Perhaps the most realistic definition of the genre

Rating: 8/10 (31 August 2005)

After seeing all the greatest gangster movies (Goodfellas, Casino, Scarface, Godfather Trilogy, Donnie Brasco, etc) I have to say that this is the most realistic and ambitious movie that's representing the genre. It may not be the best, as I'm a huge fan of the Godfather films, but definitely one of the best in all of film history.
Ennio Morricone collaborates again with Sergio Leone and the music score is truly magnificent. Leone uses his own directing style which contains a lot of close-ups and long silent moments during the scenes. The flow of the film is pretty slow, which is conventional to Leone, but i prefer it like that because the plot is quite confusing at times. The first 30 minutes of the film is all big complex but it eventually develops into a great plot. Leone has made OUATIA the most realistic gangster film if you ask me. It doesn't try to make things flashy and beautiful. This film scarcely has a happy scene.
The story is about a group of Jewish friends in Brooklyn who start to create their own crime empire in the 20s. Although, the movie concentrates mainly on the life of 'Noodles' (De Niro). We can follow the glory years of the group during the prohibition and the eventual fall.