My second favorite film WAS intended to be the typical film from AFI and it was CITIZEN KANE however I have placed that film on my MOST NOTABLES (a blog coming up within a couple of days). This was a tough one being that I love love love CK and Director Orson Wells so much; however I have to pay homage to a film that has be to one of the most underrated, dogged out film in cinema history.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA-1984
Robert DeNiro, James Woods, William Forestye, Jennifer Connoly
Directed by Sergio Lenore
Based on the book THE HOODS
You wanna talk about a masterpiece that was shitted on by Hollywood and viewed a classic, this is the film. Ill get to that nonsense (yes its pure nonsense) in a minute.
ONCE...tells the lives of a small group of New York City Jewish gangsters spanning over 40 years. Told mostly in flashbacks and flash-forwards, the movie centers on small-time opium addict hood David 'Noodles' Aaronson and his lifelong partners in crime; Max, Cockeye and Patsy and their friends from growing up in the rough Jewish neighborhood of New York's Lower East Side in the 1920s, to the last years of Prohibition in the early 1930s, and then to the late 1960s where an elderly Noodles returns to New York after many years in hiding to look into the past.
Now here comes the nonsense
Some studio exec jag off felt the movie was too long, the audience would never appreciate it; therefore it was decided to trim it to 2 hours, changing the story a bit by going in order from young to old and it would be a hit.
WRONG
No one understood a damn thing. The essence was gone, performances diminished, add that up and you have a flop from one of the greatest Filmmakers of all time. Shame on Hollywood for ruining what would be Serio Lenore's last film.
Then magic happen
A bright idea was made to re-edit back to 3 hours, change the story with a Godfather Part 2 flashback method and the film becomes, what Sergio created, A MASTERPIECE.
The movie was a monster hit on VHS and if someone listen to Sergio it would've won tons of Oscars but hey, it was an era in Hollywood where true brass balls of the 60s and 70s died and money hungry trust fund kid studio execs were created-kinda like the same now.
Robert DeNiro as a Jewish gangster is unfathomed to believe at first but this is not MEET THE FOCKERS DeNiro. This was method actor "Raging Bull-King of Comedy" DeNiro. The man was in his prime playing the quiet yet unpredictable NOODLES who never explodes in rage but his eyes showed a hidden monster waiting to unleash. A great common trend from Sergio who was big on the eyes in frame. You never know what he's thinking or planing: even at the last shot of the film where he gets high and lets out a big smile-we're lead to believe this whole story was all in Noodles opium high or if its real. My opinion.....
Anyway
James Woods who never, in my opinion, has done a bad film or performance in his 30 something career, plays MAX with a crazed yet sympathetic demeanor. You truly care for this sick bastard who wants to live the high life by robbing the federal reserve bank, among other treachery. In fact you care for all of these characters struggling to survive in the Great Depression all the way down to the late 60s where the story ends. Second to the last scene is very chilling as Max disappears. Sergio leaves it up to our imagination again-was he murdered and dumped into the garbage truck or did he escape? It reminds me of the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa to say the least. In my opinion....
Well see the clip below
THE MUSIC IS A CHARACTER IN THIS FILM. Extraordinary is speaking too low of this wonderful score, which is pretty much used in almost every scene. It's the peace within the music that carries the violent, turbulent plot all the worth watching. I play the movie on sometimes just to hear the score. I know, I should just download the soundtrack.
One other reason I love the film is the production value of old NYC. I'm from the Bronx but I do know my history of NYC, and the look was astonishing, almost better than The Godfather. ONE BLUFF that I noticed and only a true NY'r will spot this out:
The scene, one of the best scenes, when they pass by the Williamsburg bridge in the lower east side (the master shot of the poster), the kid goes under the bridge and spots a creepy Thug named BUGSY (A young James Russo who would go on to play more crazy roles in years followed) heading toward them with a gun. When the kids run away in slow motion (the shot is so beautiful), you can see Housing Projects all the way in the back on the left screen. Someone forgot to tell the Italian director the Projects wasn't developed until the early 60's. I know, I'm a nerd.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA HOLDS DEAR TO MY HEART. An underrated film that became a classic to this day. Editing PAYS.
Sorry Orson. Still love Citizen Kane, but Sergio wins.
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