I thought the movie was great. But I think the movie would've been much better if there was a narration by Robert de Niro. Anybody else think that?

Originally posted by Don Colletti
I thought the movie was great. But I think the movie would've been much better if there was a narration by Robert de Niro. Anybody else think that?
First of all, welcome to the boards Don Colletti.
I am going to assume that you have seen the original version which operates on flashbacks
- jumping from the thirties to sixties to twenties etc etc, rather than the alternate chronological version.

I don't think that narration would have been suitable for this movie. In Goodfellas(where Liotta's Hill narrates) and Casino (where De Niro and Pesci narrate) the audience doesn't know what happens until events take place. Contrast this with Once Upon A Time in America. The first 1933 section shows us that Noodles' friends get killed and that the money disappears from the locker, and the first 1968 section shows Noodles being brought back to New York thirty five years
later. So, for the remaining three quarters of the movie we already know what happens to Noodles' crew and that he is brought back to New York in strange circumstances. What we don't know is why - that is the challenge of the movie as a
mystery. If there was narration, it could provide us with too much information - rather than letting us progressively work the mystery out.

Thanks for your help

Just my opinion Don Colletti.

I think that if the movie had been chronological then the narration idea would have worked very well. I just think that that would have been a whole different kind of movie.

There is two versions of the movie? I didn't know that. I'll have to check that out.

God, I LOVE this movie!

I think narration at the end after the Mr. Bailey Suicide would have been a nice touch!

DeNiro is GOD!

Which credits do you think are better?

A) TV Ending- Alternating still shots from the movie!

or

B) a 3 Minute close-up of DeNiro's Pearly whites?

Has our Apple seen this movie?

Hi,
The movie left alot to be desired. I wasn't to fond of the DeNiro rape scene. To be a hit you don't need that in a picture. Joe Pesci was in it also. James Woods was also in this picture as well as Casino.

Paul

exactly! in fact, i hate that scene. i watched that scene through w/ the hop of it ending soon. on the other hand, it did seem extremely realistic. but, i agree, such scenes need not be in movies.

Hey guys you're absolutely right. The rape scene was not cool at all. (doesn't he do something to that other chick when they're robbing that house???) I didn't like his character in that movie AT ALL. But it was a very good, very dark movie.

Hi,
With the other woman that was part of the act. She wasn't being forced. In fact she shows up at a party and asks each one of the gang to pull down their pants so she can identify who it was. That is also another low point in the picture.

Paul

British board members can see this movie tonight
(Saturday 14th) at 9.15 pm on BBC 2.

just saw the film and i'm putting this in my favorite list. i watched the movie 2 consecutive times. but . . . what are they smoking in the Chinese theater?

GoodFella

I Love this film in my profile it's ranked as my favorite w/ GFI and GFII it was a beautiful classy film i liked noodles character. I don't think anything that was in the movie should be taken out i like every single moment of it. The movie was supposed to be a dark movie the scene adds to the mood, i'm not really into happy movies after it all the movie was a drama... don't see why it shouldn't contain realistic things.

You're not supposed to like DeNiro's character. The difference between Once Upon A Time In America and The Godfather is that in Copolla's masterpiece, you end up feeling sorry for the characters. However in America, DeNiro is supposed to be nothing more than a cold hearted criminal(emphisised by the rape scenes).

In my opinion, America is one of the finest films ever made. In my top 100 list(yes, I actually found the time to draw one up), I put this at #2 behind the combination of the first two Godfather films. Like many great artists, Sergio Leone's work constantly improved throughout his carear. This(his final film) is in my mind, undoubtably his greatest work.

Personaly, I don't think the film would have benefited from having a voice over by DeNiro. That would have forced us to relate to his character, which would be a downfall in the film's attempt to portray Noodles as a "bad guy".

Sergio Leone's second greatest movie.
9/10

to quote a slightly-exaggerant critic when he reviewed SKY CAPTAIN recently....which I'll steal and use for ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA:

"If you don't like this movie, you just don't like movies at all!"

Oh, you disagree???

Eat it.

You weren't supposed to like the rape scenes. Noodles was in attempt to leave the life, I guess you could say it was peer pressure. If you pay attention to DeNiro's facial expressions when Joe is telling his story, prior to the heist, you'll notice he's not really into it, and he is in a way forcing his laughs. He also isn't exactly into the idea of robbing the jewlery shop to begin with, which you can tell when he says: "If it's kid stuff, why give it to us? Why don't you have the kid's in Detroit take care of it?". He is even more upset when he finds out that they are supposed to kill Joe.

So rape scene number 1, was mainly to add Drama, and a result of peer pressure. This also adds tension between himself and the rape victim (forgot the character's name) get's into a relationship with Max. Rape Scene number 2 is quite simple to figure out. Noodles loved Debra. He had to have her, no matter what the end result may be. This scene is really used as a device to manipulate the 1968 scenquence, and add some type of drama between these two people. What compliments the drama resulting in this scene, is that Debra ends up with Max, in the 1968 scequence.

The movie may be dark, but you have to admint without the tension, and drama created by the rape scenes the movie wouldn't necesaraly be as good as it turned out. Leone really uses the sexuality as a device to create drama.

No one answered goodfellaoggie's question. (from 2 years ago)
I believe they were smoking opium

Correct. Opium or Hash. Don't know if they are the same, but DeNiro was smoking one of them. It was actually in a Geisha house. Years ago if someone went to a Geisha house, they were taken to a room or private area, given a glass of thier favorite drink, a cigar or cigarette and then given a hit of opium or hash to m ake them relax and sometimes sleep before any messages or what have you were given to the client.


Don Cardi

Opium. One of the side effects is "dreaming of the future."

the movie was ok be not great TO me it was one
hot part when the guy from the rockey movies
got shot in the eye that was cool.But the rape
was bad but then he is gangster that what they
do.

A couple questions about this film:

1.) Was David (the kid) at the end Max's kid by Debra, or was he Noodles' kid by Debra? He looked an awful lot like Max, but I wasn't sure based on the dialogue.

2.) Was Joe supposed to be a real person? What about Pesci's character (Frankie?)? I thought the connection between New York and Detroit seemed kind of odd to just be thrown in there.

1) IMO, the movie is an opium dream, and the child being the spitting image of Max, is in my opinion, reflection of guilt, Noodles' memories of him.