Customer Reviews

Once Upon Time America [Blu-ray] [Import]

5 star:		(115)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Once upon a Time in America, is one of those movies, you never get tired of. The film aged gracefully and there are few if any clues it is not a contemporary movie. The story of the Jewish gangster boys living in the New York's Lower East Side fascinated Sergio Leone and his passion is obvious to the viewer. The film might be a tad too long and at times the story is told too slowly. Still, the characters are all round and we follow them from youth to their old age. This is a classic.

Every time I watch this movie, I get closer to calling it my all-time favourite. It's a magnum opus in the truest sense, and many of the things people believe to be flaws in it are actually there on purpose. Leone worked for over a decade on this and someday I think it'll get the recognition it deserves.

No review can do this grandiose film justice, but i'll write one anyway. It is a sprawling, beautiful epic that (i cant beleive i'm saying this) really does deserve the title of best the gangster film, maybe the Godfather Trilogy can beat it, but not just one of those films alone. The first viewing the film will seem very long, but on second viewing (or more) the beauty of the movie really comes through, the end with DeNiro & Woods & the score made me get very emotional. If you enjoy gangster films, this is definitley for you, for a Robert DeNiro fan, this is a must. One of the greatest films ever made, 'rarely equalled'
also recommend:
THE DEER HUNTER
GODFATHER TRILOGY
SCARFACE

This is a great film nonetheless, although I agree with the other reviewers that the editing could have been much better, especially considering that this film above all other deservers an intermission - just not in the middle of one of the movies most important scenes.
However, worth the money to purchase it if you like the genre.

Having said that, buy it from a company who does not outsource their jobs to other countries. Amazon has joined the Lou Dobbs list of companies who do.

Sergio Leone's final sprawling epic is finally presented in all it's restored glory on this 2-disc DVD. Once Upon a Time in America tells the story of four childhood friends who find their way into the world of organized crime; specifically from the viewpoint of Noodles (Robert De Niro) as he reminisces as an old man. At 229 minutes, this is the longest cut of the film to ever see the light of day, and while some may see Once Upon a Time in America as an exercise in indulgence (and let's face it, it can be at some points) one can't deny the lasting power of Leone's final film. It may not achieve the same type of greatness as The Godfather, Goodfellas, etc.; but Once Upon a Time in America was in it's day, just like Gangs of New York is today, an underrated masterpiece. The DVD itself is poorly constructed however. The film is split into two parts, mostly because of the feature length commentary by film historian Richard Schickel, but Warner Bros. could have done a much better job. We get an excerpt of a documentary about Leone, but why wasn't the whole thing included on here? Just like they did with their earlier 2-disc re-releases of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, True Romance, and Unforgiven; Warner Bros. has crafted another disappointing DVD set.

This movie stands out because in many ways it is very strange! However, I think that it is very special because it is so different from most movies. It is very LONG but I must admit that once I started watching it I got hooked. Even if you end up not liking it, you too will probably be drawn to it. You'll love it if you love DeNiro and if you love epic film-making! I recommend that you AT LEAST watch the entire film once in your life!

By all means watch this 227 minute 2-disc special edition instead of the superedited shorter version. From what I've read an American film company cout 80 minutes = 1/3 to director Sergio Leone's horror, citing that his 10-year dram/masterwork/tribute to America was "barbarously massacred".

OUATIA was previewed in 1984 to American test audeinces & greedy studio heads fearing bad box office in a fast-paced culture assumed Americans would not want to sit thrgouh over 3 hours and 45 minutes & so edited it themselves (Leone wanted nothing to do w/editing it). Consequently, it did not receive the praise it did at Cannes, Britain, and Europe becuase those audiences and the rest of the world saw the full diretcctor's version; North American was the only country that did not show the original version & of course the oscards ignored it. I don't rememer hearing about this movie in 84 becuse of bad marketing but I decieded to watch it recently as I want to see all of Robert De Niro's films.

I will be honest hahere and say that upon first viewing I gave up on it and kept fast forwarding & was angered at the violence ans sexism. I gave it another viewing and am glad I did. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because its hard to enjoy a film where the few females characters have positions of being prostitues or mistresses and are subjected to rape & abuse . But I do like that Leone did not sugarcoat his characters & risked allientating his audience for the sake of realization.

Ennio Morriccone's majestic orchestral score (especially the strings & pan flute) is hauntingly delicious in this gangster epic & is in itself an important character. I love Italian film music and this score is one of the most touching I have heard. There is good use of the Beatles's Yesterday as Noodles waxes nostalgic. The music is partially what caused me to give this anoher chance. There is pleasing cineamatography as its shot in NY, Toronto, Rome, Venice & Paris. I especially liked the transition shots like when the frisbee flies.

OUATIA has an uconventional narrative starting in 1933, jumping to 1968 and then back to 1923 so it will take more than one viewing to figure out whats going on . I like it when movies are longs so you are shown more of the characters and I wish it were longer! De Niro gives anoher qualiaty performance & his face is the center piece although I can't see him as a jeewish gangster but Italian. He has his head shaved for when he plays the older Noodles and gained weight so he's not as atractive in those scenes but is credible as a slower older man who is weighted by overwhelming guilt. De Niro fans will like the "coffee" scene! Leone's epic seems to stand still in time while he stirs his coffee for what seems like an eternity while the others anxiously watch to see what he will do next. Classic De Niro moment.

The young actors playing the young gang in the 30's did a great job, especially Scott Tiler, who played young Noodles exploring first love except he & De Niro do not look alike. Noodles' youthful character is more energetic & expressive than DeNiro's who gives an understated, controlled low emotional performance of quiet strength. DeNiro is still sexy in a hat! Borsalinos here & very striking in a tux. As boys, the gang are not that likable as they commit petty & as adults are even more unlikeable w/little morality so there is no hero but its refreshing that there is not that hollywood sterotype of good person vsx villain here. De Niro's Noodles is romantic & sort of an antihero until he becomes a rapist. Ther is an especially must-see romantic scene where he reunites w/his long-time love & arranges an orchestra to play their song in a ballroom by the ocean! but the tone chages when he rapes her later. Whey he does this & has such sexual hostility is not explained.

This film is about friendship, memory, time, youthful innocence lost, unrequited love and regret. Time is a characger w/the interweaving of flashbacks. I wish Leone had chosen another actor to play Max or gotten rid of the character as it wasnt enoyable to look a Woods & hear his rages for 4 hours. Why would Tuesday Weld's Carol want to stay w/this ugly hothead? Why would NOodles be so bonded w/this mean person he would go to jail for him? We are subjected to hearing him abuse Carol to leave a room and he abuses Noodles 2 times. Noodles does not have the desire for crime as the gang & he recollects on a violent mispent past he sadly wasn't able to extricate himself from.

This ambitious film raises more questions than it answers. I did not understand the ending & what is really going on. IsS this an opium-induced hallucination? I love Mullhollnad Drive & it has a similar theme. What about De Niro's mysterious stained smile at the end? (another classic Bobby D moment). Does that mean his fear & guilt are absolved?. Did max bewy Noodles & try to have him gunned down? Ther is a lot of detail in the recreation of 1930's NY & UOATIA will take you on a journey thorugh time & one man's memories.

The first disc ends at the worst possible place. And if that ain't enough, the intermission comes 5 or 6 chapters into the 2nd disc. Who...made this DVD???...This is by far the most sloppy, unprofessional, stupid, careless DVD's I've ever seen. The extras (with the exception of a very interesting and wonderful commentary) are pretty lame too.

Anyway, gripes aside. OUATIA is a very unknown, underrated, under-appreciated marvel of an epic gangster film. Why is this film stuck living in the shadows while mediocre, boring, overrated films like Raging Bull get all the praise? Don't get me wrong, I love RB, but come on. Compare it to this extraordinary masterpiece. Maybe now that it's released in it's entirety, it'll finally get the respect it deserves... (too bad it took this long, though). I just wish this was one of those films that got parodied by shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy. Nothing would give me greater satisfaction than a nice, witty OUATIA reference. But alas, it will probably never happen, and a very select few would actually get it. Sad. Sadder than this DVD.

Leoné's final film is easily his best. I'm not going to give you a detailed description of the movie, because it would not do it justice. Go get this. It's worth every penny.

I watched the movie twice in a whole day. It's so beautiful of its music and scene painting. Recalling the movie, it looked like old unforgetable pictures one by one appearing in your mind .