Criminal Fairy Tale

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2014)

Just from the director, Sergio Leone, I expect it is a great movie. Honestly I don't like western-movie too much, but from "Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)", I started to appreciate this kind of epic- genre. And then, I wonder what it's like when Leone directs other genre, such as crime. So I decided to watch this long-running-movie. For the first impression, I really shocked by its duration, 229 minutes, the longest movie I've ever watched. But, sure there are some reasons why he made for more than three hours. Especially, it is a drama-movie, I really understand how the character of each figure must be strong.
I can smell the sweat of the hard-work from the opening of the movie. Such a humble opening for this thought-provoking film. My main idea of this movie is it drive the audience from the simplest and youngest crime to the complex act of the prohibition-era-Jewish- gangster. Begin with the funny yet straightforward scene of a kid's gang. Encounter with daily dark-kid-job, yes it's fun for the serious audience. What I see is the humanity of the first half part of the movie. Every character especially outlaws, have a background. Maybe a harsh and tough one, and it's all revealed in this movie. So the entire last part of movie is make sense, very clear.
That's what I called the strong characterization, one and half hour for the character building is very meaningful. Again I can feel, how Harry Grey wrote this novel for it. A plain humble novel I think. I haven't read it though, but I just feel it indeed. I also give two thumbs up for the dialog maker. Well-crafted dialog, no narration, just formidable chit chat in every scene. Thanks for those eight writers for this movie. Until the very end, with some twists and spoof, that's all make this movie nothing but superb.
For Leone himself, I can conclude that he usually gives the repeated soundtrack as his signature. Yeah, and harmonica again, although not every scene has harmonica player. I am personally not disturbed by its soundtrack. It's a part of developing the atmosphere, the dark- 30's-atmosphere. With all the warm-act, I just can get through the movie without getting bored. In addition, there are so many "silent- scene", yes when there is no dialog, just for strengthen the circumstances. That silent scene makes the movie took so long. But, for me, again, it's okay, it's a part of genuine masterpiece.
Not like my other reviews, I just write this from the technical aspects. Because I don't really know what the prohibition-era in America. I just know, it must be criticize some parts of broken American in the 1920's-1930's. It's nice though, a cool way to criticize the underworld of the superior nation. This overall technical reviews just to make other movie fans aware, that I highly recommend this movie. A very criminal-fairy-tale with terrific work in all aspects, I really love it.