Synopsis for
Once Upon a Time in America (1984) More at IMDbPro »

This is Sergio Leones mobster masterpiece- a surreal, visually magnificent, exquisitely crafted, very long, epic film. With a nearly four hour running time; the movie is challenging and often difficult to follow (especially the final moments which have been debated over for years)- but its all worthwhile. In June of 1984, at the time of the films release the studio got antsy and re-cut the movie-trimming nearly two hours of footage! Essentially they turned the film into an incoherent mess with characters appearing then disappearing with no explanation. What a travesty! If youre going to watch this movie (and I highly recommend that you do)- see the full, unedited, directors cut- which was re-released in an exquisite DVD formatted package a few years back. Everything is there, all the moments that you dont want to miss, that moviegoers missed in 1984. The movie is based on a novel called THE HOODS about a group of Jewish kids growing up in lower Manhattan in the early 1900s, the turn of the century. The movie impressively takes on the task of spanning almost six decades! With all of the landmark moments in history and the depth and growth of the characters throughout- I honestly dont know how Leone did it. This is an amazing film- its a moving drama, an opera of violence, regret, love, obsession and nostalgia- its a history lesson as well. The costumes, the make-up, the set pieces, the feel of time and place are impeccable. The musical score is done by the masterful Ennio Morricone and in my opinion this is his best work out of all of his magnificent film scores. The music speaks words and actions all by itself and this film uses quiet moments, fade-outs, flashbacks and metaphors to tell its epic story. Its a visual movie and there are words that are not spoken, things unsaid- left open for interpretation. Some people believe the entire film is an Opium hallucination and a flashback of sorts. You have to see it to decide for yourself. This film has elements of a mobster movie but it is much more than that. Its a sprawling historical drama and an intense character study of a deeply haunted man. The movie stars Robert DeNiro, in all of his brilliance as Noodles, who is haunted by an act of treason to his crew that took place some 30 some years ago. Back then, after the death of his friends, he left New York City, intending never to come back, but someone has found him and has sent him correspondence, luring him back to the city and face to face with all his ghosts of the past. Everything else basically takes place in flashback as we watch the gang as children and we see their descent into crime and madness. I wont get into the plot anymore because that is basically an impossible feat. This is a movie that demands to be seen and defies description. I would love to write a whole thesis on this movie, pages long and in depth because this is such a layered film. Brilliantly acted, written, filmed, edited and scored- this is, in my opinion, one of the best films ever made. Surreal and haunting, it stays with you long after viewing. Ive seen this film well over 10 times and I still see something new every time and I always develop new theories. What a remarkable piece of work!