Once Upon A Time In America [1984]

See Larger Image	List Price: £13.99 Our Price: £4.98 Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours Manufacturer: Warner Home Video Starring: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Tuesday Weld, Treat Williams Directed By: Sergio Leone Average Customer Rating:


Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over Binding: DVD EAN: 7321931200264 Format: Box set Label: Warner Home Video Manufacturer: Warner Home Video Number Of Discs: 2 Number Of Items: 2 Publisher: Warner Home Video Region Code: 2 Release Date: 2003-06-23 Running Time: 220 Studio: Warner Home Video Theatrical Release Date: 1984-06-01
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Editorial Reviews: Once Upon a Time in America has a chequered history, having been chopped from its original 229-minute director's cut to 139 minutes for its theatrical release. The longer edition presented here benefits from having the complete story (the short version has huge gaps) about turn-of-the-century Jewish immigrants in America finding their way into lives of crime, as told in flashback by an ageing Jewish gangster named Noodles (Robert De Niro). On the other hand, it's almost four hours long, and this sometimes-indulgent Sergio Leone film is no Godfather. Still, it is notable for the contrast between Leone's elegiac take on the gangster film and his occasional explosive action, as well as for the mix of the stoic, inexpressive De Niro and the hyperactive James Woods as his lifelong friend and rival. --Marshall Fine
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: SERGIO VS THE STUDIO Comment: This epic film rightly belongs at the top of the Gangster genre as does 'Once Upon A Time In The West' in the Western genre. Call Sergio's final work boring, long, overrated, confusing, etc, then you've probably watched too many blockbusters; 'The Godfather' (Part 1) (the one with Brando) being one of them. Upon release of OUATIA, Sergio went to war with the studio over his envisioned non-linear (229 minutes or more) version, and THEIR stupid alternative short-linear-version (Americans only). All this after many years in development. It was in Sergio's mind before plans for 'Once Upon A Time In The West'. THEY also "forgot to enter Ennio Morricone's score" (for Academy Award) as producer Arnon Milchan says in the extras on the DVD version. What a crime! We Brit's gave Ennio's score a BAFTA award instead. De Niro is excellent in his role as the gangster without glory. My favourite De Niro character is "Noodles". His definitive gangster role, along with young Vito Corleone in 'The Godfather' (Part 2). Forget obvious roles like Jimmy Conway in 'Goodfellas' or Johnny Boy in 'Mean Streets'. This De Niro character is thoughtful, mysterious, and crude. Also some great career defining roles from James Woods, Tuesday Weld, Elizabeth McGovern, Danny Aiello (excellent as police chief), and the younger actors playing the leads (great as little thugs). I thought a young Jennifer Connelly was superb (her first film i believe). I found this different from other gangster films. The authentic detail and photography gives you a feel of the period, especially in the 20's and 30's sections. You can almost smell the grime in various street locations, and admire the beauty in scenes like the restaurant where Noodles dines with Deborah. The music also connects you to the period too. Excellent score from Ennio. Violence is vulgar/obscene in this film and sometimes uncomfortable to watch, adding to the ugliness and meaning of the genre. The 'diamond robbery scene' and the 'raping of Deborah' an example. Not suitable for the squeamish types. The DVD version has the inconvenient stop right after the wasting ("Kids Stuff"!) of Joe and his gang, and not at the 'Intermission'. Did it spoil YOUR viewing? Either love it or loathe it. This film is without a doubt an excellent finale for a much missed film director. I was MOVED by this film! WELL DONE SERGIO! THIS FILM IS UGLY AND SMELLY! THE WAY A 'GANGSTER FILM' SHOULD BE!! Customer Rating: Summary: SERGIO LEONE'S EPIC GANGSTER FILM Comment: Once Upon A Time In America [1984] THE LEADING ACTOR IN SERGIO LEONE'S DREAMING EPIC IS NOT JAMES WOODS NOR IS IT ELIZABETH McGovern; NOR FOR ALL THE EXCELLENCE IN HIS PERFORMANCE, IS IT ROBERT de NIRO. THE MAIN CHARACTER IN THE FILM IS 'TIME'! THE THEME IS ONE THAT HAS ALWAYS FASCINATED MR.LEONE. ONE COULD POINT TO SOME OF THE MORE OBVIOUS SYMBOLS IN HIS EARLIER FILMS LIKE THE HANDLESS CLOCKS THAT LITTER THE LANDSCAPE OF 'ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST' OR THE MUSICAL FOB-WATCH IN 'FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE' THAT WAS A CONTINUOUS REMINDER OF RAPE AND REVENGE AND WAS USED TO TIME THE FINAL SHOOT-OUT! IN 'ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA', THE ITEM WHICH FIRST BRINGS THE YOUNG NOODLES(de NIRO) AND MAX(JAMES WOODS) TOGETHER IF THEIR LIFE TIME OF CRIME IS A STOLEN POCKET WATCH, AND IT PASSES BETWEEN THEM THROUGHOUT THE FILM AS A KIND OF TALISMAN. MOREOVER, THE ALL-IMPORTANT KEYS THAT CAN OPEN THE LEFT-LUGGAGE LOCKER, WHERE THE GANG STORE THEIR LOOT ARE HIDDEN IN A GRANDFATHER CLOCK. QUITE LITERALLY, SERGIO LEONE IS SAYING, THE KEY TO THE MYSTERY IS IN THE CLOCK. IN STRICT CHRONOLOGICAL TERMS, THE FILM, IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PHASES. (1)1923: THE ADOLESCENT GANG OF NOODLES, MAX, COCKEYE, DOMINIC AND PATSY IS FORMED ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE OF MANHATTAN. (2)1933: WHEN AFTER SEVERAL SUCCESSFUL YEARS OF TRADING IN HOOCH, THE END OF PROHIBITION SPELLS AN END TO THE GANG'S ACTIVITIES, AS A RESULT OF WHICH MAX PLANS TO PULL AN AMBITIOUS BANK RAID , AND NOODLES, ANXIOUS TO AVOID THEIR DESTRUCTION IN THIS MAD SCHEME, BETRAYS THEM TO THE POLICE AND THEY ARE ALL SLAUGHTERED IN THE RAIN; AND (3)1968: WHEN NOODLES AFTER ANONYMOUSLY LIVING IN BUFFALO IN A SELF-IMPOSED EXILE FOR THIRTY FIVE YEARS, RETURNS TO NEW YORK, SUMMONED BY A STRANGE LETTER WHICH SEEMS TO HOLD A SOLUTION TO THE MYSTERIES HE HAS BEEN PONDERING WHILE IN EXILE. THE FILM RECREATES THE STARING POINT OF 1968. IT THEN, SHIFTS TEASINGLY BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS IN TIME, IN MUCH THE SAME WAY THAT HUMAN MEMORY DOES. IT MAY NOT BE MUCH, BUT IT IS EVERYTHING THAT IS CINEMA. Customer Rating: Summary: Over-rated epic Comment: I was rather disappointed with a film that went on far too long (during the last hour I was continually fast forwarding the action). It is always a good idea to enable the viewer to empathise with the main characters - in this film there was actually nothing to like about any of the main characters. At times the dialogue plodded along and I was waiting for something of note to happen - it very rarely did! Boring and not a patch on the Godfather or Goodfellas. Customer Rating: Summary: Worst gangster Film you will ever see-- garanteed. Comment: Before i get a slashing for my review, i would just like to say i love most films especially gangster ones! This movie is possibily the WORST gangster film ever made, and in my view also the worst movie ever made. A lot of effort was put into it and a lot of amazing cast for what? -- a painfully bad film . I seen the good reviews it got from the masses and thought id give it a 2nd try so i watched it again-- horrible waste of time. I thought maybe i didnt have taste -- now i have realised that all of you cheer leaders that have given it 5 stars have none-- or maybe you dont understand what a good film is? This is not a masterpiece, this is not a classic , classics are films like the godfather or scarface or goodfellas -- This film is a pile of nonsense -- period. Im not going to go into details because there are just too many flaws -- what was the director thinking? -- even a 5 year old kid with no cinema experience could of made a better film with the resources sergio had. It really annoyed me a lot because i love de niro and James woods Customer Rating: Summary: Overrated Comment: 'Once Upon A Time In America' is hailed by many as a masterpiece. The 'Godfather I and II' are hailed by many as classics. The latter lives up to its claim, whereas the former falls way short. And here's why: Both the Godfather/s and 'Once Upon A Time In America' display impressive cinematography, but that is where the similarities end. The narrative in 'Once Upon A Time In America' is fragmented and ultimately ambiguous. The protagonists, despite reasonable performances from Robert De Niro and James Woods, evoke little concern as to what will become of them. They are hollow and heartless criminals devoid of any redeeming feature that may have endeared them to the audience in some small way. This is a very important point, especially since I found myself genuinely sympathizing at times with Michael and Vito Corleone in the Godfather I and II, and Daniel Plainview in the recent film 'There Will Be Blood', all of whom are sinister megalomaniacs. Noodles (De Niro) and Max (Woods) on the other hand failed completely to stir any such feelings within me. The more of the film I saw, the less I cared about the characters. Furthermore, I have some gripes with the soundtrack. The music in itself isn't bad, but it is poorly executed and incongruous with the mood of some scenes. Alas, the quintessential film making depicted in Leone's spaghetti westerns are not apparent in this film. More Reviews