I'm a sucker for a good old fashioned crime/gangster movie, and somehow I missed this one from 1984. Considering the star power in this movie, I'm surprised I've never seen it on cable tv either.
After researching it a little bit, one of the reasons may have to do with the controversy over the running time of this movie co-written and directed by Sergio Leone. The uncut version came in at almost four and a half hours and was considered by many critics a masterpiece and the best film of the year. When it was ultimately released in the U.S. in 1984, it had been edited down to just over two hours and was panned by most critics.
So, I guess if you want to see a great crime film you need to track down the uncut version and watch that one. But, oh man, what a cast - DeNiro, James Woods, Pesci, Elizabeth McGovern, Burt Young, William Forsythe, and the list goes on. It's the movie "Once Upon a Time in America"...
the trailer...
Once Upon a Time in America
Directed by Sergio Leone
Produced by Arnon Milchan
Screenplay by Franco Arcalli
Leonardo Benvenuti
Piero De Bernadi
Franco Ferrini
Ernesto Gastaldi
Stuart M. Kaminsky
Sergio Leone
Enrico Medioli
Based on The Hoods by
Harry Grey
Starring Robert De Niro
James Woods
Elizabeth McGovern
William Forsythe
James Hayden
Tuesday Weld
Treat Williams
Joe Pesci
Burt Young
Brian Bloom
Scott Tiler
Rusty Jacobs
Jennifer Connelly
Music by Ennio Morricone
Cinematography Tonino Delli Colli
Editing by Nino Baragli
Studio Embassy International Pictures (now Regency Enterprises)
Distributed by Producers Sales Organization
The Ladd Company for Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s) May 23, 1984 (Cannes)
June 1, 1984 (USA)
Running time European theatrical version
229 minutes
USA theatrical version
139 minutes
Original director's version
269 minutes
Country Italy
United States
Language English, Italian, Yiddish
Budget $20 million (approx.)
Box office $5,321,508
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