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Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
1 June 1984 (USA) moreTagline:
Crime, passion and lust for power - Sergio Leone's explosive saga of gangland America. [Australia Theatrical] morePlot:
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. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 11 wins & 3 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(14 articles)
Jean-Jacques Beineix: The Hollywood Interview (From The Hollywood Interview. 14 July 2009, 4:20 PM, PDT)
Enemies in Public: Top 10 Gangster Movies
(From ReelzChannel. 1 July 2009, 9:39 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Make sure you get the director's cut! more (383 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Robert De Niro | ... | David 'Noodles' Aaronson | |
| James Woods | ... | Maximilian 'Max' Bercovicz | |
| Elizabeth McGovern | ... | Deborah Gelly | |
| Joe Pesci | ... | Frankie Manoldi | |
| Burt Young | ... | Joe | |
| Tuesday Weld | ... | Carol | |
| Treat Williams | ... | James Conway O'Donnell | |
| Danny Aiello | ... | Police Chief Vincent Aiello | |
| Richard Bright | ... | Chicken Joe | |
| James Hayden | ... | Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg | |
| William Forsythe | ... | Philip 'Cockeye' Stein | |
| Darlanne Fluegel | ... | Eve (as Darlanne Fleugel) | |
| Larry Rapp | ... | 'Fat' Moe Gelly | |
| Richard Foronjy | ... | Officer 'Fartface' Whitey (as Richard Foronji) | |
| Robert Harper | ... | Sharkey |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, language and some drug use. (edited version)Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
229 min | USA:139 min (re-cut)Colour:
Colour (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
Finland:K-16 (1990) | Finland:K-18 (1984) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | Iceland:16 | UK:18 (cut) | Brazil:14 | Germany:16 (f) (re-rating) (2003) | West Germany:18 (f) (original rating) (1984-2003) | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:R | France:U (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:RFun Stuff
Trivia:
The opera symphony "Amapola," can be heard on several occasions in the film: Deborah dances to a jazzy version on the gramophone, Fat Moe's band plays the tune (also jazzed-up) on the speakeasy, and a strings version is heard during Noodles' date with Deborah. moreGoofs:
Anachronisms: Noodles watches a 1967 telecast concerning the investigation revolving around Chairman Bailey (on a decidedly European-looking television set). Twice during the telecast, we see a cameraman with a portable video camera and an assistant with a portable videotape recorder. The very first Electronic News Gathering (ENG) equipment wasn't available in the US until at least 1971. moreQuotes:
[first lines][In 1933, two goons rudely question a young woman]
Beefy: Where is he? Where's he hiding?
Eve: I don't know... I've been looking for him since yesterday.
[second goon slaps her harshly; she falls onto the bed]
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?
[Two shots are head]
Beefy: [to his partner] Stay here in case that rat shows up...
more
Soundtrack:
LA GAZZA LADRA: Overture moreFAQ
Were Max, Patsy & Cockeye killed during Max' planned heist of the Federal Reserve Bank?How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
Is this movie based on a book?
more
more (383 total)
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Many people compare "Once Upon a Time in America" with "The Godfather". In my opinion these two movies can't be compared. Both are masterpieces in their own way, but each of them has a different style. You don't compare a Picasso to Michelangelo's Sixteen Chapel either, do you?
What is it that makes this movie a masterpiece? Well, first of all there is the director. Sergio Leone is a real master when it comes to creating a special atmosphere, full of mystery, surprises and drama... He's one of the few directors who understands the art of cutting a movie in such a way that you stay focused until the end.
The way the movie was cut is also the reason why a lot of Americans don't think this movie is very special. There are three versions, but only the European version is how the director imagined it to be. He didn't want his movie to be shown in chronological order (1910's - 1930's - 1960's), but wanted to mix these three periods of time. The studio cut the movie in chronological order, loosing a lot of its originality and therefor getting a lot of bad critics. If you want to see this film the way Sergio Leone saw it, you have to make sure you get the director's cut.
The second reason why this movie is so great is the music. Ennio Morricone, who is seen as the greatest writer of film music ever, did an excellent job. Together with the images, the music speaks for itself in this movie. From time to time there isn't said a word, but the music and the images on their own tell the story. He understood perfectly what Sergio Leone wanted and composed most of the music even before the movie was shot.
Last but not least there is also the acting and the script. The actors all did an excellent job. But what else can you expect from actors like Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci... They helped making this movie as great as it is by putting there best effort in it. The script helped them with it. It took twelve years to complete, but it hasn't left any detail untouched. The writers really thought of everything when creating it.
I can really recommend this movie to everyone, but especially to people who like the gangster genre. When you want to see the movie, you better be sure that you will have the time for it. This isn't a movie that is finished after 90 minutes. You'll have to be able to stay focused during 3 hours and 47 minutes, which will certainly not be easy during the first 20 to 30 minutes. Some scenes at the beginning only make sense when you have seen the end of the movie. But when you are able to stay focused, you'll find this one of the best movies you've ever seen. I certainly did and I rewarded it with a well deserved 10/10.