Review of Once Upon a Time in America (1984) by Shae S — 23 Jul 2011

It took me three viewings to finish the film and to truly appreciate it. I feel the need to give it 5 stars even though I wouldn't necessarily call it perfect, but the stars don't exactly matter anyway.

I think it's a beautifully made film, probably Leone's best (kill me loyal fans of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly...I love it, but this is just far more emotionally engaging and thus an even stronger film watching experience).

There are so many great things about this movie: the cinematography that perfectly captures the feel of the time and the grittiness of the streets, the heartbreaking musical score by Ennio Morricone, the many grand performances and of course the expansive and epic vision of Sergio Leone.

It's grand in scope, like an epic novel, rich in characters and realistic settings. The thing is, it's not exactly accessible in terms of what people enjoy seeing and the amount of attention people have.

There are long, drawn out scenes that Leone is famous for and there are totally unlikable characters, especially the impenitent Noodles, played by De Niro. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but be totally engaged with the scope of the film and the magnificence of how the story was told.

I feel as though this film was made by a person who really wanted to put the audience right there in New York and to tell a compelling and heartfelt story of children who grow up tough and lead the lives of tough men.

If you can make it through the slow scenes and tolerate the horrible things the characters do, then you will be treated to one of the great epic cinematic experiences.