My Favorite Film of All Time

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2010)

The first time I saw this movie, I thought it was just okay. The childhood sequences were great, but the story was long, and I guess I felt it lost its way as it went on.
A year passed before I saw it again. I had only meant to watch a little bit, and soon found myself sucked into watching the whole thing again. Something just clicked that second time, and the first 40 minutes in particular held a lot more weight. That is why I feel this film, more than any other, NEEDS to be seen multiple times to be understood.
This movie is not really about gangsters, or prohibition, or unions. This is all the window-dressing. This movie is about three characters: Noodles, Max, and Deborah. Or rather, it is about one man's life, the two people he loves, and the choices he makes. It is one of the few films that really seems to capture an entire life on screen. And, while this may sound clichÃ©d, it's a story of the American dream, of wasted potential, of the mistakes we make in our lives, of what it is to be an old man. It tells an interesting story in its flashbacks, but then wraps a "modern-day" story around it that is built on its own mystery. Indeed, the movie is one big puzzle; it's probably the best example of flashback structure ever done on film. Yes, even better than Citizen Kane.
The movie has some flaws, mostly because it was conceived on such a vast scale. As you watch it, you definitely get the sense some scenes are missing, and that some characters (Patsy, Cockeye, and Eve, in particular) feel underdeveloped. However, the movie is able to get away with this because what it DOES offer is so strong, and Robert DeNiro's performance, so unstated, is so good. Despite its long run-time, it's actually a very tight story; nearly every scene is about Noodles, and that's why it is so intimate a portrait.
From a technical standpoint, you also have excellent art direction, costumes, and Ennio Morricone's best score. "Deborah's Theme" is one of the finest pieces ever composed. Also, no one ever mentions the cinematography, which is so rich, particularly in the childhood scenes.
It's interesting that I've never been a fan of Sergio Leone's westerns. Here is a film so different from most of his main body of work, not only in physical setting, but in structure and tone. Once Upon a Time In America, along with Fanny and Alexander, is one of the few films that truly makes me think of a novel in film form.