TotalTelly.co.uk

Devoted to Popular, Cult and Retro TV

Once Upon A Time In America [1984]


RRP: £13.99
Our Price: £4.98 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

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


SERGIO LEONE'S EPIC GANGSTER FILM
Review date: 2008-11-18 Rating: 10 out of 10

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.


Similar Products

Reviews


Over-rated epic
Review date: 2008-08-25 Rating: 4 out of 10

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.

Worst gangster Film you will ever see-- garanteed.
Review date: 2008-07-28 Rating: 2 out of 10

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


Overrated
Review date: 2008-07-28 Rating: 6 out of 10

'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.

The best film of all time
Review date: 2008-07-12 Rating: 10 out of 10

THIS IS THE GREATEST FILM EVER MADE!!! BOLD STATEMENT I KNOW, BUT IT REALLY IS !!! MY FAVOURITE DIRECTORS ARE: STANLEY KUBRICK, INGMAR BERGMAN, SERGIO LEONE, QUENTIN TARANTINO, ROMAN POLANSKI, STEVEN SPEILBERG (ONLY "SCHINDLERS LIST", "JAWS" AND "SAVING PRIVATE RYAN" AND THE BRILLIANT DAVID LYNCH. IF YOU LIKE THESE DIRECTORS FILMS, YOU WOULD BE AN IDIOT NOT TO WATCH AND LOVE THIS. THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD THROUGH CINEMA DIRECTED IN THE CLEVEREST WAY, AND A SOUNDTRACK TO MATCH.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Elizabeth McGovern
Robert De Niro
Treat Williams
James Woods
Tuesday Weld

Creators:
Robert De Niro (Primary Contributor)
James Woods (Primary Contributor)
Enrico Medioli (Writer)
Ernesto Gastaldi (Writer)
Franco Arcalli (Writer)
Franco Ferrini (Writer)
Harry Grey (Writer)
Leonardo Benvenuti (Writer)
Piero De Bernardi (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
EAN: 7321931200264
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: Box set, Dubbed, PAL, Special Edition, Widescreen,
Release date: 2003-06-23
Number of discs: 2
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 220 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1984-06-01
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: French (Original Language)
Language: Italian (Original Language)

Add to Cart

© 2006 Darren Hester, DesignsByDarren.com, Some Rights Reserved.
Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional