Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Directed by: Sergio Leone | 227 minutes | drama, crime | Actors: Robert de Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Joe Pesci, Burt Young, Tuesday Weld, Treat Williams, James Hayden, Danny Aiello, Larry Rapp, William Forsythe, Darlanne Fluegel, Dutch Miller, Robert Harper, Richard Bright

Whatever genre Sergio Leone devoted himself to, he always managed to put his own stamp on it. The same goes for his latest film, the intriguing gangster epic ‘Once Upon a Time in America’. Leone shows with this film that even in the autumn of his life (and career) he was still a passionate and masterful storyteller, without falling into repetition.

The beginning of the film is immediately fascinating. You are presented with various images, the coherence of which is unclear, but which nevertheless give the viewer a certain feeling. A murder of a blond woman; an opium-smoking Robert De Niro; a montage of apparent memory images, constantly accompanied by the sound of a telephone ringing: we don’t know what all this means, but we are captivated. When we see De Niro visiting a friend early in the film, the camera work and editing are so effective that we fear for his life, even though we hardly know who he is.

The cinematography and editing are not only very effective, but also of great beauty. A beautifully filmed scene is the one in which the youngest member of the group of youthful gangsters is shot. It starts with an overview shot of the street and two large apartment buildings, as our heroes confidently walk past, with the characteristic bridge in the background; smoke comes from the manhole covers. Then a tracking shot at ground level where we see Noodles and co. follow as they round a corner and the camera slowly moves up. Then the camera focuses on the youngest, whom we follow from behind as he skips into a tunnel. The boy stands still, then turns around when he sees their enemy Bugsy approaching. He runs off with his friends ahead of him, in slow motion as the pan flute music of Ennio Morricone kicks in. Everyone hides behind carts and boxes, but the youngest is too late. He gets shot. Still slow motion. Close up on Noodles’ reaction and the slow motion stops. Noodles goes to the boy and sees him die. Then follows a series of thrilling close-ups as the rest of the gang tries to hide from Bugsy.

The film is set in three different eras – 1921, 1933, and 1968 – and visits these times in a non-chronological order. It jumps back and forth between the times based on Noodles’ memories and dreams. We see the key developments in the criminal lives of Noodles and his buddies, and what their impact has been. The timelines are intertwined and parallel to each other, as happens in human thoughts. The fascinating puzzle structure is not just a gimmick. The strength of the theme partly depends on this structure. Thus, seeing childhood full of possibilities after its outcome gives the characters and events an extra dimension. It also works the other way around. Starting with childhood and then suddenly jumping over fifty years into the future, and seeing an old withdrawn man with the sounds of “Yesterday” playing in the background gives you a sense of nostalgia mixed with curiosity as you see what the intervening time with the man, but do not know what exactly happened during that time.

The characters are not developed in depth, but mainly serve to transfer the themes of the film. Loyalty, betrayal and regret are some central themes, but love also plays an important role. Or rather, the desire and lack of love. Somewhere, Noodles longs for affection, but he never learned to deal with women. As a child, he peeked in love at a girl (a young Jennifer Connelly), but spent most of his childhood in prison. Once out of jail, he rapes a woman (Tuesday Weld) in a brutal robbery after she claims to be beaten. An emotional get-together with his great flame (Elizabeth McGovern) also ends in this way. She does yell and resist, but Noodles considers that normal behavior. What should have been a tender farewell (she was to leave the next day) degenerates into disaster.

Warner Brothers had initially stripped the film of pretty much all its meaning by shortening it by ninety minutes and putting the events in chronological order. Fortunately, the studio released the correct version a year later. The reactions of reviewer Sheila Benson show how big the difference must have been. She considered the first version the worst film of 1984 and the later version the best film of the 1980s.

‘Once Upon a Time in America’ has become a true epic, with great acting and camera work, beautiful music by Ennio Morricone, often grim content, mysterious open endings, and a nostalgic atmosphere. A masterful film by Sergio Leone.