Once Upon a Time in America 1984

type: Movie

language: English

duration: 229 min

genre: crime

theme: epic

director: Sergio Leone

Score: 8 / 10

Once Upon a Time in America is a 1984 epic crime film co-written and directed by Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone, and starring Robert De Niro and James Woods. The film is an Italian–American venture produced by The Ladd Company, Embassy International Pictures, PSO Enterprises and Rafran Cinematografica, and distributed by Warner Bros. Based on Harry Grey's novel The Hoods, it chronicles the lives of best friends David "Noodles" Aaronson and Maximilian "Max" Bercovicz as they lead a group of Jewish ghetto youths who rise to prominence as Jewish gangsters in New York City's world of organized crime. The film explores themes of childhood friendships, love, lust, greed, betrayal, loss, broken relationships, together with the rise of mobsters in American society.

Plot

In 1933, three thugs search for a man named "Noodles", torturing people for information. They enter a wayang theater, where the proprietors slip into a hidden opium den within the building and warn Noodles. He is apathetic, drugged and grasping a newspaper featuring the demise of bootleggers Patrick Goldberg, Philip Stein and Maximilian Bercovicz. He recalls observing police removing their corpses, Max's burned beyond recognition. Noodles evades capture and leaves the city alone and penniless.

Awards

Silver nugget for the best foreign film

Cast

More details

author	Enrico Medioli Ernesto Gastaldi Franco Arcalli Franco Ferrini Harry Grey Leonardo Benvenuti Piero De Bernardi Sergio Leone Stuart M. Kaminsky
award	Silver nugget for the best foreign film
contentLocation	Brooklyn New York City
director	Sergio Leone
editor	Nino Baragli
events	organized crime
genre	crime drama
keywords	antony and cleopatra assassination attempt auger conveyor bank heist best friend bootlegger build commemorative plaque david "noodles" aaronson dead friend diamond heist drug federal reserve bank garbage truck grind home run hunt insane asylum international brotherhood of teamsters kill learn lower east side manhattan moll murder national crime syndicate new york federal reserve bank opened fire first opium den petty crimes police officer police protection prohibition prohibition in the united states rabbi railway station retirement home river rum-running street kid suicide by cop suicide mission suitcase full of money syndicate torture u.s. secretary of commerce united states secretary of commerce wayang
musicBy	Ennio Morricone
producer	Arnon Milchan
productionCompany	Embassy International Pictures PSO International Rafran Cinematografica The Ladd Company
publisher	Titanus Warner Bros.
recordedAt	Bellagio Florida Grandate Lake Como Lierna Montreal New Jersey New York City Paris Venice
theme	epic gangster narrative rape