Review of Once Upon a Time in America (1984) by Ville H — 09 Aug 2011

The critics are right: this is an epic poem concerning friendship, betrayal, and loss. And how beautifully shot it was. Then again, concerning Leone's forays into the Western genre, you tend to expect some really great cinematography from him. I'm also glad that his friend Ennio Morricone was recruited to contribute the score - not only fitting in era-specific motifs of a pan pipe, patriotic songs, and, hell, even the Beatles' "Yesterday" in Muzak form, but also adding in his own majestic score that adds to the chaotic beauty of this film.

The acting's nice. One of De Niro's best performances - and I didn't know that Jennifer Connelly was playing in these types of films when she was young. I guess her parents barred her from seeing it.

The script's good, but it's your usual atmospheric stuff that you'd expect from Leone. Nothing too fancy concerning dialogue, but always full of hearty character development that anybody can like.

I can't wait for the original director's cut of this next year. I hope they release it in the US. I know I'm buying tickets.