Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

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Director: Sergio Leone

Writers: Leonardo Benvenuti & Piero De Bernardi & Enrico Medioli & Franco Arcalli & Franco Ferrini & Sergio Leone, additional dialogue by Stuart Kaminsky, based on the novel "The Hoods" by Harry Grey

Stars: Robert DeNiro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams, Tuesday Weld, Burt Young, Joe Pesci, Danny Aiello



Director Sergio Leone has produced an ambitious, complex, and moving portrayal of Jewish gangsters in the early 20th century.

 


When the aged former mobster Noodles Aaronson (Robert DeNiro) is summoned back to New York, memories of his childhood gang and subsequent rise in organized crime resurface, as does the mystery of what happened to the money the gang had been pooling since their first days together.

 


The answer to that question--and the payoff to this fine film--renders one of the most moving portraits of betrayal and wasted lives that I have ever seen committed to film.

 


James Woods delivers an explosive performance, as always.



























Comments

  1. Mike's Movie RoomMarch 20, 2023 at 4:40 PM

    I've had this on the shelf for several years now and still haven't watched it. High time I did. I'm a big fan of Tuesday Weld and I've seen a few clips of her performance.

    ReplyDelete

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