Review of Once Upon a Time in America (1984) by Michael C — 10 Aug 2009

It saddens me that upon this film's initial release, an hour and half of it was butchered and stripped from its running time, originally making it an incomprehensible mess of a movie. Legendary auteur Sergio Leone deserved better for his final masterpiece, the epic tale of 4 men and their trials and tribulations over 40 years in the Jewish mafia. Yes the film is 4 hours long, and yes, that is a pretty extended sit. But like Lawrence of Arabia or other sprawling epic classics, that 4 hour length is needed, and besides, when telling someone's 40 year history, isn't it actually impressive that the story can be told so well with only 4 hours?

DeNiro gives a subtle, strong performance as David "Noodles" Aaronson, a Jewish mobster who returns to New York 35 years after being exiled. As he explores how much his home has changed, he also reflects upon his own personal history coming up in the mob. We are able to view him as a young child (and I must commend Leone, as all of the child actors look and sound like younger versions of their adult counterparts) first learning a life of crime, as a young adult enjoying the fruits of his life of crime and incurring consequences, and as an aging man reflecting on the events of the past. DeNiro and his crew are fascinating to watch; at times we find their actions despicable and reprehensible, at others we are touched by the bond these men seem to have for one another. The story feels large in scope in every way; the image of the young children walking on the street with the huge bridge standing overhead. The enormous, powerful closeups, a staple of Leone's westerns, the emotional punch of the piercing violence in the film, even the speed of many of the film's tracking shots, everything about this movie feels overwhelmingly epic. I know at first the idea of Leone doing a gangster movie, considering that he made his reputation with great Westerns and mob films are focusing on happenings to the East, but honestly this film is a spaghetti western in some sense, and may be the most ambitious one Leone ever directed. I put off watching this film for many years because the length seemed a bit daunting, but if you are a fan of gangster films and terrific films in general, consider it required viewing.