 "May be theidefinitive gangster picture. Rarely equaled." -David N. Meyer, The New York Times Ten years in planning, Sergio Leone's epic Once Upon A Time In America portrays 50 years of riveting underworld history and offers rich roles to a remarkable cast. Robert De Niro and James Woods play lifelong Lower East Side pals whose wary partnership unravels in death and mystery. Strong support comes from Tuesday Weld, Joe Pesci, Jennifer Connelly, Elizabeth McGovern and the young actors playing the central characters as ghetto kids. To see this film (offered for the first time in the full version 1984 Cannes Film Festival audiences cheered) is "to be swept away by the assurance and vitality of a great director making his final statement in a medium he adored" (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times). Storyline: Epic tale of a group of Jewish gangsters in New York, from childhood, through their glory years during prohibition, and their meeting again 35 years later. Written by Andrew Welsh Cast Notes: Robert De Niro (David 'Noodles' Aaronson), James Woods (Maximilian 'Max' Bercovicz), Elizabeth McGovern (Deborah Gelly), Tuesday Weld (Carol), Treat Williams (James Conway O'Donnell), James Hayden (Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg), Joe Pesci (Frankie Minaldi), Larry Rapp ('Fat' Moe Gelly), Danny Aiello (Police Chief Vincent Aiello), William Forsythe (Philip 'Cockeye' Stein), Burt Young (Joe), Darlanne Fluegel (Eve [as Darlanne Fleugel]), Dutch Miller (Van Linden), Robert Harper (Sharkey), Richard Bright (Chicken Joe). User Comment: jeanpaul-3 from Seattle, 29 October 1999 • This is, for me, one of the finest examples of cinematic art. It isn't a simple, cut-n-dried 90 minute little package that gets wrapped up with a pretty bow at the end. You get pulled in by the enigmatic opening that unwinds the threads of the story to be found later. For many people having half an hour of purely visual story telling, of stories that are only mysteries at that point, before anything becomes truly linear is difficult to follow and discourages to many people. Our own memories are only snippets that only become linear as we concentrate on scenes from our lives. Once Upon a Time in America is like that as we follow Noodles through the `significant' part of his life - the times that formed him. When the story actually starts, we meet the girl that he always loved but could never have. David `Noodles' Aaronson (DeNiro) was a kid on the very mean streets of Brooklyn when organized crime was born in America and he grew into and out of it. That's the simplest synopsis of the plot. The reality is that this isn't a movie about gangsters. Being a gangster is the easiest way for Noodles to survive and get ahead, but it also alienates and ruins his one love. Whenever he is close to giving himself to Deborah he always gets pulled back into the gang, in some form or another. DeNiro's portrayal is of a gangster, through and through, who also has a conscience that, while not preventing him from being a ruthless killer, rules his life with regret, remorse and guilt. Leone takes a bit of poet/historic license by showing the Brooklyn Bridge being built in the background (the bridge had been built 40 years before), but it symbolizes Noodles' own growth. When the bridge is just pilings and incomplete towers, Noodles is just forming his future. By the time the bridge is complete, Noodles is nothing but a gangster and the bridge is majestic. When he returns 35 years later our view of the bridge is from under a freeway -- the world has moved along, but the bridge and Noodles are just as they were. The length: If you're looking for a brief distraction that you'll barely remember 30 minutes later, this isn't the movie for you. However, if you are prepared and able to be undistributed for the nearly 4 hours that this film uses to compress a lifetime -- you will be rewarded with many facets of thought and examination. Summary: Mesmerizing and haunting tale of love, greed, regret, betrayal and revenge. IMDb Rating (07/25/14): 8.4/10 from 166,752 users Top 250: #76 IMDb Rating (10/15/07): 8.2/10 from 39,824 users Top 250: #102 IMDb Rating (07/30/07): 8.3/10 from 37,457 users Top 250: #106
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