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Once Upon a Time in America [DVD] [1984] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] starring: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Joe Pesci, Burt Young

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Rating: - Excellent

A brilliant film about the life of a group of kids that have to grow up and survive the streets of early 1900s New York city. With apperances from fabulous and original gangster actors like Robert De Niro(GodfatherII), Joe Pesci(Goodfellas) and James Woods(Casino)this puts Once Upon A Time In America at the top. This film is filled with violence, crime, sex and friendships with a very deep, emotional and sometimes funny storyline throughout the 4 hours of the film which is spread over two discs. So if you have the time and enjoy a good gangster film then you should definatly buy this!

Rating: - Epic Depression Americana

This is one film where the term TOO LONG doesnot come to mind.
At nearly four hours long this is Sergio Leones masterpiece with Holywood greats to bring what is arguably the finest gangster movie put to film,it is even on par with Copollas GODFATHER.

You have Robert De Nero,James Woods,Treat Williams and Elizabeth Magovern in a rather confusing but compelling drama set in prohibition downtown New York.

Without having seen the film it cronicles the life of four Jewish wouldbe hoods from childhood to adulthood. It is confusing showing flashbacks from childhood to adulthood but needs several viewings to fully comprehend the story.

When it was released Barry Norman in his film review heaped praise on it buy the almost four hour run time makes it a planned sit down and not a film you can watch at the spur of the moment.

If you have not seen the film it comes highly recommended with what is simply Ennio Morriconies most accomplished score.

There is one scene that has got to be one of the funniest scenes in a not too funny film.When the boys (led by Max played by James Woods) greet Noodles played by DeNiro comes out of prison having spent many years for murder ?

Watch this part of the film yourself if you donot laugh then you really need help.

Rating: - Sergio Leone at his finest

Italian flair meets the American dream of Central European gangsters. Terrific story of friendship and pride lasting over a generation. If you have patience for a movie nearly 4 hours long you will not regret spending most of your day watching this movie.

Rating: - Terrific gangster tale

This film is the most atmospheric movie I've ever seen, and is just a brilliant film to watch if you like the gangster genre. I love the way you watch the characters as both kids and adults, and at 3 hrs (aprox) you really feel like you've been on a long journey with them, which is a feeling you don't get very often with a film - not like this, anyway. The actors Robert De Niro and James Woods do a great job, I particularly like James Woods' performance. The music is just beautiful, and is a big part of that atmosphere. Brilliant stuff.

Rating: - Very good, even with almost no likeable characters.

Once Upon a Time in America (OUATIA) is another excellent Leone film. For me it is not his best, that honour must go to Once Upon a Time in the West, nor is it my favourite gangster movie, that is the Godfather Part II. It is however an excellent movie, exploring the themes of betrayal and redemption.
The really bold thing that Leone has done with this movie is to make almost all of his lead characters unlikeable. As children, you do feel a sense of sympathy for them as they are battling against horrendous poverty and social conditions, but as the film progresses they become thugs and murderers, with no interest in helping anyone other than themselves. De Niro's character is a rapist and a hired killer. As he gets older he probably does regret some of his actions and they do prey on his mind, but that does not excuse the fact that he did commit these crimes. Old age does not give you an automatic pardon for the actions of your youth. James Woods' character is a borderline psychotic who basically betrays his friends to their death, steals their money and makes a new life for himself out of it. Even Elizabeth McGoverns' character, who is probably the most sympathetic lead in the movie, comes across as single minded and driven to the point that although she does love De Niro and is quite possibly the only person who can turn him away from the path he is on, is quite prepared to abandon him, even as a child, in order to make a career for herself. In the end if you do find any sympathy for any characters it should be with those who are caught up in a situation that is not of their making, but who will be forced to pay a heavy price for the actions of others. What will make you love this movie is the way in which Leone presents the characters and their story to us. He makes them responsible for their own decisions, not helpless puppets who are pulled this way and that by forces outwith their control. Their decisions affect their lives and the lives of others, and in most cases they only have themselves to blame for what the future has in store for them.
Leone isn't trying to make the characters pleasant, he wants you to see them for what they are, and in most cases, what they are isn't particularly likeable.
The movie looks fantastic, the soundtrack is very possibly the finest ever to grace a motion picture and the performances are universally excellent. The only place it fails and the reason it loses one star, is because of the quite ludicrous way the studio has decided to split the film on to two disks, cutting out in the middle of a key scene and then putting the intermission on twenty minutes into the second disk. The studio executives emnity towards this film is well documented. They hacked it almost to death on its original release, cutting out key scenes and making it almost incomprehensible. It took them years to make Leone's original version available and even then only after pressure from fans of the movie who wanted to see it in its full glory. They obviously haven't forgiven us for reminding them of the fact that they are complete idiots to have messed around with the film in the first place, and this is their way of getting us back.

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