Once Upon a Time in America

Once Upon a Time in America was a film that Sergio Leone had been preparing for many years and was supposed to be the culmination of his work. In reality, it turned out to be a major disaster and probably shortened Leone's life by a few years. Finding a producer was already extremely difficult because, with Leone's well-known meticulousness, the costs were dangerously high. Moreover, the film was incredibly long, especially for the standards of the early 80s. The producer simply couldn't imagine that a four-hour epic would be acceptable to the audience, and since in the United States the producer is practically the owner of the film, he dealt with it in his own way. He cut it in half and released this butchered version in movie theaters. Because Leone's story takes place in multiple time frames, the crude interventions resulted in a debacle that the critics tore apart and the audience jeered. The film became one of the worst flops of the decade and, considering the high costs, it meant the actual end of Leone's directing career. He never experienced rehabilitation until his death, which came six years later with the release of the original director's cut. Yes, it is very long, but at the same time, it is very captivating, professionally shot, and grandiose. Over time, film fans and professional critics have evaluated Leone's film as one of the most significant in American cinema. For many actors, it was the pinnacle of their film careers, although in some cases, admittedly, somewhat premature (Elizabeth McGovern). Overall impression: 90%. (2008-01-08)

Sergio Leone breathtaking again. I don't know if it’s true that the script took 12 years to develop, but looking at the final quality and refinement of this film, I could easily believe it. The 220 minutes run like a well-oiled machine, the actors perform like clockwork, and Ennio Morricone contributes another unforgettable soundtrack. All this accompanied by a monumental story that manages to grip the viewer so tightly that there is no chance of release before the closing credits. Leone weaves the three storylines very nicely, giving the viewer space to become as attached to the characters as possible and to take in the atmosphere of the prohibition era in which much of the action takes place. But it’s only at the very end that we realize how beautifully all of that has worked all along, and what a wonderfully compelling and thoughtful work we have just had the privilege of seeing. And that’s where I see the greatest magic of Once Upon a Time in America. (2012-07-31)

What Sergio Leone delivers here is almost perfect. Amazing atmosphere and storytelling, and flawless performances. The brilliant script and its three timelines are a testament to genius. Leone was originally meant to direct The Godfather, but he knew why to wait. This film is better. (2004-05-17)

Once Upon a Time in America is a capriciously simple and fragmented film. And yet I was greatly impressed by it. Whenever I think of Morricone’s central motif, a feeling of warmth washes over me joined by visions of the silhouette of the greying Robert De Niro, the young and beautiful Jennifer Connelly and the enormous Brooklyn Bridge. Once Upon a Time in America is both tough and tender, but is primarily a beautifully poetic film that will slowly unfold in your thoughts and take on greater importance with each passing day. (2004-07-04)

[251 minute extended] Leaving aside the scale of the work and the incredible set and camera work, there remains a bit of a taste on the palate that Leone has sold out his previous revisionist approach to film genres here for a purely academic perspective, which is most evident in his work with the characters, which isn't very well developed due to the fact that they aren't given as much space as the sets. With de Niro's endless silent and melancholic glances at the recollection of his mafia youth, after a while I just saw... well, de Niro staring. And apart from that the story, namely building a giant sophisticated mafia saga on a restrained, yet actually stupid gangster, seems good to me. The heretic in me can almost imagine a good 140-minute cut of that film, except there would be cutting not of scenes but within scenes. (2021-07-18)