View source for Once Upon a Time in America

{{short description|1984 film directed by Sergio Leone}}
{{about||the album by Smoothe da Hustler|Once Upon a Time in America (album)}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Once Upon a Time in America
| image          = Once_Upon_a_Time_in_America.png
| caption        = Theatrical release poster by [[Tom Jung]]
| director       = [[Sergio Leone]]
| screenplay     = {{plainlist|
* [[Leonardo Benvenuti]]
* [[Piero De Bernardi]]
* [[Enrico Medioli]]
* [[Franco Arcalli]]
* [[Franco Ferrini]]
* Sergio Leone
}}
{{Infobox | decat = yes | child = yes
    | label1= Dialogue by
    | data1 = [[Stuart Kaminsky]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Carlson |first=Michael |date=2009-10-28 |title=Stuart Kaminsky obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/oct/28/stuart-kaminsky-obituary |access-date=2025-01-24 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
}}
| based_on       = {{based on|''The Hoods''<br>1952 novel|[[Harry Grey]]}}
| producer       = [[Arnon Milchan]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Robert De Niro]]
* [[James Woods]]
* [[Elizabeth McGovern]]
* [[Joe Pesci]]
* [[Burt Young]]
* [[Tuesday Weld]]
* [[Treat Williams]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Tonino Delli Colli]]
| editing        = [[Nino Baragli]]
| music          = [[Ennio Morricone]]
| studio         = {{plainlist|
* [[The Ladd Company]]
* [[Producers Sales Organization|PSO International]]
* [[Regency Enterprises|Embassy International Pictures]]
* Rafran Cinematografica<ref name=trove>{{cite web |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/7643203 |title=Once Upon a Time in America |work=[[Trove]] |access-date=October 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012074633/http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/7643203|archive-date=October 12, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=BFI>{{cite web |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6e31e32e |title=Once Upon a Time in America (1983) |website=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=February 1, 2020 |archive-date=November 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114151424/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6e31e32e |url-status=dead }}</ref>
}}
| distributor    = {{plainlist|
* [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]] (US)
* [[Titanus]] (Italy)
}}
| released       = {{Film date|1984|5|23|[[Cannes Film Festival|Cannes]]|1984|6|1|US|1984|9|28|Italy}}
| runtime        = 229 minutes
| country        = {{plainlist|
* Italy<ref name=lum>{{cite web |url=http://lumiere.obs.coe.int/web/film_info/?id=23484 |title=Once Upon a Time in America (EN) [Original title] |work=[[European Audiovisual Observatory]] |access-date=February 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624042620/http://lumiere.obs.coe.int/web/film_info/?id=23484|archive-date=June 24, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
* United States<ref name=lum/>
}}
| language       = English<ref name="afi">{{Cite web |title=Once Upon a Time in America (1984) |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/57162 |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]}}</ref>
| budget         = $30 million
| gross          = $5.5 million<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0087843/?ref_=bo_rl_ti |title=''Once Upon a Time in America'' (1984)|website=Boxofficemojo.com |access-date=October 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929044835/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=onceuponatimeinamerica.htm|archive-date=September 29, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
'''''Once Upon a Time in America''''' ({{langx|it|'''C'era una volta in America'''}}) is a 1984 [[Epic film|epic]] [[crime film]] based on [[Harry Grey]]'s semi-autobiographical 1952 novel ''The Hoods''. Directed by [[Sergio Leone]] from a screenplay he co-wrote with [[Leonardo Benvenuti]], [[Piero De Bernardi]], [[Enrico Medioli]], [[Franco Arcalli]] and [[Franco Ferrini]], the film stars [[Robert De Niro]], [[James Woods]], [[Elizabeth McGovern]], [[Joe Pesci]], [[Burt Young]], [[Tuesday Weld]] and [[Treat Williams]]. The film is an Italian–American<ref name=lum/> [[co-production (media)|venture]] produced by [[The Ladd Company]], [[Regency Enterprises|Embassy International Pictures]], [[Producers Sales Organization|PSO Enterprises]] and Rafran Cinematografica, and distributed by [[Warner Bros.]] 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-American organized crime|Jewish gangsters]] in [[New York City]]'s world of [[organized crime]]. The film explores themes of childhood friendships, love, lust, greed, betrayal, loss and broken relationships, together with the rise of mobsters in American society.

It is the final film directed by Leone before his death five years later, and the first feature film that he had directed in 13 years. It is also the third installment of Leone's ''Once Upon a Time Trilogy'', which includes ''[[Once Upon a Time in the West]]'' (1968) and ''[[Duck, You Sucker!]]'' (1971).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/fistful-dynamite-duck-you-sucker-sergio-leone |title=The Film with Three Names – in Praise of Sergio Leone's Neglected Spaghetti Western |website=British Film Institute |date=April 24, 2018 |access-date=June 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602154820/https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/fistful-dynamite-duck-you-sucker-sergio-leone|archive-date=June 2, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The cinematography is by [[Tonino Delli Colli]], and the film score by [[Ennio Morricone]]. Leone originally envisaged two three-hour films, then a single 269-minute (4 hours and 29 minutes) version, but was convinced by distributors to shorten it to 229 minutes (3 hours and 49 minutes). The American distributors, The Ladd Company, further shortened it to 139 minutes (2 hours and 19 minutes), and rearranged the scenes into chronological order, without Leone's involvement.

The US edit was a critical and commercial flop in the United States, and critics who had seen both versions harshly condemned the changes made. The original "European cut" has remained a critical favorite and frequently appears in lists of the [[List of films considered the best|greatest films of all time]], especially in the gangster genre.

== Plot ==
<!--DO NOT add any additional detail-->
<!--- Per [[WP:FILMPLOT]], 4 hour movie with [[Nonlinear narrative]] gets some leeway to extend beyond 700 word max for plot "summary" --->

In the 1930s, three thugs search for a man named "Noodles". Noodles is drugging himself in an [[opium den]] with a newspaper next to him featuring the death of [[Rum-running|bootleggers]] Patrick Goldberg, Philip Stein and Maximilian Bercovicz. He recalls the police removing their corpses, one burnt beyond recognition. Noodles evades capture and leaves the city.

In 1918, [[David "Noodles" Aaronson]] leads a gang of his three friends—"Patsy" Goldberg, "Cockeye" Stein and Dominic—performing jobs for local gangster Bugsy. They meet Max as he foils one of their robberies but has the booty stolen from him by corrupt police officer Whitey. Max joins their gang, and they blackmail Whitey to get the same police protection as Bugsy.

The gang becomes successful liquor smugglers. They deposit their earnings in a locker, giving the key to a trusted friend, Moe. Noodles is in love with Moe's sister Deborah, who dreams of becoming a dancer. Due to his socialization as a gangster, Deborah sees no future for their love. Bugsy, now a rival, ambushes the gang and fatally shoots Dominic. Noodles kills Bugsy and is sentenced to prison.

When he is released a decade later, Noodles rejoins his gang. During a diamond heist, they use jewelry employee Carol as their informant. She goads Noodles into hitting her, after which he rapes her; she soon becomes Max's girlfriend. Noodles realizes that the heist was commissioned by a [[National Crime Syndicate|syndicate]] figure to eliminate competition. This leads to tensions between Max and Noodles, the latter seeking independence. The gang provides protection for [[International Brotherhood of Teamsters|Teamsters' union]] boss O'Donnell, during the course of which they exchange newborns at a clinic, punishing the head of police, whose wife has just given birth to a boy at that clinic. This results in the police withdrawing their actions against striking workers.

Noodles takes Deborah on a lavish date. When she reveals her plans to pursue a career in [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]], he snaps and rapes her. As she departs the next day, he attempts to catch a glance of her sitting on the train, but she avoids eye contact.

The repeal of [[Prohibition]] forces the gang to look for alternative activities. Max suggests a [[New York Federal Reserve Bank]] heist, which Noodles and Carol deem too risky. Carol convinces Noodles to inform the police about a lesser offense, hoping brief incarceration will cool off Max's ambition. After Noodles calls the police, Max knocks him out. On regaining consciousness, Noodles learns that Max, Patsy and Cockeye have been killed by the police during the heist, as established at the beginning of the film. A guilt-ridden Noodles hides in the opium den. During his subsequent escape, he realizes that the locker money has disappeared.

In the 1960s, after receiving a letter indicating that his identity has been uncovered, Noodles returns to Manhattan for the first time since the 1930s, seeking to find who is responsible. He learns that the bodies of his three friends have been relocated to [[Riverdale, Bronx|Riverdale]]. He visits their [[mausoleum]] in Riverdale and finds a key to a railway locker.

The locker reveals a suitcase full of money, stated to be the advance on his next job. Noodles learns of the corruption scandals around Senator Christopher Bailey and visits Carol in a retirement home run by the Bailey Foundation. She tells him that Max manipulated them into tipping him off to the police and that Max [[Suicide by cop|opened fire first]], wishing to die young.

In a memorial photograph, Noodles spots Deborah, who has become a major actress, and he starts to suspect a connection between Deborah and Bailey. He tracks down Deborah and visits her, telling her about his invitation to a party at Bailey's mansion, and challenging her to tell him about the mysterious job, as well as the identity of Bailey. Deborah admits to being Bailey's lover and begs Noodles to leave the city before facing hurtful revelations. Ignoring her advice, Noodles leaves her after seeing Bailey's son, who resembles Max when he was younger.

Noodles meets Bailey, who turns out to be Max. Noodles learns that Max faked his death, stole the gang's money, and reinvented himself as a self-made businessman. He also made Deborah his mistress, thus robbing Noodles of everything that he had. Faced with ruin due to the corruption scandal, Max reveals that he is behind the mysterious job, which is for Noodles to kill him. Noodles refuses. As Noodles leaves the estate, a garbage truck passes, and a man, presumably Max, walks toward Noodles until the truck passes between them. Noodles sees the truck's [[auger conveyor]] grinding garbage, but the man is nowhere to be seen.

In the 1930s, Noodles comes back to the opium den. He smokes a pipe and smiles.

== Cast ==
<!--- Cast per tombstone opening credits and order, roles per closing credits scroll, add "young" versions and oft-seen "Peggy" --->
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Robert De Niro]] as [[David "Noodles" Aaronson]]
** [[Scott Schutzman|Scott Tiler]] as young Noodles
* [[James Woods]] as Maximilian "Max" Bercovicz
** [[Rusty Jacobs]] as young Max and David Bailey
* [[Elizabeth McGovern]] as Deborah Gelly
** [[Jennifer Connelly]] as young Deborah
* [[Joe Pesci]] as Frankie Minaldi
* [[Burt Young]] as Joe Minaldi
* [[Tuesday Weld]] as Carol
* [[Treat Williams]] as Jimmy Conway O'Donnell
* [[Danny Aiello]] as Police Chief Vincent Aiello
* [[Richard Bright (actor)|Richard Bright]] as "Chicken Joe"
* [[James Hayden]] as Patrick "Patsy" Goldberg
** [[Brian Bloom]] as young "Patsy"
* [[William Forsythe (actor)|William Forsythe]] as Philip "Cockeye" Stein
** Adrian Curran as young "Cockeye"
* [[Darlanne Fluegel]] as Eve
* [[Larry Rapp]] as Morris "Fat Moe" Gelly
** Mike Monetti as young "Fat Moe" 
* [[Richard Foronjy]] as Officer "Fartface" Whitey
* [[Robert Harper (actor)|Robert Harper]] as Sharkey
* Dutch Miller as Van Linden
* Gerard Murphy<!--- not the Irish-born actor from "Waterworld" ---> as Crowning
* Amy Ryder as Peggy
** Julie Cohen as young Peggy
* [[Estelle Harris]] as Peggy's Mother
{{div col end}}

The cast also includes Noah Moazezi as Dominic, [[James Russo]] as "Bugsy", producer [[Arnon Milchan]] as Noodles's chauffeur, [[Marcia Jean Kurtz]] as Max's mother, [[Joey Faye]] as an "Adorable Old Man", [[Paul Herman]] as "Monkey", and [[Olga Karlatos]] as a puppet theatre patron.

Frank Gio, Ray Dittrich and [[Mario Brega]] (a Leone regular who had appeared in the ''[[Dollars Trilogy]]''), respectively, appear as "Beefy", "Trigger" and "Mandy", a trio of gangsters who search for Noodles. Frequent De Niro collaborator [[Chuck Low]] and Leone's daughter Francesca make uncredited appearances as Fat Moe's and Deborah's father, and as David Bailey's girlfriend, respectively.<ref name="BFI" /> In the 2012 restoration, [[Louise Fletcher]] appears as the Director of Riverdale Cemetery, where Noodles visits his friends' tomb in 1968.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Macnab |first1=Geoffrey |title=Martin Scorsese breathes new life into gangster classic ''Once Upon a Time in America''|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/martin-scorsese-breathes-new-life-into-gangster-classic-once-upon-a-time-in-america-7746578.html |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |access-date=March 26, 2015 |date=May 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402151710/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/martin-scorsese-breathes-new-life-into-gangster-classic-once-upon-a-time-in-america-7746578.html|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Production ==
=== Development ===
During the mid-1960s, Sergio Leone had read the novel ''The Hoods'' by [[Harry Grey]], a [[pseudonym]] for the former gangster-turned-informant whose real name was Harry Goldberg. In 1968, after shooting ''[[Once Upon a Time in the West]]'', Leone made many efforts to talk to Grey. Having enjoyed Leone's ''Dollars Trilogy'', Grey finally responded and agreed to meet with Leone at a Manhattan bar.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|pages=389–90}} Following that initial meeting, Leone met with Grey several times throughout the remainder of the 1960s and 1970s, having discussions with him to understand America through Grey's point of view.<ref name="Roger Fristoe">{{cite web |author=Roger Fristoe |title=Sergio Leone Profile |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |url=http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article=191909%7c191910/Sergio-Leone-Profile.html |access-date=March 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716203520/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/191909%7c191910/Sergio-Leone-Profile.html |archive-date=July 16, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="SL-NYT"/>

Intent on making another trilogy about America consisting of ''Once Upon a Time in the West'', ''[[Duck, You Sucker!]]'' and ''Once Upon a Time in America'', Leone turned down an offer from [[Paramount Pictures]] to direct ''[[The Godfather]]'' to pursue his pet project.<ref name="Roger Fristoe"/><ref name="SL-NYT">{{cite news |author=Lucia Bozzola |title=Sergio Leone |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/99378/Sergio-Leone/biography |access-date=March 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716203731/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/99378/Sergio-Leone/biography |archive-date=July 16, 2014|department=Movies & TV Dept. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

At some point, Leone considered other colleagues including [[Miloš Forman]] and [[John Milius]] for the role of director, with Leone serving merely as producer.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|pages=396–9}} For some time, the project was linked to French producers [[André Génovès]] and [[Gérard Lebovici]], and later to [[Gaumont Film Company|Gaumont]], with [[Gérard Depardieu]] and [[Jean Gabin]] slated to be the main actors.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|pages=394–5}}

Acquiring the rights to the novel proved to be complicated, as they had been bought by [[Dan Curtis]], who intended to shoot the film and refused various offers by Leone and his backers to sell the rights.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|pages=393–5}} Curtis eventually transferred the rights to [[Alberto Grimaldi]] in exchange for Grimaldi's production of his $2 million film ''[[Burnt Offerings (film)|Burnt Offerings]]''.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=395}}

Initially, only a draft for the film's opening scene was made, penned by [[Ernesto Gastaldi]] and developed by Robert Dillon, which Dillon eventually used in [[John Frankenheimer]]'s film ''[[99 and 44/100% Dead]]'', much to Leone's dismay.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|pages=395-6}}

After Grimaldi bought the rights, he felt that he needed an American scriptwriter to faithfully capture the spirit of the novel; he eventually made a deal with [[Norman Mailer]], whose draft greatly disappointed both Grimaldi and Leone, who described Mailer's draft as "a [[Mickey Mouse]] version [of the novel]" that lacked in structure and "made no sense at all".{{sfn|Frayling|2012|pages=399-400}}  A few elements of Norman Mailer's first two drafts would eventually appear in the film.<ref name="Sokol" />

After Mailer's fiasco, Leone opted for an all-Italian team of scriptwriters: [[Leonardo Benvenuti]] and [[Piero De Bernardi]] would focus on the 1920s section, [[Enrico Medioli]] on the 1930s section, and [[Franco Arcalli|Franco "Kim" Arcalli]] on the time shifts, with Leone supervising and [[Franco Ferrini]] polishing the script.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|pages=404-5}}

As of 1975–1976, Leone's casting ideas still included Depardieu and Gabin, as well as [[Richard Dreyfuss]] as Max, [[James Cagney]], [[Robert Charlebois]], and appearances by [[Henry Fonda]], [[James Stewart]], [[George Raft]] and [[Glenn Ford]].{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=406}}

In 1976, [[Ennio Morricone]] had already composed all the main themes for the film.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=406}} Meanwhile, relations between Grimaldi and Leone soured, with Grimaldi unconvinced of the film's commercial viability and eventually exiting the project, being replaced in 1980 by Arnon Milchan.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=432}}

At this stage, Leone's casting ideas included [[Tom Berenger]], [[Dustin Hoffman]], [[Paul Newman]] and [[Liza Minnelli]].{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=433}} A 317-page shooting script was completed in late 1981.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=407}} The final script, translated to English by [[Stuart M. Kaminsky]], was approved by Leone in May 1982.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|pages=434-6}}

=== Casting ===
In 1981, at Milchan's suggestion, Leone met [[Robert De Niro]] and eventually offered him the role of his choice between Noodles and Max.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|pages=437-9}} De Niro's commitment turned out to be crucial for Milchan's securing the financial backing for the film.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=437}}

For the role of Max, approximately 200 actors were auditioned.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=441}} [[Elizabeth McGovern]] was chosen for the role of Deborah despite De Niro's request for having a New York native with a [[Brooklyn]] accent, due to Leone's appreciation of her performance in ''[[Ragtime (film)|Ragtime]]''.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=441}}

[[Joe Pesci]] was chosen by Arnon Milchan because of his role in ''[[Raging Bull]]'', and was offered a supporting role of his choice.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=441}} At De Niro's recommendation, [[Tuesday Weld]] was cast as Carol, a role that Leone had previously envisioned for [[Claudia Cardinale]].{{sfn|Frayling|2012|pages=441-2}}

For the children's roles, Leone entrusted the task to [[Cis Corman]], asking her not to have child stars, but instead having actors who had lived in New York's Jewish neighborhood and had no previous acting experience. In the end, Corman provided mostly actors without film credits but with experiences on stage and television.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=445}}

=== Filming ===
The filming of ''Once Upon a Time in America'' started in June 1982 and ended in April the following year. The shooting locations took place in and around the US, Canada, Italy and France, with a focal point in New York City.<ref>{{cite web |first= Arka |last= Mukhopadhyay |date= September 3, 2021 |title= Where Was ''Once Upon a Time in America'' Filmed? |url= https://thecinemaholic.com/where-was-once-upon-a-time-in-america-filmed/ |work= The Cinemaholic |access-date= October 16, 2021 |archive-date= October 16, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211016175747/https://thecinemaholic.com/where-was-once-upon-a-time-in-america-filmed/ |url-status= live }}</ref> Interior scenes were filmed mostly at the [[Cinecittà Studios]] in [[Rome]].<ref>{{cite web |title=''Once Upon a Time in America'' Locations |url=https://www.latlong.net/location/once-upon-a-time-in-america-locations-355 |work=LatLong.net |access-date=October 26, 2021 |archive-date=October 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025231719/https://www.latlong.net/location/once-upon-a-time-in-america-locations-355 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The beach scene in which Max unveils his plan to rob the [[Federal Reserve]], was shot at [[The Don CeSar]] in [[St. Pete Beach, Florida|St. Pete Beach]], Florida.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Loews Don CeSar Hotel |url=https://www.loewshotels.com/don-cesar/history |publisher=[[Loews Hotels]] |access-date=March 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121124508/https://www.loewshotels.com/don-cesar/history|archive-date=November 21, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The railway of New York's Grand Central Station in 1930s flashbacks was filmed in the [[Gare du Nord]] in [[Paris]].<ref name="movie-locations.com" /> The interiors of the lavish restaurant where Noodles takes Deborah on their date were shot in the {{ill|Hotel Excelsior (Venice)|it|Hotel Excelsior (Lido di Venezia)|lt=Hotel Excelsior}} in [[Venice]], Italy.<ref name="movie-locations.com">{{Cite web |url=http://movie-locations.com/movies/o/onceamerica.html |title=The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations |access-date=January 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211184629/http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/o/onceamerica.html |archive-date=December 11, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Several sequences were filmed in [[Montreal|Montreal, Quebec]] - the exterior of [[Bordeaux Prison]] doubled for the [[Federal Reserve Bank of New York Building|Federal Reserve Bank of New York]], the shooting of Jimmy O'Donnell was filmed at [[Place d'Youville]], a scene were Noodles picks up Deborah was shot outside the [[Ritz-Carlton Montreal]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Mukhopadhyay |first=Arka |date=2021-09-03 |title=Where Was Once Upon a Time in America Filmed? |url=https://thecinemaholic.com/where-was-once-upon-a-time-in-america-filmed/ |access-date=2025-09-04 |website=The Cinemaholic |language=en-US}}</ref> The meeting and shootout with the Minaldi brothers was filmed in the town of [[Louiseville]].<ref name=":0" />

Filming in New York proved to be relatively difficult, as the [[International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees|IATSE]] labor union raised a strong objection to Leone's use of a foreign crew, and launched a public protest campaign big enough to persuade President [[Ronald Reagan]] to call for a Department of Labor investigation into the matter.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=455}}

De Niro shot his scenes in chronological continuity.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=440}} His makeup as an old man required four-to-six hours of preparation.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=440}} After a few weeks, Nilo Jacoponi, [[Manlio Rocchetti]] and Gino Zamprioli replaced [[Christopher Tucker]], whose makeup was considered excessive and unrealistic by Leone.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=440}}

=== Editing ===
By the end of filming, Leone had ten hours of footage. With his editor [[Nino Baragli]], Leone trimmed it to almost six hours, and he originally wanted to release the film in two parts.{{sfn|Hughes|2006|page=163}} The producers refused, partly because of the commercial and critical failure of [[Bernardo Bertolucci]]'s two-part ''[[1900 (film)|1900]]'', and Leone was forced to shorten it further.<ref>{{cite web |first=Kevin |last=Jagernauth |title=Sergio Leone's Extended Director's Cut of ''Once Upon a Time in America''|date=June 9, 2014 |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2014/06/sergio-leones-extended-directors-cut-of-once-upon-a-time-in-america-coming-to-blu-ray-85044/amp/ |website=[[IndieWire]] |access-date=September 8, 2021 |archive-date=September 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908133300/https://www.indiewire.com/2014/06/sergio-leones-extended-directors-cut-of-once-upon-a-time-in-america-coming-to-blu-ray-85044/amp/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The film was originally 269 minutes (4 hours and 29 minutes), but when it premiered out of competition at the [[1984 Cannes Film Festival]], Leone had cut it to 229 minutes (3 hours and 49 minutes) to appease the distributors. The latter is the version shown in European cinemas.<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |title=Festival de Cannes: ''Once Upon a Time in America''|url=https://m.festival-cannes.com/en/festival/films/once-upon-a-time-in-america |access-date=June 25, 2009 |work=Festival-cannes.com |archive-date=June 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605091310/https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/festival/films/once-upon-a-time-in-america |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Music ===
The [[film score|musical score]] was composed by Leone's longtime collaborator [[Ennio Morricone]]. "Deborah's Theme" was written for a [[Franco Zeffirelli]] film but was rejected.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=427}} The score is also notable for Morricone's incorporation of the music of [[Gheorghe Zamfir]], who plays a [[pan flute]].{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=427}} Zamfir's flute music was used to similar effect in [[Peter Weir]]'s ''[[Picnic at Hanging Rock (film)|Picnic at Hanging Rock]]'' (1975).{{sfn|Hughes|2006|page=163}}<ref>{{cite web |first=Messrob |last=Torikian |url=http://www.soundtrack.net/albums/database/?id=1894 |title=Once Upon a Time in America (1984) |publisher=Soundtrack |date=August 25, 2003 |access-date=May 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007004241/http://www.soundtrack.net/albums/database/?id=1894 |archive-date=October 7, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Morricone also collaborated with vocalist [[Edda Dell'Orso]] on the score.

{{Infobox album
| name       = Once Upon a Time in America
| type       = soundtrack
| artist     = [[Ennio Morricone]]
| cover      =
| alt        =
| released   = {{Plainlist|
*June 1, 1984
*October 17, 1995 <small>(Special edition)</small>
}}
| recorded   = December 1983
| venue      =
| studio     = [[Forum Music Village|Forum Studios]], Rome
| genre      = [[Contemporary classical music|Contemporary classical]]
| length     =
| label      = [[Mercury Records]]
| producer   = Ennio Morricone
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
| misc       = {{Extra album cover
 | header  = Special Edition cover
 | type    = soundtrack
 | cover   =
 | border  =
 | alt     =
 | caption = 1995 Special Edition
}}
}}

Besides the original music, the film used [[source music]], including:{{sfn|Hughes|2006|page=162}}
* "[[God Bless America]]" (written by [[Irving Berlin]], performed by [[Kate Smith]] – 1943) – Plays over the opening credits from a radio in Eve's bedroom and briefly at the film's ending.
* "[[Yesterday (Beatles song)|Yesterday]]" (written by [[Lennon–McCartney]] – 1965) – A [[Elevator music|Muzak]] version of this piece plays when Noodles first returns to New York in 1968, examining himself in a train-station mirror. An instrumental version of the song also plays briefly during the dialogue between Noodles and "Bailey" near the film's end.
* "[[Summertime (George Gershwin song)|Summertime]]" (written by [[George Gershwin]] – 1935) An instrumental version of the [[aria]] from the [[opera]] ''[[Porgy and Bess]]'' is playing softly in the background as Noodles, prior to leaving, explains to "Secretary Bailey" why he could never kill his friend.
* "[[Amapola (song)|Amapola]]" (written by [[Joseph Lacalle]], American lyrics by [[Albert Gamse]] – 1923) – Originally an opera piece, several instrumental versions of this song are played during the film; a jazzy version, which plays on the [[Phonograph|gramophone]] danced to by young Deborah in 1918; a similar version performed by Fat Moe's jazz band in the 1930s [[speakeasy]]; and a string version, during Noodles's date with Deborah. Both versions are available on the soundtrack.
* Part of the third theme from the overture to ''[[La gazza ladra]]'' ([[Gioachino Rossini]] – 1817) – Used during the baby-switching scene in the hospital.
* "[[Night and Day (song)|Night and Day]]" (written and sung by [[Cole Porter]] – 1932) – Played by a jazz band during the beach scene before the beachgoers receive word of Prohibition's repeal, and during the party at the house of "Secretary Bailey" in 1968.
* "[[St. James Infirmary Blues]]" is used during the Prohibition "funeral" at the gang's speakeasy.

A [[soundtrack album]] was released in 1984 by [[Mercury Records]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Once Upon a Time in America (1984) Soundtrack |url=http://www.soundtrack.net/album/once-upon-a-time-in-america-morricone/ |website=[[Soundtrack.Net]] |access-date=March 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402143747/http://www.soundtrack.net/album/once-upon-a-time-in-america-morricone/|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> It was followed by a special-edition release in 1995 featuring four additional tracks.<ref>{{cite web |title=Once Upon a Time in America [Special Edition] – Ennio Morricone |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/once-upon-a-time-in-america-special-edition-mw0000473231 |website=[[AllMusic]] |publisher=[[All Media Network]] |access-date=March 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122080626/http://www.allmusic.com/album/once-upon-a-time-in-america-special-edition-mw0000473231|archive-date=November 22, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline    = Side one
| title1      = Once Upon a Time in America
| length1     = 2:11
| title2      = Poverty
| length2     = 3:37
| title3      = Deborah's Theme
| length3     = 4:24
| title4      = Childhood Memories
| length4     = 3:22
| title5      = Amapola
| length5     = 5:21
| title6      = Friends
| length6     = 1:34
| title7      = Prohibition Dirge
| length7     = 4:20
}}
{{Track listing
| headline    = Side two
| title8      = Cockeye's Song
| length8     = 4:20
| title9      = Amapola, Part II
| length9     = 3:07
| title10     = Childhood Poverty
| length10    = 1:41
| title11     = Photographic Memories
| length11    = 1:00
| title12     = Friends – Reprise
| length12    = 1:23
| title13     = Friendship & Love
| length13    = 4:14
| title14     = Speakeasy
| length14    = 2:21
| title15     = Deborah's Theme – Amapola
| length15    = 6:13
}}

{{Track listing
| headline    = Bonus tracks (1995 Special Edition)
| title16     = Suite from Once Upon a Time in America (Includes Amapola)
| length16    = 13:32
| title17     = Poverty (Temp. Version)
| length17    = 3:26
| title18     = Unused Theme
| length18    = 4:46
| title19     = Unused Theme (Version 2)
| length19    = 3:38
}}

== Interpretations ==
As the film begins and ends in 1933, with Noodles hiding in an opium den from syndicate hitmen, and the last shot of the film is of Noodles in a smiling, opium-soaked high, the film can be interpreted as having been a drug-induced dream, with Noodles remembering his past and envisioning the future. In an interview by Noël Simsolo published in 1987, Leone lent support to this interpretation, saying that the scenes set in the 1960s could be seen as an opium dream of Noodles's.{{sfn|Simsolo|1987|page=}} In the DVD commentary for the film, [[film historian]] and critic [[Richard Schickel]] states that opium users often report vivid dreams, and that these visions have a tendency to explore the user's past and future.<ref>{{cite AV media |title=Once Upon a Time in America |first=Richard |last=Schickel |author-link=Richard Schickel |medium=DVD}}</ref>

The ending, in which Max is seen by Noodles outside Bailey's mansion, only to disappear behind a truck as it passes, was reportedly left ambiguous on purpose. James Woods, who played Max, stated that he does not know if Max jumped in the truck or just disappeared. Critic Carlo Affatigato described this twist as a "[[paradox]]", postulating that the whole film is about how Noodles spends the second half of his life seeking out the truth of what happened, only to discover it, not accept it, and not investigate what happens to Max in the end. Noodles wants only to believe the reality that he has created for himself, not an objective one. Affatigato also believes that this could point to it all being the imagination of Noodles.<ref>{{cite web|last=Affatigato|first=Carlo|url=https://auralcrave.com/en/2018/08/16/the-mysterious-ending-of-once-upon-a-time-in-america/|title=The mysterious ending of ''Once Upon a Time in America''|work=Auralcrave|date=2018|access-date=October 1, 2021|archive-date=August 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831172239/https://auralcrave.com/en/2018/08/16/the-mysterious-ending-of-once-upon-a-time-in-america/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Many people (including Schickel) assume that the 1968 [[Frisbee]] scene, which has an immediate cut and gives no further resolution, was part of a longer sequence.<ref>{{cite video |title=Once Upon a Time in America |type=DVD audio commentary}}</ref> Critic [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' suggested that the purpose of the flying disc scene was to establish the 1960s time frame and nothing more.<ref name="Ebert84" />

== Release ==
''Once Upon a Time in America'' premiered at the [[1984 Cannes Film Festival]] on May 20, 1984.{{sfn|Frayling|2012|pages=460–61}} It received a 15-minute standing ovation after the screening.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nero |first=Dom |date=3 July 2018 |title=One of the Best Movies About America Was Made By an Outsider |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a22028586/once-upon-a-time-in-america-sergio-leone/ |website=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] |access-date=May 21, 2024 |archive-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417161551/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a22028586/once-upon-a-time-in-america-sergio-leone/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the United States, a heavily edited version of the film received a wide release in 894 theaters on June 1, 1984, and grossed $2.4 million during its opening weekend.<ref>{{cite web |title=Once Upon a Time in America |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=onceuponatimeinamerica.htm |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |access-date=March 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402131323/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=onceuponatimeinamerica.htm|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> It ended its box-office run with a gross of more than $5.3 million on a $30 million budget,<ref>{{cite web |title=Once Upon a Time in America |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Once-Upon-a-Time-in-America#tab=summary |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |access-date=March 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402180314/http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Once-Upon-a-Time-in-America#tab=summary |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> and became a [[box office bomb|box-office bomb]].{{sfn|McCarty|2005|page=235}}

Numerous women at the film's premiere reacted furiously, mostly due to the two rape sequences. One woman confronted Robert De Niro at a [[press conference]] and made harsh comments to the film's depiction, describing it as "blatant, gratuitous violence".{{sfn|Eberwein|Bell-Metereau|2010|pages=26–27}} In general, the rape scenes specifically were controversial.<ref>{{cite news |title=Elizabeth McGovern: De Niro and Me |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/elizabeth-mcgovern-de-niro-and-me-109588.html?amp |date=October 14, 2013 |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |access-date=October 13, 2021 |archive-date=June 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605091344/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/elizabeth-mcgovern-de-niro-and-me-109588.html?amp |url-status=live }}</ref> Richard Godden defended Leone's representation of rape, saying that it "articulates the dysfunction between bodies in images and bodies themselves". Of the scene in which De Niro's character rapes her character, Elizabeth McGovern said that it "didn't glamorize violent sex: it is extremely uncomfortable to watch and it is meant to be". She went on to state:<ref>{{cite book|first=Christopher|year=2000|last=Frayling|title=Sergio Leone: Something To Do With Death|location=London|publisher=Faber and Faber|page=448|isbn=0571164382}}</ref>
{{blockquote|And if you say, "this violence is wrong", you'd have to enlarge that to say, "all violence in movies in wrong", and then you'd have to say, "you can only make movies about good people who obey the law and do right things" which a) excludes a lot of what life is and b) makes for some very boring movies.}}

In his book, Leone scholar [[Christopher Frayling]] argues that the movie's central gang are all emotionally stunted "like small boys obsessed with their equipment who have no idea how to relate to flesh-and-blood women".{{sfn|Frayling|2012|page=}}

=== Versions ===
==== US version ====
The film was shown in [[limited release]] and for film critics in North America, where it was slightly trimmed to secure an "R" rating. Cuts were made to two rape scenes and some of the more graphic violence at the beginning. Noodles's meeting with Bailey in 1968 was also excised.

The film gained a mediocre reception at several sneak premieres in North America. Because of this early audience reaction, the fear of its length, its graphic violence, and the inability of theaters to have multiple showings in one day, [[The Ladd Company]] cut entire scenes and removed approximately 90 minutes of the film<ref name="Sokol">{{cite web |first=Tony |last=Sokol |title=''Once Upon a Time in America'' Is a Movie That Can Never Be Too Long |date=September 22, 2021 |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/once-upon-a-time-in-america-can-never-be-too-long/?amp |website=Den of Geek |access-date=October 11, 2021 |archive-date=June 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605091308/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/once-upon-a-time-in-america-can-never-be-too-long/?amp |url-status=live }}</ref> without the supervision of Sergio Leone.

This American wide release (1984, 139 minutes) was drastically different from the European release, as the non-chronological story was rearranged into chronological order. Other major cuts involved many of the childhood sequences, making the adult 1933 sections more prominent. Noodles's 1968 meeting with Deborah was excised, and the scene with Bailey ends with him shooting himself (with the sound of a gunshot off-screen) rather than with the garbage truck conclusion of the 229-minute version.{{sfn|Hughes|2006|page=}}{{page needed|date=September 2021}} Sergio Leone's daughter Raffaella Leone said that Sergio had dismissed the US version as not his own movie.<ref>{{cite news |first=Susan |last=King |title=Sergio Leone's Original ''Once Upon a Time in America'' Out on DVD |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-once-upon-a-time-america-leone-deniro-20141003-story.html?amp?true |date=October 2, 2014 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=September 30, 2021 |archive-date=October 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002041449/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-once-upon-a-time-america-leone-deniro-20141003-story.html?amp%3Ftrue |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== USSR ====
In the [[Soviet Union]], the film was shown theatrically in the late 1980s, with other Hollywood blockbusters, such as the two ''[[King Kong (franchise)|King Kong]]'' films. The story was rearranged in chronological order, and the film was split in two, with the two parts shown as separate movies, one containing the childhood scenes and the other comprising the adulthood scenes. Despite the rearranging, no major scene deletions were made.<ref name="OUTSL">{{cite AV media |date=January 8, 2001 |title=Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone |medium=Documentary |language=en, it |publisher=CreaTVty, Westbrook|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYBpXwH8rRU}}{{dead link|date=September 2025}}</ref>

==== Restored original ====
[[File:De Niro McGovern 2012.jpg|thumb| [[Robert De Niro]] and [[Elizabeth McGovern]] at the screening of the film's restored version, during the [[2012 Cannes Film Festival]]]]
In March 2011, it was announced that Leone's original 269-minute version was to be recreated by a film lab in Italy under the supervision of Leone's children, who had acquired the Italian distribution rights, and the film's original sound editor, Fausto Ancillai, for a premiere in 2012 at either the [[Cannes Film Festival]] or [[Venice Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 10, 2011 |title=''Once Upon a Time'' to Be Restored |url=https://variety.com/2011/biz/news/once-upon-a-time-to-be-restored-1118033710/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122200528/https://variety.com/2011/biz/news/once-upon-a-time-to-be-restored-1118033710/ |archive-date=November 22, 2015 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=March 18, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://thefilmforum.8.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=2957 |publisher=The Film Forum |date=March 13, 2011 |title=''Once Upon a Time in America'' – 269 minute version in 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610164934/http://thefilmforum.8.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=2957 |archive-date=June 10, 2011 |access-date=April 21, 2011}}</ref>

The restored film premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, but because of unforeseen rights issues for the deleted scenes, the restoration had a runtime of only 251 minutes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Barraclough |first=Leo |url=https://variety.com/2012/film/markets-festivals/another-chance-for-once-1118054109/ |title=Another chance for ''Once'' – Entertainment News, Film Festivals, Media |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 16, 2012 |access-date=May 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110101458/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118054109|archive-date=November 10, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Gallman |first=Brett |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/news/once-upon-time-america-other-directors-cuts-worth-143800580.html |title=''Once Upon a Time in America'', Other Director's Cuts Worth Watching |publisher=Movies.yahoo.com |date=April 21, 2012 |access-date=May 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709024328/http://movies.yahoo.com/news/once-upon-time-america-other-directors-cuts-worth-143800580.html |archive-date=July 9, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/58952.html |title=Cannes Classics 2012 – Festival de Cannes 2014 (International Film Festival |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215183141/http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/58952.html |archive-date=February 15, 2017 |website=Festival-cannes.fr |access-date= June 5, 2014}}</ref> However, Martin Scorsese (whose Film Foundation helped with the restoration) stated that he was helping Leone's children gain the rights to the final 18 minutes of deleted scenes to create a complete restoration of Leone's envisaged 269-minute version. On August 3, 2012, it was reported that after the premiere at Cannes, the restored film was pulled from circulation, pending further restoration work.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/aug/03/sergio-leone-once-upon-time-america |location=London |work=[[The Guardian]]|first=Tony |last=Paley |title=Sergio Leone's ''Once Upon a Time in America'' is withdrawn from circulation |date=August 3, 2012|access-date=December 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214204500/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/aug/03/sergio-leone-once-upon-time-america|archive-date=February 14, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Home media ====
In North America, a two-tape [[VHS]] was released by [[Warner Home Video]] in February 1985 and 1991 with a runtime of 226 minutes. The U.S. theatrical cut was also released at the same time in February 1985.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=December 18, 1984|page=21|title=Two Homevid Versions Of 'America'}}</ref>

A two-disc special edition was released on June 10, 2003, featuring the 229-minute version of the film.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Erickson |first1=Glenn |title=DVD Savant Review: ''Once Upon a Time in America''|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s861once.html |website=[[DVD Talk]] |access-date=March 26, 2015 |date=June 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117153225/http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s861once.html|archive-date=November 17, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> This special edition was re-released on January 11, 2011, on both [[DVD]] and [[Blu-ray]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Once Upon a Time in America Preview |url=https://www.ign.com/movies/once-upon-a-time-in-america/dvd-87102 |website=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |access-date=March 26, 2015 |date=January 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403155318/http://www.ign.com/movies/once-upon-a-time-in-america/dvd-87102|archive-date=April 3, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> On September 30, 2014, Warner Bros. released a two-disc Blu-ray and DVD set of the 251-minute restoration that was shown at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, dubbed the ''Extended Director's Cut''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14163 |work=Blu-ray.com |title=Once Upon a Time in America: Extended Director's Cut Blu-ray |date=June 5, 2014|access-date=June 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607013810/http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14163|archive-date=June 7, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> This version was previously released in Italy on September 4, 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Once Upon a Time in America'' (Comparison) |url=http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=898776 |website=Movie-Censorship.com |access-date=March 26, 2015 |date=December 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402151406/http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=898776|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Critical reception ==
The initial critical response to ''Once Upon a Time in America'' was mixed, primarily because of the different versions released worldwide. Although the film was well received in its original form internationally, American critics were much more dissatisfied with the 139-minute version that was released in North America. The condensed version was a critical and financial disaster,<ref>{{cite news |first=Lou |last=Lumenick |author-link=Lou Lumenick |date=September 21, 2014 |title=Fresh ''Once Upon a Time in America'' Cut Worth Every Second |url=https://nypost.com/2014/09/21/fresh-once-upon-a-time-in-america-cut-worth-every-second/ |newspaper=[[New York Post]] |access-date=October 15, 2021 |archive-date=October 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027181628/https://nypost.com/2014/09/21/fresh-once-upon-a-time-in-america-cut-worth-every-second/amp/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and many American critics who knew of Leone's original cut attacked the shorter version.

Some critics compared shortening the film to shortening [[Richard Wagner]]'s operas, saying that works of art that are meant to be long should be given the respect they deserve. In his 1984 review, [[Roger Ebert]] gave the uncut version four stars out of four and wrote that it was "an epic poem of violence and greed", but described the American theatrical version as a "travesty".<ref name="Ebert84">{{cite news |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |author-link1=Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/once-upon-a-time-in-america-1984 |title=''Once Upon A Time in America''|access-date=June 8, 2008 |date=January 1, 1984 |publisher=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502002533/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/once-upon-a-time-in-america-1984|archive-date=May 2, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Furthermore, he gave the American theatrical version one star out of four, calling it "an incomprehensible mess without texture, timing, mood, or sense".<ref name=Ebert>{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |author-link1=Roger Ebert |title="Siskel and Ebert" You Blew It, 1990 |url=https://siskelebert.org/?p=2311 |access-date=August 8, 2020 |archive-date=November 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114151515/https://siskelebert.org/?p=2311 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Ebert's television film-critic partner [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' considered the uncut version to be the best film of 1984 and the shortened, linear studio version to be the worst film of 1984.<ref name="Siskel">{{cite web |last1=Siskel |first1=Gene |author-link1=Gene Siskel |title="Siskel and Ebert" Top Ten Films (1980–1998) |url=http://www.cmgww.com/stars/siskel/screening_room/thumbs_up1.htm |publisher=Estate of Gene Siskel |access-date=March 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223160944/http://www.cmgww.com/stars/siskel/screening_room/thumbs_up1.htm |archive-date=February 23, 2010}}</ref>

[[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' criticized the [[nonlinear narrative]] that is structured throughout the film.<ref>{{cite news |first=Vincent |last=Canby |author-link=Vincent Canby |date=June 1, 1984 |title=Film: ''Once Upon a Time in America'' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/01/movies/film-once-upon-a-time-inamerica.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |volume=C |page=8 |access-date=October 20, 2021 |archive-date=May 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525103009/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9801E1D6143BF932A35755C0A962948260 |url-status=live}}</ref>

It was only after Leone's death and the subsequent restoration of the original version that critics began to give it the kind of praise displayed at its original Cannes showing. The uncut original film is considered to be far superior to the edited version released in the U.S. in 1984.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Cinematic Rarity: Showing of Leone's Uncut 'America' |last=Turan |first=Kenneth |author-link=Kenneth Turan |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=July 10, 1999 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-10-ca-54482-story.html |access-date=February 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203032534/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jul/10/entertainment/ca-54482 |archive-date=February 3, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Ebert, in his review of [[Brian De Palma]]'s ''[[The Untouchables (film)|The Untouchables]]'', called the original uncut version of ''Once Upon a Time in America'' the best film depicting the Prohibition era.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |author-link1=Roger Ebert |title=The Untouchables (1987) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-untouchables-1987 |website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |access-date=March 27, 2015 |date=June 3, 1987 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204034448/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-untouchables-1987 |archive-date=February 4, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> James Woods, who considers it to be Leone's finest film, mentioned in the DVD documentary that one critic dubbed the film the worst of 1984, only to see the original cut years later and call it the best of the 1980s.<ref name="OUTSL" /> Some were critical towards the movie's graphic violence and cruelty, with [[Donald Clarke (writer)|Donald Clarke]] of ''[[The Irish Times]]'' condemning it as a "fistful of [[misogyny]]" and "offensively [[sexism|sexist]]".<ref>{{cite news |first=Donald |last=Clarke |date=June 5, 2015 |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/once-upon-a-time-in-america-review-a-fistful-of-misogyny-1.2237264 |title=''Once Upon a Time in America'' Review: A Fistful of Misogyny |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |access-date=October 13, 2021 |archive-date=March 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321193808/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/once-upon-a-time-in-america-review-a-fistful-of-misogyny-1.2237264 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Once Upon a Time in America'' has an approval rating of 85% based on 55 reviews, with an average score of 8.50/10. The website's critic consensus reads: "Sergio Leone's epic crime drama is visually stunning, stylistically bold, and emotionally haunting, and filled with great performances from the likes of Robert De Niro and James Woods."<ref>{{cite web |title=''Once Upon a Time in America''|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/once_upon_a_time_in_america/ |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=May 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523205850/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/once_upon_a_time_in_america/|archive-date=May 23, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a [[weighted average]] score of 75 out of 100 based on reviews from 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Once Upon a Time in America'' reviews|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/once-upon-a-time-in-america|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=September 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523205850/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/once-upon-a-time-in-america|archive-date=May 23, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

The film has been ranked as one of the best films of the [[Mob film|gangster genre]]. In ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine, critic Adam Smith compared the film favorably to ''[[The Godfather (film)|The Godfather]]'', saying, "Leone's film is arguably the better of the two&nbsp;– if the less popular&nbsp;– eschewing, as it does, the soapy melodramatics of Coppola's family saga in favour of less audience-friendly, but more intriguing, ambiguity and symbolism."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/upon-time-america-review/|title=Once Upon A Time In America Review|website=www.empireonline.com|date=January 2000 |access-date=28 January 2024|archive-date=19 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019155001/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/upon-time-america-review/|url-status=live}}</ref>

When ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' asked several UK critics in 2002 what their favorite films of the last 25 years were, ''Once Upon a Time in America'' placed at number 10.<ref>{{cite web |title=Modern Times |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/63 |website=[[Sight & Sound]] |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=March 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307030723/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/63 |archive-date=March 7, 2012 |date=December 2002}}</ref> In 2015, the film was ranked at number nine on ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]''{{'}}s list of the 50 best gangster films of all time,<ref>{{cite web |title=The 50 best gangster movies of all time |url=https://www.timeout.com/chicago/movies/the-50-best-gangster-movies-of-all-time#tab_panel_5 |website=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]] |publisher=Time Out Limited |access-date=March 27, 2015 |page=5 |date=March 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315060008/http://www.timeout.com/chicago/movies/the-50-best-gangster-movies-of-all-time#tab_panel_5|archive-date=March 15, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> while in 2021, ''[[The Guardian]]'' cited it as the fourth greatest mobster film ever made.<ref>{{cite news|first=Anne|last=Billson|author-link=Anne Billson|date=September 9, 2021 |title=The 30 Best Mobster Movies – Ranked! |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/sep/09/the-30-best-mobster-movies-ranked|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=October 17, 2021 |archive-date=October 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016135333/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/sep/09/the-30-best-mobster-movies-ranked |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2023, ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' ranked it seventh in its list of the greatest gangster movies of all time.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Huver |first1=Scott |title=The 20 greatest gangster movies of all time, ranked |url=https://www.avclub.com/20-greatest-gangster-movies-of-all-time-1851075812?slide=14#slideshow |access-date=14 August 2024 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=December 6, 2023}}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
Unlike its modern critical success, the initial American release did not fare well with critics and received no [[Academy Award]] nominations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Snubbed by Oscar: Mistakes & Omissions |url=http://www.filmsite.org/noawards.html |website=[[AMC Networks]] |publisher=American Movie Classics Company |access-date=March 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317101032/http://www.filmsite.org/noawards.html|archive-date=March 17, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The film's music was disqualified from Oscar consideration for a technicality,<ref>''Ibid''</ref> as the studio accidentally omitted the composer's name from the opening credits when trimming its running time for the American release.<ref name="OUTSL" />

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Ceremony !! Category !! Nominee !! Result
|-
| rowspan=5|[[38th British Academy Film Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Film in 1985 |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1985/film? |website=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] |access-date=March 25, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130502222930/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1985/film|archive-date=May 2, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]
| [[Gabriella Pescucci]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Film Music|Best Film Music]]
| [[Ennio Morricone]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction|Best Direction]]
| [[Sergio Leone]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Actress in a Supporting Role]]
| [[Tuesday Weld]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| [[Tonino Delli Colli]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=2|[[42nd Golden Globe Awards]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Bob |title=''Amadeus'', ''The Killing Fields'', Top Nominees |url=https://apnews.com/1a3a73987c0955c0f5b3d5be09b1cb0b |website=Associated Press Archive |agency=Associated Press |access-date=March 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327162622/http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1985/-Amadeus-The-Killing-Fields-Top-Nominees/id-1a3a73987c0955c0f5b3d5be09b1cb0b |archive-date=March 27, 2015 |date=January 8, 1985}}</ref>
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Sergio Leone
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]]
| Ennio Morricone
| {{nom}}
|-
| 8th [[Japan Academy Film Prize]]<ref>{{cite web |title=8th Japan Academy Prize |url=http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=8 |website=[[Japan Academy Prize (film)|Japan Academy Prize Association]] |access-date=March 27, 2015 |language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315134505/http://japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=8|archive-date=March 15, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Foreign Language Film|Outstanding Foreign Language Film]]
| {{center|–}}
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=3|[[1984 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards|10th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |title=10th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards |url=http://www.lafca.net/years/1984.html |website=[[Los Angeles Film Critics Association]] |access-date=March 27, 2015 |date=2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118102417/http://www.lafca.net/years/1984.html |archive-date=January 18, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| [[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| {{center|–}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Sergio Leone
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Music Score
| Ennio Morricone
| {{won}}
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of films cut over the director's opposition]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite book |first1=Robert |last1=Eberwein |first2=Rebecca |last2=Bell-Metereau |title=Acting for America: Movie Stars of the 1980s |year=2010 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-4760-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3mDAWRO4fkgC }}
* {{cite book |last=Frayling|first=Christopher|author-link=Christopher Frayling|title=Sergio Leone: Something to Do with Death |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-0816646838 |location=Minneapolis }}
* {{cite book |last=Hughes |first=Howard |year=2006 |title=Crime Wave: The Filmgoers' Guide to the Great Crime Movies |location=New York City |publisher=I. B. Tauris |isbn=978-1845112196 }}
* {{cite book |last1=McCarty |first1=John |title=Bullets Over Hollywood: The American Gangster Picture from the Silents to "The Sopranos" |date=May 24, 2005 |publisher=[[Da Capo Press]] |location=Boston, Massachusetts|isbn=978-0306814297 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ok5_5dLg3LkC |access-date=March 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410063619/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ok5_5dLg3LkC |archive-date=April 10, 2016 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Simsolo |first=Noël |title=Conversations avec Sergio Leone |publisher=Stock |location=Paris |year=1987 |isbn=2-234-02049-2 }}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|87843}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|once_upon_a_time_in_america}}
* {{mojo title|onceuponatimeinamerica}}

{{Sergio Leone}}
{{Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Foreign Language Film}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s Italian films]]
[[Category:1984 crime drama films]]
[[Category:1984 films]]
[[Category:American crime drama films]]
[[Category:American epic films]]
[[Category:American gangster films]]
[[Category:American nonlinear narrative films]]
[[Category:English-language Italian films]]
[[Category:Films about Jewish-American organized crime]]
[[Category:Films about prohibition in the United States]]
[[Category:Films about rape in the United States]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Sergio Leone]]
[[Category:Films produced by Arnon Milchan]]
[[Category:Films scored by Ennio Morricone]]
[[Category:Films set in 1923]]
[[Category:Films set in 1924]]
[[Category:Films set in 1925]]
[[Category:Films set in 1931]]
[[Category:Films set in 1932]]
[[Category:Films set in 1933]]
[[Category:Films set in 1968]]
[[Category:Films set in Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Italian films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Films shot at Cinecittà Studios]]
[[Category:Films shot in Florida]]
[[Category:Films shot in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Films shot in Venice]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Ernesto Gastaldi]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Sergio Leone]]
[[Category:Italian crime drama films]]
[[Category:Italian epic films]]
[[Category:Regency Enterprises films]]
[[Category:The Ladd Company films]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
[[Category:Yiddish-language films]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]
[[Category:Yiddish-language American films]]
[[Category:Italian nonlinear narrative films]]
[[Category:Italian gangster films]]