A very conflicting film. The first half is astounding, a sweepingly poetic landscape of nostalgia for the past and excited hope for the future. The production design and cinematography are predictably breathtaking- I've thought fondly about that shot on the poster ever since I first laid eyes on it. Ennio Morricone delivers his best Leone score, second only to Once Upon A Time In The West.

Yet almost immediately after we're reintroduced to our adult gang of characters, the film falls apart, becoming largely tedious and lacking a coherent direction. Then our principal character commits two horrific rapes, almost completely without motivation.

From where I stand, this isn't nearly as polished as Leone's two western masterpieces, and it certainly doesn't earn its absurd runtime.

I’m so annoyed at myself for putting this film off. 

Everyone should see this film. The camerawork, the editing (especially the transitions), the acting and the story telling is just too good. It’s what all films should be like. 

I wish there was more of Joe Pesci but we got a shit load of Robert De Niro so we good. 

I enjoyed the crap out of this film and I’ll probably be thinking about it for a very long time.

Before I say anything about the movie, I just wanna acknowledge how dope this Letterboxd community is. I never thought I’d really care enough to get too into it, but talking movies with everyone is a lot of fun, and I quickly got sucked in by everyone’s incredibly friendly and inviting nature. So thank you guys, y’all are awesome.

This movie is beautiful. There’s definitely some career defining work in here from multiple different people. De Niro was incredible, James Woods was really good, the score was stunning, the camerawork was incredible. Not too much to say that hasn’t already been said, but I loved it. I still prefer The Good the Bad and the Ugly over this, but this is still some of Leone’s best work.

Also, I don’t know about you guys but baseball is finally back tonight and I’m VERY excited.

there's a lot that could be said about this film, but one thing's for sure: these men were most definitely not good fellas

"You're in no position to exercise your will."

freedom is a trap, destiny is a fluke. you can do anything you want except escape yourself.

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I really can't say much about Once Upon a Time in America.
The first half is perfect and the filmmaking is top-notch, the second half drags a little but remains engaging. I thought I would like it but I just didn't connect to anything that was happening or any of the characters. A fitting send-off for Leone but not my favorite.

Esta película es una hermosa expresión de un horrible mundo. Durante 3 horas, Sergio Leone me convirtió en una marioneta, haciendome sentir lo que sea que el quiera hacerme sentir en cada escena. Fue una experiencia incomoda que probablemente no querré repetir pero bellamente ejecutada.

Diré que hay una escena de violación, y otra escena que no es violación pero está tan cerca de serlo que es igualmente grotesco. Quedan advertidos.

Pretty good, could probably stand to lose a good ten minutes though.

Those Ennio Morricone notes will live in my brain forever

Is it not an Italian film without at least 2 women getting assaulted in the first 5 minutes? Nearly 4 hours of a man failing to hug his friends or apologize.

Once upon a time in América es una película de 4 horas en la que vemos de nuevo la versión lite de los gangsters, gente con sentimientos que protege a los pobres y le roba a los ricos. Bueno, ojalá hubieran sido así, porque gracias a eso tenemos grandes filmes sobre ellos.

Independiente de eso, Leone no defrauda en lo absoluto y Morricone menos. De alguna forma me sentí viendo "El Irlandés" y en ese momento pensé, esta es una película de Scorsese pero bien hecha.

There is an operatic brilliance to Once Upon a Time in America which stems from Leone, Morricone and De Niro all being on their best form. But it's caked in the thick layer of grime that the completely reprehensible characters exude, which distances the film from most other gangster films.

The result isn't as exciting as Goodfellas or as transcendent as The Godfather but it's a sprawling and unforgettable experience which is perfectly capped off with a hauntingly ambiguous ending.

Pass the opium pipe dude

Good but long af, it’s a one time watch kinda thing

Un chef d’œuvre, une histoire magnifique.

It's unfortunate that there isn't a fully restored version of this film. The added scenes in the extended edition can be low quality and it can sometimes be jarring, thus breaking the immersion. Also, some of the restored scenes could have been left on the cutting room floor - they aren't all necessary. Yet it is an epic film about friendship, love, regret, and remorse.

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

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I have legit no idea what the appeal of this type of movie is. these mfs are always the same and in almost every single one there is a robert deniro just standing and staring and being all stale and unseasoned