IMDb > Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Once Upon a Time in America
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Once Upon a Time in America (1984) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 4)
Once Upon a Time in America (1984) -- A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to Brooklyn over 30 years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.
Once Upon a Time in America (1984) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?

Up 27% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Sergio Leone

Writers:

Harry Grey (novel)
Leonardo Benvenuti (writer) ...
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Contact:

View company contact information for Once Upon a Time in America on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

1 June 1984 (USA) more

Genre:

Crime | Drama more

Tagline:

Crime, passion and lust for power - Sergio Leone's explosive saga of gangland America. [Australia Theatrical] more

Plot:

A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to Brooklyn over 30 years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life. full summary | full synopsis

Plot Keywords:

more

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 11 wins & 3 nominations more

NewsDesk:
(14 articles)

Jean-Jacques Beineix: The Hollywood Interview
 (From The Hollywood Interview. 14 July 2009, 4:20 PM, PDT)

Enemies in Public: Top 10 Gangster Movies
 (From ReelzChannel. 1 July 2009, 9:39 AM, PDT)

User Comments:

An operatic epic more (383 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:

C'era una volta in America (Italy)
more

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, language and some drug use. (edited version)

Runtime:

229 min | USA:139 min (re-cut)

Country:

Italy | USA

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (1990) | Finland:K-18 (1984) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | Iceland:16 | UK:18 (cut) | Brazil:14 | Germany:16 (f) (re-rating) (2003) | West Germany:18 (f) (original rating) (1984-2003) | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:R | France:U (Original rating) | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:12 (original rating) | Netherlands:16 (re-rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

The U.S. distributor reportedly failed to file the proper paperwork so that Ennio Morricone's score, regarded as one of his best, could be put up for nomination for an Academy Award. more

Goofs:

Continuity: When Noodle stabs Bugsy they are on the left side of the Manhattan bridge. But when the police are coming, the whole scene is moved to the right side of the bridge. more

Quotes:

[first lines]
[In 1933, two goons rudely question a young woman]
Beefy: Where is he? Where's he hiding?
Eve: I don't know... I've been looking for him since yesterday.
[second goon slaps her harshly; she falls onto the bed]
Beefy: I'm gonna ask you for the last time: Where is he?
Eve: I don't know... What are you gonna do to him?
[Two shots are head]
Beefy: [to his partner] Stay here in case that rat shows up...
more

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Shark Tale (2004) more

Soundtrack:

GOD BLESS AMERICA more


FAQ

Is this movie based on a book?
What was the significance of the garbage truck outside of Mr. Bailey's house?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
more
49 out of 58 people found the following comment useful.
An operatic epic, 6 January 2002
10/10
Author: tgdane (vinum@mediaone.net) from Los Angeles

Once Upon a Time in America, which bookends Once Upon a Time in the West as director Sergio Leone's best work, is a powerhouse of a movie. A gangster epic told in a very different style than the standard of the genre, The Godfather, it is in some ways (at least to this viewer) even more emotionally compelling. Although the movie was sabotaged upon release by an edited studio version eliminating about 40% of its original length, the version now available for rental is thankfully the nearly 4 hour version intended by Leone. The story is at essence a basic one about friendship among thieves, telling the story of a group of Jewish kids in New York near the turn of the century who grow up to become powerful and ruthless mobsters, while maintaining (or trying to) their bond with one another. As was most famously done in the taxi scene between Rod Steiger and Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront, the movie again makes the point that bad people can have good aspects to them, such as loyalty, devotion, and even love. I think this movie includes one of Deniro's best roles, and far and away James Woods best film work. The score, by arguably the greatest movie composer of all time, Ennio Morricone, is incredibly haunting in its beauty and sadness (with no fewer than three separate themes that are breathtakingly beautiful). The non-chronological manner in which the story is told results in a wonderfully effective narrative device: the movie begins and ends with the same scene. The first time you see the scene, it is a frantic jumble, without meaning or context, and you do not know why it is so important. When the scene recurs at the end of the film, everything has become clear, and the scene has an incredible poignancy and sadness to it: although it occurs in the middle of events chronologically, you realize that, in a real sense, life stopped at this point for one of the film's main characters. There is no other event that matters anymore to him. This is not a simple movie, and it merits repeated viewings. Indeed, in my view one cannot fully appreciate the greatness of the film until the second viewing, when the full story is known, and the events of the film resonate with knowledge of where they ultimately, and tragically, lead.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
I hated the music CCBudBaxter
who was trying to kill noodles in the openning scenes? (spoilers) jleslie48
A possible answer to Max and the trash truck! KCScreenWriter
If OUATIA is in your TOP 10 list... daros84
Kubrick-esque dionysus1985
Crappy Ending jbhixon
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