Take a bow, Leone.

Rating: 10/10 (30 June 2016)

One can simple say that Once upon a time in America is director Serigo Leone's masterpiece. The Italian director most famous for his curry westerns was offered to direct The godfather which he rejected. Hence came to be this film, as Leone's version of a crime movie, and oh boy it sure does not disappoint! The story follows the protagonist Noodles(Robert De Niro) and his friends through the years, making money through petty crimes until his old age. This movie is apt in exploring friendship, love, betrayal, with so much subtlety and it shows that the movie maker has genuine care for each character. Every character in the movie has its own flaws and the actors portray it masterfully. Robert De Niro gives a masterful performance by being subtle and avoids his usual Deniro mannerisms that we are used to. Through the last half of the movie we can see the regret through his eyes, conveyed so beautifully. Observe his expression in the scene where Deborah leaves and you'll know. James Woods is great in the role of Max and does steal some scenes, especially the one scene with his new chair. The cinematography off this film is top notch. The close ups of the actors look like beautiful portraits and the wide shots are just as beautiful. The score by Maestro Ennio Morricone is haunting, giving a feeling of nostalgia in important scenes."Deborah's Theme" is one of my favorite themes of all time and so beautifully used by Leone in this picture. Many people are turned off by the run time of this movie which is almost four hours and complain its slow etc. Well, i request those who are planning to watch this movie to be patient and concentrate and i assure you, it will be rewarding. This movie was Leone's last before his death and it was butchered by the producers- the original being cut by almost 2 hours leading to a mixed reaction by American audiences. Hence i recommend to watch only the 4 hour version and ignore the other version of this movie. Cinephiles, do not miss this one