Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Director:

Sergio Leone

Writers:

Harry Grey (novel)
Leonardo Benvenuti (writer) ...

Release Date:

1 June 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Crime, passion and lust for power - Sergio Leone's explosive saga of gangland America. [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to Brooklyn over 30 years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.

Plot Keywords:

Female Nudity | Italian American | Once Upon A Time In The Title | Loss | Mafia Boss

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 11 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	David 'Noodles' Aaronson
James Woods	...	Maximilian 'Max' Bercovicz
Elizabeth McGovern	...	Deborah Gelly
Tuesday Weld	...	Carol
Treat Williams	...	James Conway O'Donnell
James Hayden	...	Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg
Joe Pesci	...	Frankie Minaldi
Larry Rapp	...	'Fat' Moe Gelly
Danny Aiello	...	Police Chief Vincent Aiello
William Forsythe	...	Philip 'Cockeye' Stein
Burt Young	...	Joe
Darlanne Fluegel	...	Eve (as Darlanne Fleugel)
Dutch Miller	...	Van Linden
Robert Harper	...	Sharkey
Richard Bright	...	Chicken Joe

Also Known As:

C'era una volta in America (Italy)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, language and some drug use. (edited version)

Runtime:

229 min | USA:139 min (re-cut)

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English | Italian | French

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 (1990) | Finland:K-18 (1984) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | UK:18 (cut) | Brazil:18 | Germany:16 (f) (re-rating) (2003) | West Germany:18 (f) (original rating) (1984-2003) | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:R | France:-12 (re-rating) (2003) | France:-16 (original rating) | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:12 (original rating) | Netherlands:16 (re-rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Embassy International Pictures

Trivia:

James Woods said Robert De Niro suggested that Woods wear a set of perfect, bright white teeth to demonstrate the aging character's wealth and vanity. The producers balked at the cost, so De Niro paid for them himself.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Just before the boys demonstrate the salt trick to the Italians, fluorescent lighting is visible inside the large buildings in the background. Flourescent lights weren't commercially available until the 1940's.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Beefy: Where is he? Where's he hiding?
Eve: I don't know... I've been looking for him since yesterday.
[a second goon slaps her harshly]
Beefy: I'm gonna ask you for the last time: Where is he?
Eve: I don't know... What are you gonna do to him?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Petit lieutenant, Le (2005)

Soundtrack:

AMAPOLA

A masterpiece and an atrocity!

This movie was a masterpiece. It ranks as one of the very best in film history, if not the best. At Cannes people yelled and screamed, couldn't believe just how good it was. The profound atrocity was a combination of two completely brainless acts, the first being Zack Stienberg's hatchet job for US release, supposedly requested by either Warner Bros or The Ladd Company (one blames the other now) and the second was the lack of anyone (and everyone)to post anything in this great film for Academy Award consideration, of which probably as many as 14 nominations and 4 sure- fire Oscars went down the toilet.

These atrocities were perpretrated, I believe, with two reasons in mind, the first to preserve the dim hope of "The Killing Fields" (Daly & Semel's baby) of garnering any awards... and second, to try to boost up the non- foreign chances. Warner Bros knew just how good it was, that goes without saying. The problem was... they already had their share of cash cows and they wanted a real star- studded showpiece to point at. The small minds already had their showpiece but, alas, it was an "eye- tallyan" flick with a producer/director who didn't communicate well. The hatchet job was carefully planned, I believe... the so- called "sneak preview" was done in Canada and not well received, probably due to the fact that the sound system was over- amped and the film 'broke' 3 or 4 times during the showing, what a farce! The awards snub started with the GGs and carried right thru. What a myriad of stupid and utterly pointless decisions! Must have literally tore Leone's heart out when he learned what they had done.

Morricone's score was a sure- thing Oscar, no question about it. DeNiro and maybe even Woods would have fought it out for best actor, Tuesday Weld as supporting actress, any one of 4 or 5 other supporting actors & actresses, most notably William Forsythe, cinematography, film editing, the list goes on & on... (best picture...Amadeus???? give me a break!!) Just what in the hell were they thinking?

Saw it in a theater 20 years ago and then again on TV about 1998 and finally in its correct format(on DVD) about two years ago and again last week at a friend's house. Stirred up all those angry thoughts all over again... sorry about that, getting' old & crotchety.