Overlooked and underrated: ‘Once Upon a Time in America’

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (1984)

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

The phone rings and rings and rings.

For nearly 20 minutes that open “Once Upon a Time in America,” the constant ringing of a phone fills the soundtrack as the film jumps from the 1930s to the 1960s. At first, it’s irritating. But as you settle into the film, you realize this is just a stylistic device by the director to unite different ti me periods covered by his story.

Sergio Leone’s 1984 gangster film masterpiece – the final motion picture directed by the Italian film maker before his untimely death from a heart attack in 1989 at age 60 – is one of the great overlooked and underrated films of our time.

Adapted from the novel “The Hoods” by Harry Grey, “Once Upon a Time in America” stars Robert De Niro and James Woods in the gripping story of Jewish youths who live in poverty and rise to prominence in the New York mob scene.

In “Once Upon a Time in America,” Leone tackles such themes as love, lust, greed and betrayal – all of which were central to his Spaghetti Westerns “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “Fistful of Dollars” and “For a Few Dollars More.” Leone also touches on other newer themes such as childhood friendships and the growth of organized crime.

And he does it all using by telling his story in a complex, non-linear fashion, jumping freely among different time periods during a lengthy running time of almost four hours. Despite its length, Leone keeps the pace steady and the film constantly engaging; this is a fascinating film from start to finish.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA

The longest part of the film, and the most important because of the relationships it establishes, takes place in 1920s New York City as David “Noodles” Aaronson struggles to survive his childhood with three close friends. It’s here, during this section, that Leone provides solid character development that enhances action that takes place in the 1930s and 1960s.

Explaining more of the plot would ruin the surprises of this layered film. If you have never seen this film before, take it easy, sit back, relax and let Leone work his magic. You may find the film a bit confusing initially, but give it a chance. After “Once Upon a Time in America” settles into a rhythm, you will be able to follow the story with ease.

This film is so richly layered wonderfully told that it compares favorably to other classic gangster films, especially “The Godfather” in 1972 and “The Godfather, Part II” of 1974. While not as good as Francis Ford Coppola’s classics – both of which I consider the two finest American films ever made – “Once Upon a Time in America” still ranks high on my list of the best films ever made.

Too bad the Ladd Company, the film’s original U.S. distributor, had a different view. Company executives despised the four-hour cut of the film and found the non-linear story structure of flash-backs ad flash-forwards too confusing. So, they re-edited the film against Leone’s wishes and told the story chronologically.

That move proved disastrous. By re-cutting the film, it lost its poetic intensity; it lacked the broad, sweeping feel; and it excised many important subplots. The film, which now ran for a little more than to hours, seriously bombed at the box office.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA

Leone later showed his uncut, original version at the New York Film Festival, where it received warm reviews and instantly became recognized as a major work from an important film director. The longer, Leone cut survives now on home video.

While a significant departure from Leone’s Italian Westerns that made him famous, “Once Upon a Time in America” remains a Leone film with distinctive Leone stylistic touches. You see the slow, methodical build-up to sudden violence, the extreme close-ups and the deep long shots.

And composer Ennio Morricone, a longtime favorite of Leone, created his most moving, haunting motion picture score.

Leone originally planned to shoot the film in the early-to-mid 1970s. He even turned down a chance to helm “The Godfather” because of his interest in “Once Upon a Time in America.” Sadly, the Ladd Company’s decision to butcher his film upset Leone, who never directed another motion picture.

“Once Upon a Time in America” is available to rent and buy on DVD and Blu-ray. Click here to purchase the special edition Blu-ray disc from Amazon.com. The film is rated R for violence, profanity, nudity and adult situations.

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