Best film ever made?i very much think so

Rating: 10/10 (23 July 2005)

i first saw this film when it was on 1 of the movie channels,showing the first half of the flick on the 1 night,followed by the second period on the next.to that point i'd never seen a DeNiro film and as i had nothing better to do i thought i'd give it a bash.
I'm usually 1 to commit myself to a film once i'm comfortably seated and after about 40 minutes i found i was totally drawn in to what i was watching and by the end of the first half had no intention of missing the concluding 2 or so hours the following night.
My whole opinion to film has changed since seeing this movie.Once Upon A Time In America has a certain aura about it that no other film has ever had upon me.There was nothing i could fault about it.From the story,to the music,to the exquisite acting this film will go down as the greatest film i've ever seen and nothing else has come close 2 comparison since.Its ranking of 120th in the top 250 list to me is a surprise to say the least.
DeNiro and Woods performance as the mysterious Noodles and the fiery Max respectively is second to none.The child actors who play the leading characters in the 1920's also do a superb job.Ennio Morricones haunting score was fabulous and its a crying shame that the soundtrack was never given the real accolades it truly deserved.
Once Upon A Time In America is a film that sticks with you long after the end credits come rolling,which very few films manage to achieve.I wasn't too sure the next day whether i'd just seen a masterpiece or whether it was simply a film i wouldn't forget about in a hurry.
There are many memorable scenes that truly moved me.Such as the young Patsy eating the cake,Noodles meeting with Max after his 35 year exile and the dramatic scene in the 1920's when the gang lose,as the epitaph puts it 'their youngest and strongest'.
OUATIA isn't a film i'd recommend anybody to see.It is portrayed as a gangster film but once viewed it is actually also seen as a story of love,hate and betrayal.You'd need to give the film your full attention as the complex storyline and the constant flashbacks can easily cause confusion.Those who prefer more action packed gangster films would probably lean towards Goodfellas but those who appreciate the lesser known fine films should not live without seeing this masterpiece.