A brilliant film that demands several viewings.

Rating: 10/10 (18 September 1999)

First of all, avoid the shortened version like the proverbial plague. The only one a serious moviegoer should invest his time watching is the full length film, which clocks in at 227 minutes.
Secondly, to attempt to summarize this film would be to do it an injustice. No matter how well intentioned, there is no way a capsule review could begin to properly illustrate how powerful, moving and ultimately surprising this movie really is. Robert de Niro's "Noodles" is quietly understated...yet, it is his story that we follow from start to finish. A truly outstanding performance from a master of the genre.
James Woods gives his character, Max, his usual intensity. Beyond this, he also fleshes out the individual so we feel we know him at many different levels. Still, the question "do we REALLY know Max?" constantly confronts the viewer throughout the film. His quick shifts from shrewd wisdom to angry confrontation rings true. The end result is that the story of these two criminal friends, covering the years from youth to old age, is believable every step of the way.
The other cast members are all up to the task. Far too many to name individually, suffice it to say that "the gang" and the adversaries are equally outstanding. Director Sergio Leone, who had already created several masterpieces (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; A Fistful of Dollars; Once Upon a Time in the West) surpasses them all (in my opinion) with this opus.
Hint: Approximately the first half hour of the long version (again...do yourself a favor and don't waste your time and money on the short one) makes no apparent sense. Or so it would seem, as we time-hop back and forth from era to era. DO NOT GIVE UP! When Noodles takes a look through a hole in the wall at a dancing girl, you can be assured that the story is finally beginning to coalesce. Everything you have seen prior to that is foreshadowing, and will make complete sense by the time you've reached the conclusion.