Rating: 
Summary: Not Leone's best but worth seeing.
Review: A nightmarish look at the other side of America or maybe the only side of it. We see the lives of several gangsters as they unfold over several decades. Amazing cinematography and sets. The cast and characters are convincing but not as powerful as other similar films like the Godfather. The flashbacks probably intended to give an air of style to the film can be confusing to follow but make you think. The script a bit dry is pushed to the extreme at times to artificially highten effect. Graphic violence, sex is plentiful and reduced to mere colorless acts. A grand film that can keep you glued to the screen. Having said all that I prefer the Leone of "Once upon a time in the West". This is without a doubt his greatest achievement and a brilliant film. In "Once upon a time in America" Leone seems to be competing with other great directors for a spot in the 70s and 80s pantheon of names. Scenes and music are reminiscent of other films and productions with a taste of a polished cultural film tradition. He didn't have to do that. His previous films and especially "Once upon a time in the West" are magnificent and beyond any comparison. I feel the "in the West" is the benchmark epic by which all others are judged. I give it a four for the film can have a profound effect on the viewer leaving a bleak taste in the mind.
Rating: 
Summary: It is permenantly etched in my memory
Review: I've just finished watching Sergio Lione's beautiful, long, violent masterpiece. I've mentioned long , as unlike many others I feel it is one the movie's best qualities. For the 1 1/2 hour flashback, is so poetically realised you can almost smell New York, and by the time the movie is over you truly feel that you have lived their lives. As the movie opens the phone is ringing, and its only after repeated viewings do you realise this symbolic of De Niro(noodles)'s guilt for turning his friend in , and as he belives cuasing his death. It this level of detail in every frame, and the contrast of Ennio Morricon's second best score( after The Mission) with the violence, that make this film experience truly special. Watch it alone, watch it repeatedly, and please stay away from the crime against cinema that is the shortened version. Note:I truly think had this film been released in its full length in the U.S. , it would have beat Ghandi to best picture, and given Mr.Lione a very deserved oscar, but the incoherent shortend version obviously didn't even get nominated.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies ever
Review: This is what movies should be. A sweeping epic following interesting, dynamic, and convoluted characters through the hard choices and the difficult events of life and friendship. I was unaware of the edited version of this movie, but if you can't devote for hours to this masterpiece, then you don't deserve to watch it.
Rating:
Summary: Repition makes you happy.
Review: No explanation on this masterpiece. The more you watch, the more you feel so good. I highly recommend to enjoy this film at least 10 times... and feel happy with the well-structured story and scheme... moreover...fantastic music by Ennio Morricone.
Rating:
Summary: Deeply absorbing ganster genre film of the Jewish Mafia
Review: There are two cuts of this film. One, just slightly under two hours is muddled and incomplete. The other, which is over three hours long and called the "director's cut" appears as a totally different class of film. Director Sergio Leone (of spaghetti western fame) attempts to portray a story of the Jewish Mafia over a number of decades. Sometimes violent although not gratuitious, the movie evokes a sense of surrealism not present in other films of this genre. Robert DiNero shows off his considerable talent with an outstanding supporting cast. This movie, although not as great as the Godfather may be well ranked in the same category of quality cinema. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Flawed? Like the Van Gogh of ganster movies, maybe....
Review: I disagree strongly with those reviewers who found this movie "flawed"--I think this is a way of saying that Leone has made a deeply personal film based on an uncompromising vision of the possibilities of the ganster movie. It's a movie that has to be taken on its own terms, and in that sense, it's both risk- and breath-taking. It tries to envelop the viewer in a world, with people we come to know intimately from childhood on. Leone flatly refuses to rush his material (do you know of any other movies with a hour and a half flashabck?), so this film is not going to go over well with the Ritalin crowd. However, the opium crowd is going to love its slowly unwinding mysteries of love, violence, friendship and betrayal (the most memorable and accurate review I've seen of this movie referred to it as an opium dream of a ganster movie). It takes every frame of film for Leone to build up to the titanic emotions that eventually take center stage. If anything, this movie is too short at four hours--after all, it tells a story comparable both "Godfather" movies combined, and in two hours less time.DeNiro and Woods are perfectly paired as poor Jewish kids in turn of the century New York whose childhood gang hits the big time during prohibition. To see these two play off each other is only one of the films great pleasures; DeNiro smolders throughout while Woods occasionally combusts. There are also plenty of fine supporting performances, by Tuesday Weld, a surprisingly sedate Joe Pesci, Treat Williams, Danny Aiello, and others. By the way, Elizabeth McGovern has never been more enchanting--which makes her eventual victimization all the more disturbing. This film is so indelibly etched in my mind that I can imagine the scenes that others cionsider "flaws": the phone that rings for a truly annoying three minutes? There's a great reason for it. The epic, previously mentioned flashback that lasts as long as some movies? What would you have Leone delete? The generally mysogynistic view of women? Here, at least, it's the characters, and not the movie that come across that way. The disappointingly flat and unactive climax? What do you do when there's nowhere left to climb, when you're already at the pinacle? Beautifully, luxuriously photographed, plotted, acted, and scored, I really do think this is two or three of the best gangster movies ever made. Wait until you've got a good four hours, are in a mood not to be rushed, and immerse yourself.
Rating:
Summary: The second best mobster movie ever made.
Review: This is a good look into the life of a small time hood turned big time gangster. It shows you what he did growing up as a kid and how he lived on the streets of New York. He kills another kid and goes to jail for a couple of years. He gets out and is met by his best friend. He finds out how things have changed in the crime world. His life gets runned. This is a very good movie and a very sad movie at the same time. I give it 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Glorious film - never notice the many flaws
Review: An awe-inspiring film, with many faults, but this may be put down to the cut. When Leone's 250 minute cut is re-released soon, we should see a masterpiece restored. It is far more personable than the Godfather,and in my opinion better. It is a perfect fairytale - I have never been so drawn in and emotionally involved in a Hollywood film. The acting from the leads is excellent - particularly De Niro. Leone's operatic close-ups allow you to appreciate the subtleties and intricacies of De Niro's craft. Just the way his eyes move on his return to Fat Moes is brilliant. James Woods too is excellent. Another character that shouldn't be forgotten is Ennio Morricone's score - the most moving score I have ever heard. There is lots of strong imagery and the literary influences of Hemingway and to a lesser extent Proust are obvious and valued. At times it is a little pretentious, but so was the Godfather (and so is this thing I'm writing now), but you don't notice it. One of my favourite parts is where they go to the beach - where Max runs out to sea. It is beautifully shot and a brilliant relief from the stink of the New York streets. Enjoy this film,watch it all in one go and live the movie
Rating:
Summary: It doesn't get any better than this....
Review: Sergio Leone at his best. An overwhelmingly romantic depiction of gangster life in America's prohibition era. Ten hours wouldn't be enough to tell this beautiful story. We miss you Sergio...
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing classic about love, rivalry and brutality
Review: I remember the first time I saw this masterpeice - I was 15 years old and was - as a DeNiro fan - dying to see it. I waited until all of my family left the house so I could have some time to watch this great film all by myself and then saw it. How engrossing! The viewer is engrossed by the characters, the musical score and Leone's wonderful direction. I loved this film! To me, this ranks as one of the greatest gangaster films in the history of movies. The film is virtually perfect. The only drawback is the occasional moment of "cheese" and the overkill on the rape scenes(sure they were needed, but they weren't nice!). Everyone who loves gangster films or epics should see this - not once, not twice, not three times, but four or five times! This is a great wonder of a film. Watch it!
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