno Bilotta

Chinese Theater Spectator (uncredited)

Mark Frazer

Mark Frazer

Pimp (uncredited)

Maria Pia Monicelli

Maria Pia Monicelli

Prostitute (uncredited)

Rossana Canghiari

Rossana Canghiari

Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)

Ryan Paris

Ryan Paris

Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)

Claudio Mancini

Claudio Mancini

Syndacalist (uncredited)

Louise Fletcher

Louise Fletcher

Director of Riverdale Cemetery

Crew 21
Osvaldo Desideri

Osvaldo Desideri

Set Decoration

Raffaella Leone

Raffaella Leone

Assistant Costume Designer

Gabriella Pescucci

Gabriella Pescucci

Costume Design

Benito Stefanelli

Benito Stefanelli

Stunt Coordinator

Dennis T. Benatar

Dennis T. Benatar

Assistant Director

Sergio Leone

Sergio Leone

Director

Zach Staenberg

Zach Staenberg

Additional Editor

Nino Baragli

Nino Baragli

Editor

John Newby

John Newby

Gaffer

Robert Benmussa

Robert Benmussa

Consulting Producer

Claudio Mancini

Claudio Mancini

Executive Producer

Arnon Milchan

Arnon Milchan

Producer

Simona Patitucci

Simona Patitucci

Production Assistant

Ennio Morricone

Ennio Morricone

Music Director

Gheorghe Zamfir

Gheorghe Zamfir

Musician

Ennio Morricone

Ennio Morricone

Original Music Composer

Jean-Pierre Ruh

Jean-Pierre Ruh

Sound Engineer

Franco Arcalli

Franco Arcalli

Screenplay

Franco Ferrini

Franco Ferrini

Screenplay

Leonardo Benvenuti

Leonardo Benvenuti

Screenplay

Sergio Leone

Sergio Leone

Screenplay

Gallery 335
Videos 5
Similar Movies 543
Recommended 59
US Release Dates 7

Jun 1, 1984

R Theatrical

Oct 12, 1984

New York Film Festival

Premiere

Oct 14, 1984

New York City, New York (Uncut Version)

Theatrical (Limited)

Aug 1, 1985

TV

Oct 23, 1992

Los Angeles, California

R Theatrical (Limited)

Nov 23, 2012

New York City, New York (Director's Cut)

R Theatrical (Limited)

Sep 27, 2014

New York Film Festival

Premiere

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