poetry in motion cinema (possible spoilers included)

Rating: 10/10 (2 November 2002)

To use the term masterpiece in describing this film would be cliche not to mention subjective. However, I will say that it rates as one of my favourites, second only to another Sergio Leone classic entitled Once Upon a Time in the West.
OUATIA is, on the surface, a gangster epic which spans three time periods of 20th century America in the life of it's lead character, Noodles (played by De Niro in adulthood). It follows his progression through childhood, young adulthood and into old age. Digging beneath the surface we see that really, it's a story about love and friendship. We are there in Noodles' youth when he falls in love - a pivotal moment which will affect him for the rest of his life - and when he forms close but fateful friendships. We are there when he is confronted by the dilemmas and emotional conflicts, which these divided loyalties bring. We are also there when he has to face the life-long prospect of both a love lost and a friendship betrayed with tragic consequences. The subsequent feelings of nostalgia and remorse are a burden, which rest heavy on the shoulders of our protagonist. His character is not portrayed as either heroic or necessarily villainous, just a man who has made choices in life. Choices he has to live with.
Much of the film is set in the character's past. This serves to expound his mental and emotional state in old age as we approach the film's finale. Most importantly, it creates an atmosphere of nostalgia and regret which permeates the whole film, underscored beautifully by Ennio Morricone.
Relatively speaking, the film is lengthy and the plot intricate with it's layers upon layers of flashbacks and flash-forwards. Naturally, some people will be put off on their first viewing, as the tendency is to try and make sense of everything going on - to rationalise and make linear the non-linear structure. Any attempts to do so will undoubtedly cause frustration because, just as in life, the film asks as many questions as it answers and leaves some loose ends untied. In reality, the temporal and geographical settings along with the plot are there to add context and framework. They may be the formalities you argue over at the end of the film but are there only as a backdrop to the main themes of love, friendship and regrets. These are the things that remain after everything else has long been forgotten, and it's the indescribably beautiful way in which these ideas are expressed in story-telling format, which creates a film that lives long in the memory.
Leone - as in all his films - gives great attention to seemingly small details without, in my opinion, being artsy, pretentious or excessively indulgent. When De Niro's character is stirring his cup of coffee, this becomes a focal point in the film for fully one whole minute, and why not? Leone's films are as much about everyday life as they are about friendship, American capitalism, revolutions, the Old West or any other grand themes you care to mention. The director is constantly reminding us that everyday actions are just as important. They are the 'stuff' of life and deserve just as much attention. It's only when the value of this point is lost that his films may appear to be slow-paced or dragged out.
And how does he attempt to convey the depth of human feeling. That which even the greatest of poets find difficult to express? Without trying too hard to articulate, Leone allows for the film's imagery and sounds to achieve that which might otherwise be missed in a thousand lines of dialogue. When the protagonist returns to his old hunting ground after 35 years of absence, we can only try to imagine the emotional pain he's been feeling throughout this time. When Fat Moe asks the question "What have you been doing all these years?" his reply is "I've been going to bed early." This tells us as much as we need to know about the previous 35 years. After all, how could you hope to articulate or quantify the great sense of loss he must have felt in all that time? To add anymore on the subject would undermine it completely and I think the director fully appreciated this. Instead, we draw our own conclusions from both the haunted look in De Niro's eyes and from Morricone's reverential orchestral score which is at times so mournful, but always sweepingly majestic.
The potential of film as a medium to leave you believing you have witnessed something truly profound is seldom fulfilled to the extent I believe it has been with this film. It could not have had nearly the same impact on me had it not received the input of both Leone and Morricone. Together, they have collaborated to produce a cinematic experience, which transcends far beyond the sum of their individual contributions. A partnership forged in film to rival the likes of that forged by Lennon and McCartney in music, at least in recent decades. Morricone's genius is a match for Leone's and sometimes leaves you wondering, which came first, the story or the music. There is no doubt they both inspired each other to reach unprecedented heights in their respective fields and I would strongly recommend to all readers who have persevered so far that you watch all the films they have worked together on.
9.9/10 (well..., nothing's perfect!)