A tale about America: a model of a corrupt society

Rating: Null/10 (18 October 2004)

In addition to the comments made on this site about this great film I would like to state something about one aspect of it.
Last Friday I watched the movie (the long European version) for the third time in about 10 years and this time I was struck mostly by Leone's very grim vision on American society.
Besides the very profound study of all its main characters there is an equally dark insight on society as a whole, and the title being as it is one can only assume that Leone wants to say something about how he sees the United States.
This storyline particularly surfaces in the part concerning the union's dispute in which Noodles' gang take side with union leader Jimmy O'Donnell and another gang are employed (the Italian Mob?) by the police and the powers that be. It's not that Noodles and Max are very concerned with the underprivileged workers but simply chose the option that helps improve their own position.
After the dispute is settled in their favor the option is given to Noodles and Max to go legal, Noodles doesn't want it: He sees himself as a crook and doesn't like the hypocrisy of the people who have the real power. He doesn't want to be part of that. For Max joining the elite is his true ambition. He knows that Noodles doesn't want to follow him so he uses his maniacal genius to set up up his reincarnation as a 'bona fide' politician. The insane plan of robbing the Federal Bank (which Noodles wants to obstruct to save Max's life) is just a smoke screen.
Leone wants to show us that in the higher parts of American society the line between good and bad is very thin, if not nonexistent. There are just people who have power and people who don't but aspire it. How that power is obtained doesn't matter as long as you keep your dirty deeds out of the public eye.
Of course it does not only concern America, It can be implied to many, if not most civilizations and nations in history, not least Leone's own country of birth, Italy.
But the fact that Max -or Secretary Bailey as he is then known- chooses to dispose of himself by jumping in a huge garbage truck called Mack marked with typically American decorations can only be seen as a symbolic act: Of course this truck is not actually real and neither is the genius cross fade between it's taillights and the incoming headlights of the 30's style convertible filled with partying people, but that's the beauty of film! It can only be regarded as a personal statement by the writers.
and director.