Opium Or Valium.....Who Cares ?

Rating: 5/10 (27 February 2013)

I watched the 347 minute version. I didn't find it boring, nor the story complicated. However this is not a 10/10 movie. There are segments in this that are like sketches from Monty Python. Perhaps there to give the audience members who are going to sleep...a little injection of humour (weak humour). The De Niro character rapes his childhood sweet heart in the back of a car (so Sergio Leone). He also rapes a lady during a diamond heist. He is forced to go in a "line up" so the lady can inspect the genitals of the accused. Then there is the Hospital with the new born babies sketch. Mildly amusing, but perhaps only to middle aged Italian movie directors. I think i ought to say here...this is a gangster flick. The ending...where we have to work out what happens to the James Wood character combined with the "was the whole movie an opium dream ?" conspiracy theory gives the film an in--authentic feel. The story is very simple and frankly i don't care if it was a Valium dream. Its a fairly well made movie...but nothing to get Ga Ga about. Vastly over rated, and NOT in the same class as the Godfather. Sergio Leone died 5 years after making this. He was 60 years old. He will be remembered for his 3 spaghetti westerns (in non speaking Italian countries), and for his contribution to the Italian movie industry.