32. Once Upon a Time in America (1984) – Sergio Leone

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.

I don’t think there is anyone on this planet who can honestly say they like every frame of Sergio Leone’s last masterpiece Once Upon a Time in America. In it’s original form, the movie is about 10 minutes short of four hours long… and it feels it too.

The movie takes place over the course of 50 years! And it’s not just a simple jump cut from one time to the other, each one is meticulously drawn out with it’s own story in typical Leone operatic fashion.

I love most of the movie, but there are bits of the movie I find difficult to watch and I believe Leone’s ultimate message with the film got lost somewhere in some of the scenes but on the whole it’s a masterpiece that could only be made by one of the greatest directors that ever lived.

Once Upon a Time in America is no doubt Leone’s best acted film. There was never the talents of Robert De Niro, James Woods, Joe Pesci, Burt Young or Elizabeth McGovern in any of Leone’s previous movies, which relied more on the actors look than the ability to read out lines. I’m not saying they couldn’t act, but Clint Eastwood is no Robert De Niro… as the latter is surely one of the greatest that has ever lived.

Enrico Morricone’s haunting score, especially the signature tune is something that you will take from the movie to your grave. You will not be able to get it out of your head and it blends with the atmosphere of the movie so well… like it did with every movie they worked together on. A mesmerizing score.

If you stick with this movie to the very end, it’s most definitely Leone’s richest and most rewarding film. It’s emotionally difficult but well worth the trip and it deserves it’s stature alongside The Godfather as one of the great gangster movies of all time.

Like the great Citizen Kane, Once Upon a Time in America tells the story of a man’s life and struggle for humanity. What deeper and more significant tale could you hope to see on screen?