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

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.

Sep 13, 2023

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Paul Attanasio

Washington Post

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

Jan 4, 2018

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

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.

May 5, 2017

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

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

Jul 12, 2024

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Toussaint Egan

Polygon

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

Oct 22, 2021

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...sprawling subject matter that's employed to admittedly erratic yet often striking effect by Leone...

Rated: 3/4

Feb 16, 2021

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Toby S

My favourite movie of all time. A story of friendship, love, brutality, violence, betrayal, dreams and mystery.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/07/25

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Jonathan K

It’s a long, slow, methodical journey through a life of crime, and while there’s definitely a lot that could’ve been trimmed, part of the charm is just settling in and letting the full weight of time wash over you. It feels like the level of appreciation is in proportion with how much you're willing to just watch moments stretch out the way they might in real life. Excellent cinematography and the score by Ennio Morricone should have won the Oscar (it wasn't even nominated!). A lot of snubs for this film. The acting feels pretty dated but, per usual, De Niro holds it down. The pacing plods at times, but it’s artful. And the film as a whole clicks a lot more once you’ve seen it all the way through, especially with the drug/dream layer in mind.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/04/25

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Johannes S

It's a great movie filled with stunning visuals, great acting, and a beautiful score. It's also extremely long and slow.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/02/25

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Douglas E

I watched it for the first time today, and it’s an amazing film! I really enjoy when they mix the mafia with a historical setting.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/25

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Sam M

4 hours just flew by

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/29/25

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Ariona J

“Once upon a time in America”, is a brilliant movie because it tells a deep and emotional story, with amazing acting. It dives into themes such as, friendship, poverty, betrayal, and how time changes people. It truly is a beautifully written movie. It tells a deep and complex story about the American dream. It does a great job visually showing how the American dream isn’t always what it seems. The cinematography, music score and style of which the film was made of adds to the overall greatness of this film. The way the characters are written and portrayed makes it feel real and relatable. The characters aren’t just one dimensional but very complex in their own way. It is truly is a timeless film with other themes outside of the typical crime movies like loss and memory. The only problem I have with this movie is that it’s 4 hours long and can get boring at times; but I do believe it was 4 hours for a reason.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/20/25

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Sergio Leone

Director

Robert De Niro

David 'Noodles' Aaronson

James Woods

Maximilian 'Max' Bercovicz

Elizabeth McGovern

Deborah Gelly

Treat Williams

James Conway O'Donnell

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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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