magnifique

Rating: Null/10 (12 January 1999)

One of the great moving pictures of our time. Actually, I believe it's too short at 226 minutes. Six-to-eight hours would have allowed for the necessary character development, and would have elevated the work to a new level. The director's cut, however, is phenomenal. Leone's re-creation of 1920s Lower East Side street life is breathtaking; the child actors are captivating (some feel they outshone Woods and DeNiro); the score will haunt you long after the closing credits. No need to feel angry at Warner Bros. for the marketing disaster that clouded this film's original release (they sliced it to 88 minutes -- Danger, Will Robinson! steer clear of this version -- secure a copy of the 226-minute director's cut at all costs!) -- we have the director's cut and we are happy. The fact that Once Upon a Time in America did not score big at the box office has no bearing on the quality of what you'll find on the video tapes. Trust me.