Once Upon a Time in America

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Once Upon a Time in America

R

1984

2h 19m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

56 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In 1968, the elderly David "Noodles" Aaronson (Robert De Niro) returns to New York, where he had a career in the criminal underground in the '20s and '30s. Most of his old friends, like longtime partner Max (James Woods), are long gone, yet he feels his past is unresolved. Told in flashbacks, the film follows Noodles from a tough kid in a Jewish slum in New York's Lower East Side, through his rise to bootlegger and then Mafia boss -- a journey marked by violence, betrayal and remorse.

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Critics Consensus

Sergio Leone's epic crime drama is visually stunning, stylistically bold, and emotionally haunting, and filled with great performances from the likes of Robert De Niro and James Woods.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

09/13/2023

It isn’t just the echoing moments that keep you absorbed. It’s those reverberant dreamland settings and Leone’s majestic, billowing sense of film movement; the images seem to come at you in waves of feeling.

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Paul Attanasio

Washington Post

01/04/2018

The movie's four hours long, but no one had the time to write a single real character.

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

05/05/2017

This would-be epic schlep, dragging almost 50 years of chronology over a sluggish 140 minutes, is far too slight of text and ponderous of presentation to sustain more than nodding-off dramatic interest.

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Mike Studley

Liverpool Echo

Dec 8

A remarkable movie, superbly photographed, and one that keeps you totally involved despite its long running time.

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

07/12/2024

A bad movie at any length, swimming in the syrup of Morricone's score. But hey, some call it a masterpiece.

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Toussaint Egan

Polygon

10/22/2021

Once Upon a Time in America is a tremendous work that captures the animating ambition and sorrow at the heart of the American Dream.

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Tom S.

@MovieReviewMafia 4h

Every time I watch one of my favorite films, Once Upon a Time in America, I enjoy the peak of its storytelling, though it often confuses many viewers at the end. My breakdown: To me, Noodles is a man who is broken and shattered. His sinful choices throughout his life, many of which initially seemed like paths to escape his life through divine design, ultimately trap him through his lifestyle and poor decisions. Like many criminals, the lure of a risky, exciting life draws him in repeatedly until it destroys him. By the end of his story, Noodles is broken, trying to escape the consequences of his decisions and the taint of the evil deeds he's committed. It leaves him resorting to drugs, leaving him a shell of a man, as that was his only way to escape the reality of his life. Not the best "mob/mafia/gangster" films, but it is a classic, yet for a 4-hour movie, it may be a lot for many casual viewers

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M. K

@RT75336364 4d

Would have given it a higher grade if DeNiro altered his expression or tone of his voice just once. He's plays the same character in every movie. Slow moving in many scenes that added little to whatever plot was being attempted.

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Austin M.

@MooreMovies Mar 5

The perfect movie that has everything excitement love gangsters danger, tragedy, nostalgia friendship, betrayal, mystery, gore, drama, and let’s be honest Robert De Niro

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Ian R

@RT23899272 Feb 10

Might be okay but too slow. The endless scenes with nothing happening bored me. The characters are hard to like. The film needed better dialogue and severe editing.

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Neil P

@RT30842889 Feb 6

Epic, sprawling gangster epic that i never tire of watching. Perfect in so many ways and the haunting Morricone soundtrack is a masterpiece.

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VaughntheExpert ..

@Vaughnexpertise Feb 5

One of the greatest old school gangster films ever made severely underrated in my humble opinion. Takes you through a range of emotions and the music really captures those moments making it even better Brilliant Film a Must See.

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Sergio Leone

Director

Robert De Niro

David 'Noodles' Aaronson

James Woods

Maximilian 'Max' Bercovicz

Elizabeth McGovern

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Synopsis

In 1968, the elderly David "Noodles" Aaronson (Robert De Niro) returns to New York, where he had a career in the criminal underground in the '20s and '30s. Most of his old friends, like longtime partner Max (James Woods), are long gone, yet he feels his past is unresolved. Told in flashbacks, the film follows Noodles from a tough kid in a Jewish slum in New York's Lower East Side, through his rise to bootlegger and then Mafia boss -- a journey marked by violence, betrayal and remorse.

Director: Sergio Leone
Producer: Arnon Milchan
Screenwriter: Harry Grey, Piero De Bernardi, Leonardo Benvenuti, Enrico Medioli, Franco Arcalli, Franco Ferrini, Sergio Leone
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Embassy International Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 12, 2015
Runtime: 2h 19m

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