Masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (19 December 2002)

The lives of a group of Jewish gangsters from childhood to adulthood.
Once Upon a Time in America is dismissed as an overrated film by many, which I can understand. It's very long, lacks dialogue and characters seem less engaging than in other gangster flicks - certainly not the kind you might see in a Scorsese picture. These are not necessarily large flaws in a film created by the master Leone, however.
Once Upon a Time in America is an exercise in cinematic brilliance. Each scene is memorable and extracts the desired effect from the viewer. I was enthralled with each moment.
Over 200 minutes might be a stretch for the attention span of today's viewing audience, but not for those who have a strong interest in film, and know Leone's career.
Once Upon a Time in America is not only a classic film, it is a summation of every gangster film before it. A pitch-perfect movie, and one that definitely ranks among the Godfather.