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Once Upon a Time in America
1984 229 min United States of America, Italy R 18+
★8.4
Drama, Crime
Director: Sergio Leone
Trailers
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Description
A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan over thirty years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.
Budget:
$30M
US Gross:
$5.32M
Worldwide:
$5.5M
Starring
Robert De Niro
Actor
James Woods
Actor
Elizabeth McGovern
Actor
Awards
BAFTA 1985
— Best Costume Design
BAFTA 1985
— Best Original Score
Golden Globe 1985
— Best Original Score
BAFTA 1985
— Best Supporting Actress
BAFTA 1985
— Best Director
BAFTA 1985
— Best Cinematography
Golden Globe 1985
— Best Director
Saturn Awards 2015
— Best Special Blu-ray/DVD Edition
Key opinion
Sergio Leone’s final masterpiece is widely regarded as a profound, immersive epic that transcends the traditional gangster genre through its focus on the tragic erosion of childhood friendship. While some critics initially struggled with its lengthy runtime and narrative complexity, the consensus celebrates it as a timeless, emotionally devastating achievement.
| Score | Ennio Morricone’s score provides an essential, emotionally devastating backbone to the narrative. | |
| Acting | The performances by Robert De Niro and James Woods anchor the film with intense, nuanced portrayals of moral decay and betrayal. | |
| Direction | Leone’s atmospheric direction masterfully reconstructs the Prohibition-era Jewish quarter of New York with gritty, immersive detail. | |
| Runtime | The four-hour version is essential for maintaining the film's intended pacing and narrative depth, as truncated cuts severely damage the work's structural integrity. | |
| Pacing | The expansive, non-linear narrative rewards repeat viewings, though its slow, contemplative tempo is exhausting for some and alienating for others. | |
| Theme | Interpretations of the protagonist’s moral ambiguity divide viewers; some see a man burdened by profound guilt and lost love, while others view his behavior as arrogant or morally vacuous. |