"Once Upon A Time In America" (1984) - Movie Classics

“Once Upon A Time In America” is the last film directed by the famous director Sergio Leone. It revolves around the main character David Aaronson who is known better as “Noodles”. The movie stars Robert De Niro, James Woods and Elizabeth McGovern giving their best performances. As the viewers sit down to expect a usual stylized mafia movie, they get it with a different tinge of artwork iced all over it. Noodles’ life is given in three pieces with his child hood, his youth and in his old age. The transition happens along the movie in a nicely weaved manner.

Robert De Niro as Noodles is hunted by some of the men at the start of the movie. The viewers come to know that he ratted out his gang to the cops. They witness him leave the place and he comes back as old. From there on, there is the editing playing the hide and seek with the current Old Noodles with the kid and the young same person. The movie runs on for nearly four hours. The film does not depend on strong and profane dialogues. It entirely builds upon the slow and steady motion of frames. It concentrates on the facial expressions. It swings upon the actions of the characters. The film focuses on the way everyone carry themselves with respect to explicitly expressing their anger or views towards certain decisions. It is very much evident that Sergio Leone decided to play the viewers with their thoughts. He basically jig sawed the three different time division of the same character in nicely diced fashion.

Cinematography and artwork forms the spine of the movie for the following reasons. The movie transcends between three era of same town and hence the portrayal of each building, the clothes and the automobiles plays a significant role. The second technical department which bags the notice is the editing. It seems that they had around eight to nine hours of footage before editing. Nino Baragli edited it to shorten to six hours. Sergio Leone had plans of releasing it in two parts but due to commercial reasons settled for straight one cut. When the viewers see the movie, all of the frames seem so irremovable and essential for its gravity of the sequence while some represents classical representation of the art itself.

Robert De Niro playing as the young man and old Noodles calculatedly emote the necessary maturity and immaturity weighed for the character. The proper presentation of the confused and loyal friend, his work is really impressive. James Woods with his sharp eyes and stale face brings the diplomatic, cunning and “crazy” Max. Bringing in the mystique and subtlety to the young Deborah by Elizabeth McGovern is brilliant as the other two.

The movie juggles the dark world of ghetto gang with the stylish and mesmerizing artistic excellence. The characterization of Noodles has been presented in a very unconventional and true framework. While Noodles can respect the woman he loves with unbelievable suave and polished way, he can also be the devastatingly desperate man to shamble all those in a moment of brevity to earn her physically. It may shock the viewers to witness those but that is how Noodles is. He does not show much of resentment because he moves on with his life or at least pretends to. The same character maturing through experience is shown in end sequences with his final encounter of secrets. Max on the other side is very clear on what he wants. He wants to be a man of power and wealth. He has laid out his plans right from his childhood. With all those, his devotion to his friend is quite different and surprising. There never comes a moment one can doubt him for betraying. He is crazy but knows what he is doing. He respects his friend and his emotions.

Between these two characters there is this bond of friendship which forms the core of the movie. They have their moments every now and then. They laugh and swim together. Of the four, they are able to connect to their differences in character. Both are equally genuine and caring to each other. The strongest point of this film is that it makes the viewers trust in both the characters. It is no misunderstanding but plain and simple facts of different characters trying to do well to each other. The surprise at the end is the shocker and is well placed and executed.

Having said all about this, the debate of how the movie ends is inevitable. There will be discussions and representations of the demoniac and crooked smile of Noodles under Opium influence. I look it as the painting left unsigned with a traditional marking of the artist which cannot be easily noticed on it. The movie even though deals with the cruel and greedy gang; it is the substance of handling various emotions which makes this movie, an experience. While I was sometimes left impatient, the final thirty minutes shot the bullet right at the forehead in between the eye brows.

While it may be argued as the ending forming the cinematic conclusion of an art, all I was able to see was the betrayal and forgiveness. I was able to see the bond of two friends going beyond the normal way anyone would perceive. I was able to see the love of the life can be shredded into pieces by blinded lust and power. I was able to see the, “Once Upon A Time In America”, where Max and Noodles were able to live together and within themselves happily for a brief period of time.