Once Upon a Time in America

The gangster movie is nothing new. They became popular during the 1930's, appropriately when real gangsters were making their strides. Now the 1930's gangster movies showed how tough they were. Later ones showed the morals and dilemmas a gangster might face.

Take Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America as an example. The lead character of Noodles (played by Robert De Niro) dealt with these issues ever since he was a young hood. He debated whether what he was doing is right, but did it matter in the end? No. All that mattered was getting the job done.

As some people know, Leone was offered to direct The Godfather. If you watch Once Upon a Time in America closely, you'll notice that its style almost mirrors that of The Godfather. Did Leone do that on purpose?

Once Upon a Time in America honestly gets up there with The Godfather and Goodfellas as one of the best gangster movies ever made. Like I said earlier, Leone effectively shows the morals and dilemmas a gangster might face. A fitting swan song for a director who told narratives on a grand scale.

My Rating: *****