[.ca] Once Upon A Time In America

Additional Features:
At 229 minutes, this is the longest cut seen on video, and the version seen at Cannes and in the rest of Europe. It's only two minutes longer than the version available for a long time on VHS, adding (mostly) more gruesome shots of violence in four different scenes. The sound and image have been remastered, making for a pristine presentation. Time film critic Richard Schickel does a commendable job in his feature-length commentary. Although he doesn't know all the insider stuff, he has ample knowledge and affection for Sergio Leone, and will help the interested viewer reexamine the film from a few different viewpoints. The only other extras are nearly 100 production photos and a 20-minute excerpt from a documentary on Leone, Once Upon a Time, which leads to one puzzler: why isn't the whole documentary on the disc? --Doug Thomas

Amazon.com Essential Video:
This movie has a checkered history, having been chopped from its original 227-minute director's cut to 139 minutes for its U.S. release. This longer edition benefits from having the complete story (the short version has huge gaps) about turn-of-the-century Jewish immigrants in America finding their way into lives of crime, as told in flashback by an aging Jewish gangster named Noodles (Robert De Niro). On the other hand, it's almost four hours long, and this sometimes-indulgent Sergio Leone film is no Godfather. Still, it is notable for the contrast between Leone's elegiac take on the gangster film and his occasional explosive action, as well as for the mix of the stoic, inexpressive De Niro and the hyperactive James Woods as his lifelong friend and rival. --Marshall Fine

A masterpiece no matter what anyone says:
Yes, the film is four hours long, and yes, there is an hour and a half flashback sequence. But don't let this ward you way from what is truly a masterpiece of a gangster flick. The flashback itself is engrossing and endearing. If you love movies, if you love great acting, if you love history, this is the epic for you. 'Once Upon a Time in America' is a film about a group of four friends who have grown up together in New York City since the turn of the century. They grew up around crime and took part in it themselves. 'America' doesn't focus on the truly criminal aspects of the tale, though; nor does it glorify violence in any way. In a genius move, director Sergio Leone portrays how crime influences this tough, beautiful, but delicate friendship. This brings me to the famously long flashback. Anyone who tells you it is boring, unimportant and relentless was obviously not paying attention. They must also have a short attention span, for the portrayel of the four main characters' childhood is at times beautiful, elegiac and hilarious. It tells a timeless tale of the central character in the film, Noodles (later played by Robert DeNiro), and his obsession with the local beauty (a young Jennifer Conally, later played by Elizabeth McGovern) who refuses to love him because he'll "always be a two-bit punk." It reminisces on the constant loss of virginities to the town prostitute who makes love for the price of one pastry (what accompanies this story line is a legendary scene where a young teenager succumbs to the temptation of his pastry gift). And it ends in one of the film's most emotional moments that proves you must have a strong stomach to really pay attention and/or appreciate the film to full extent. It is quite hard to watch not because of any sort of violence, but because of its emotional rawness ending in a near cataclysmic incident. This carries over into the rest of the film, dotted with modern day looks at Noodles and his three friends who are dead at the beginning of the film. After his mental journey through the past, he searches in real life for the love of his life, played by Elizabeth McGovern. What ensues is a twist, one of the best in cinematic history (that I've seen, anyway). You won't be disappointed. What is masterful about all of these storylines, flashbacks and flashforwards is the extent of their depth. Leone accompanies each detail with an unforgettable emotional truth that extends deep into each character's (and our own) psyche. And for those who love history, Leone sets this saga in the days of prohibition, which offers the four friends an occupation, of sorts. Apart from the amazing depth in character and story, the production values are top notch, with glorious sets, cinematography and editing. And don't forget the delicacy of the writing and direction. It all works together so well on so many levels. So to those who have strong stomachs (there are bouts of intense violence) and those who are not too young (this is definitely not a family film, as it portrays some graphic sexuality) and also those who are in love with cinema, I recommend 'Once Upon a Time in America.' Oh, and make sure you have a good attention span. This is not a short movie by any means, although it zips by in the best sense.

Why this "director's cut" is still a muddled mess:
One thing that you should know about this movie, according to the running commentary on this DVD set, is that Leone originally shot 10 hours of film. Then from this 10 hours of film he apparently did an original 6 hour film cut. Realizing this length was not practical for a single movie release, and opting not to split his work into 2 seperate films, Leone then got out his scissors once again and cut his film down to this 3 hour 49 minute version. This, I think, is where the problems begin. For instance, Leone chose to leave in the now legendary 5 minute scene of a kid eating a piece of cake. However, Noodles' girlfriend Eve who gets wacked at the start of the movie, never gets properly introduced into the story after the film goes back in time, she just is suddenly there with Noodles in Florida. Even at almost four hours I got the feeling that the movie was over edited like the original US release. A lot of times in the second half of the movie I felt like I had to try and catch up with the story and figure out what had happened- i.e., suddenly the gang is backing up the trucking union, and we're thrust right in the middle of this intense situation. And then there's the part of the movie where it's supposed to be 1968. The film critic doing the running commentary says that the film "works best" if you assume that the 1968 scenes are just Noodles' opium dreams in 1935. To me this just seems to be a cop-out to excuse the holes and confusing story telling. I don't see how Noodles in the 1930's could have a dream about watching a TV in 1968 when the television hasn't been invented yet at the time he was "opium dreaming". Then there's the business of Mr. Bailey and the garbage truck at the end. I'll not spoil it for you, but James Wood says himself in the included documentary that he doesn't know what happened at this point and that was Leone's intention. I can accept what Lennon and MacCartney said about their song lyrics meaning whatever you interperate them to be, but in my own opinion this style doesn't translate for me when I'm watching a movie. I like a definate outcome to be evident, but if this is okay with you, well, I warned you. And if you don't mind being irritated by 20 loud rings of a telephone for artistic style, same thing applies. I could go on and on but, hey, I already wasted 3 hours and 49 minutes of my life. Don't get me wrong. I've got all of Leone's spaghetti western's and I'd give them all 5 stars. There is some good stuff in this movie like the acting of the leads and cinematography but they don't make up for the other problems I mentioned. Like the Beach Boys ill-fated Smile album Once Upon A Time In America seems to be a project that "sank under the weight of it's own lofty ambitions". Maybe Leone was just ahead of his time. If he had filmed this story today perhaps it would have been a success as a one-season HBO series.

a classic:
his is an epic, episodic tale of the lives of a small group of New York City Jewish gangsters spanning over 40 years. The movie centers on David 'Noodles' Aaronson (Robert De Niro) and his lifelong partners in crime, Max (James Woods), Cockeye (William Forsythe) and Patsy (James Hayden) and their friends, who all grew up in New York's Lower East Side in the 1920s-1930s. In the late 1960s, an elderly Noodles returns to New York after many years in hiding to look into the past. Told mostly in flashbacks and flash-forwards, this film is a classic that has us discover great actors, including Jennifer Connelly and Brian Bloom. It features a great cast, like Danny Aiello and Joe Pesci. One of the masterpieces in film history worth watching. If you have 4 hours to spare, take your time to watch it. Its worth it at least once in your lifetime for the cinematography, the acting, the music, and the directing.

Distastefully Grafic:
If the movie had left out the offensive grafic sex scenes, especially with kids involved in sex acts, I could have enjoyed this movie a little bit. I found it revolting to see children playing some of the scenes. I also agree that there wasn't much to the dvd other than the movie itself. There's no point in buying it because you wouldn't want to see it again.

Betrayal of course:
Okay of course someone saw that I love Gangsta movies, and books and suggested that this had to be one for the collection. I love Robert DeNiro, and James Wood, and seeing them together cinched it. Okay now with saying that this DVD isn't like the best caliber. The movie is missing something I've watched it a couple of times to see if it were just me and I still have no clue as to who was looking for Noodles. In the middle of the jewelry heist the movie just stops it doesn't say put in next disc. It's sslloooww(...)! Don't get me wrong, I like the flashbacks and how pertinent it is too the present I'd just like to know who in the hell was trying to kill Noodles! My first Jewish mob story it's not way Gangsta but it does hold it's own.