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Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Posted By: Artist14

Date: 1 Jun 2011 17:23:04

Legendary Italian director Sergio Leone made six important films during his career, five of which were westerns. The exception was his final film, Once Upon a Time in America, which instead explored the cinematic mythology of American organized crime. It proved to be the best film of his career, slightly better than The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, and significantly better than his most acclaimed project, Once Upon a Time in the West (1969). Based upon Harry Grey's novel "The Hoods", Once Upon a Time in America depicts the rise and fall of a group of Jewish gangsters. As with The Godfather (1971), the story takes place in New York City, but the gang is formed from childhood friends rather than family members. Many elements are similar to both films: corrupt policemen, betrayal of fellow gang members, and the gradual transformation of the innocent and idealistic into hardened criminals.

Leone had evolved since his western action epics. They were certainly well directed, filled with clever plot twists, and had impressive cinematography. But they didn't always have great depth of character and script. Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson played ciphers who never revealed their names, much less their intentions.

In a way, Robert De Niro has the Clint Eastwood role of Once Upon a Time in America. He is a career criminal, yet he refuses contracts that he believes are disloyal or too dangerous. His character is contrasted with that of Max (James Woods), who is more interested in the Big Score. The other gang members are followers but tend to side with Max, if only because he is around more often and his ambitions are more consistent and comprehensible.

Because of his intensity, Woods probably gives the best performance. De Niro broods as usual, but he is sometimes laconic as well. Both are certainly better cast than Elizabeth McGovern, who seems particularly out of place playing a fifty-ish woman in the scenes from 1968.

Nearly half of the film takes place during the early 1920s, when the major characters were teenagers. They are portrayed by appropriately young actors, which include Scott Tiler as Noodles, Rusty Jacobs as Max, and Jennifer Connelly in her film debut as Deborah. The awkward romance between Max and Deborah never really works, partly because De Niro is nearly twenty years older than McGovern, and partly because there's not much in Noodles' character for her to admire.

There is a theory about the film that the 1968 scenes are simply a dream sequence by De Niro's character, which arise from a combination of guilt and opium. If so, then Noodles was quite the futurist, since he foresaw the prevalence of television sets and the name Jimi Hendrix is dropped during background conversation at the bus station.

The soundtrack is well integrated into the film. With most movies the composer in effect becomes a second director, as the score is generally inserted into the film after it is finished. But in many scenes, the score comes from the plot itself, either from a live band, a record played by Deborah, or Cockeye's flute. The major themes of score are beautiful, and it is understandable why Leone always worked with Ennio Morricone. Morricone is still in great demand today, and at last count has composed the scores for 455 films.

Despite the commercial success of his 'spaghetti westerns', Leone was not a director who worked well within the Hollywood system. The major problem was one of pacing. Leone loved to draw the tension out a scene. De Niro has to stir his coffee for a full minute before he drinks it, and a phone rings incessantly before it is answered. The director can also dawdle for comic purposes, such as the boy with a sundae who is waiting for a girl, but eventually decides upon the former.

Of course, Warner Bros. never even considered releasing the 247 minute film uncut. They chopped the film down to 139 minutes, which ruined the plot's delicate chronology. Those few who saw the film in theaters were bewildered. It drew mixed reviews and was a major box office disappointment.

As was the case with Orson Welles' similarly butchered and money-losing The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), the film did receive some contemporary recognition. The Golden Globes nominated Once Upon a Time in America for Best Director, and for Morricone's sumptuous score. At the British Academy Awards, Morricone actually won, with a second trophy for Gabriella Pescucci's costume designs. BAFTA also nominated the movie for Best Director, Best Cinematography (Tonino Delli Colli), and Best Supporting Actress (Tuesday Weld).

Sergio Leone gives himself a cameo role as a bus ticket seller. It was the only time that he appeared in any of the films he directed. He died in 1989, while preparing for an ambitious filmed version of the Winter of 1942 siege of Leningrad.

Brian Koller / September 23, 1999