Review of Once Upon a Time in America (1984) by Kyle20Ellis — 14 Mar 2022

I have seen many movies, good and bad. One thing for certain, Once Upon a Time in America is more than good. It is amazing, a true milestone in the crime drama genre. The cinematography, images, scenery and locations are all superb and quite sweeping, while Ennio Morricone's score ranks up there with his very best. While the film clocks in at nearly four hours long, it never feels boring to me while the pace is quite elegiac everything else just compels you. I will admit, this is another film you need to see more than once to understand/appreciate it.

Sergio Leone's direction is also superb, the story is always compelling and rich and the dialogue is very thought-provoking. The characters are wonderful if different. Unlike The Godfather(not a bad thing by the way), Once Upon a Time in America doesn't make you feel sympathy for its characters, these characters are actually quite nasty people but the way they are written and acted makes them compelling too. The two rape scenes are very shocking and perhaps brutal, but again that's no flaw in any way, because this slant on crime and the like is quite realistic if you put it in perspective.

The acting is another strong asset. Robert DeNiro and James Woods, both are great actors, and both give brilliant performances. So overall, extraordinary, not only of its genre but of film full-stop.