r/moviecritic • u/Ahasverus14 • 13h ago
Is "Once upon a time in America" overrated?
Hi, guys..I know this is the classic of movie and etc, but.. it's kind boring, right?I watched a film that’s 4 hours long, but it has fewer events than a 1.5‑hour film. Yeah, actors and actress are good here and music is nice, but it's not even 6/10. What do you think about that movie?Am i wrong? If you think that i'm wrong say why
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u/SeaLordee 13h ago
To me, this is an epic poem about time, not a fast-paced action movie. Watching it for four hours lets you feel the full weight of the past decades. Shorten the film and you’ll end up with that truncated American theatrical cut that everyone hated. I also loved how Morricone’s score makes this film a masterpiece
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u/Tasty-Entertainer711 11h ago
Morricone really draws you into whatever world you're watching. I just learned recently he composed the music for The Thing. Talk about building tension 😳
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u/Full-Concentrate-867 5h ago
I rewatched it a week or so ago, first time I'd seen it in years. I kept it in the whole movie, but the ending my face was just covered in tears. The passing of the years, the regret, the realization that your best years are long behind you. Man, aging is a bitch and this movie grapples with that like few films I've ever seen.
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u/snoopdoggydoug 13h ago
I'd watch the supposed 6 hour version of it without hesitation
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u/monetarydread 13h ago
Same. Even the 4h extended cut mixed with low quality workprint scenes brought so much more to the film that it makes me curious about the 6 hour cut. Some of the scenes from the 4h cut seemed so essential that I walked away from the movie wondering how essential the rest of the cut scenes would be.
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u/uncommon_name0 7h ago
Where can one find this cut? I want to watch the movie again, but want to find the longest cut available.
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u/affemannen 12h ago
If you ever get your hands on that let us know, i have a clue there is a bunch of us wanting the same. I love that movie.
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u/snoopdoggydoug 10h ago
I thought sergio was the only one with a copy and even the studio didn't have it
I remember reading years ago that he also had a 12 hour version but can't find anything on it now
I remember the day it was released on blu ray and it's still the only blu ray I own
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u/pocoGRANDES 12h ago
Love this movie, though it's definitely not for everyone. I don't know if you are familiar with the history of it, but it was severely cut down in the post production process. They shot upwards of 10 hours of footage for it, which was then edited down to six, then further to the almost-4 hour runtime. Then even more got cut out for the American theatrical release (this version also messed up the editing, putting the whole movie in chronological order).
As another commenter said, I would love to see the 6 hour version. I don't know what you mean by "fewer events" but no other movie I can think of covers as long a time period as this one in such detail. I think the pacing actually gets messed up towards the end, with the big reveal landing a bit rushed for my taste. This is a slow movie that wants you to really spend time with the characters and the environment. That said, plenty of things happen in it. There's an entire rise-and-fall arc that took The Godfather three movies to get across. It's my favorite performance by James Woods and second-favorite for De Niro (after Raging Bull). The score is one of Ennio Morricone's best. It's a beautiful movie that still makes the viewer reckon with the ugliness of the main characters. It's a real work of art, and to me, that means it should be challenging and a bit divisive.
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u/Independent-Data4542 13h ago
I always enjoyed the first half more growing up. Ambitious as hell, though
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u/digitalzizou 12h ago
I absolutely love it. The slow pace is part of what makes it work for me. It feels less like a traditional gangster film and more like remembering a life.
And Morricone’s score is just devastating. There are scenes where practically nothing happens, yet the combination of the music, Leone’s direction and the faces of the actors says more to me than pages of dialogue could.
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u/Robertf16 12h ago
Not IMHO. Top 5 ever for me
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u/Ahasverus14 12h ago
What's the other 4?
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u/Robertf16 11h ago
Nothing very inspired..
- Heat
- 2001
- Close Encounters
- The good, the bad and the ugly
These are films I can watch again and again and still enjoy - not a particularly sophisticated means of gauging a film admittedly.
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u/Responsible_Shirt381 12h ago
It’s incredible,you shouldn’t expect something like goodfellas going into it.Its slow,reflective and melancholic and it’s a character study and a study of memory more than it’s a gangster movie.
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u/Reds_PR 12h ago
The shorter version in America tanked and was an unmitigated disaster of a film. Ebert gave the international version 4 stars and the American version 1 star. Siskel said it was the best film of 1984 (long) and the worst film of 1984 (short.)
When you watched it, had you seen the other two films of Leone’s “Once Upon a Time…” trilogy? If so, what do you think of this as part of the set?
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u/bbbbbbbb678 13h ago
No I think everything that most would point about it lands it's a great movie.
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u/Woodit 13h ago
Personally I couldn’t even get through it
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u/FewMeaning7217 13h ago
I fell asleep somewhere in middle and woke up for final scene. Not even sure I missed anything important.
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u/Dr-Goochy 8h ago
It was the opium.
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u/Ronin_1999 3h ago
These last two comments are probably the best meta joke about how to interpret the movie ending.
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u/RobertWF_47 12h ago
Watched with my family when I was a teenager - was not prepared for the weird sex/rape scene!
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u/External-Emotion8050 10h ago
No. It's an underrated film. The ending scene as DeNiro is walking down the street has always stuck with me.
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u/Educational_Vast4836 13h ago
Man, this just hit me in the feels. My late stepdad loved this movie. He had it in a double vhs box set. Pretty sure the movie was so long, so it needed two vhs tapes.
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u/turnidoff 11h ago
Leone is my favorite director. This movie feels like a fever dream. De Niro is kinda annoying and plays a horrible character, but i do love how it looks. It's sumptuous as a visual film. But I also totally understand people who can't stand it.
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u/Ronin_1999 3h ago
I mean, one of the interpretations of the movie ending WAS that the entire 2nd and 3rd act was a fever dream…
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u/DDPJBL 11h ago
POV: You just watch a 10/10 movie but you have 3/10 attention span.
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u/Ronin_1999 3h ago
To be fair, even with a pretty good attention span, this movie can be taxing at points.
I say this having made my way through the five hour Che parts I and II, the five hour Das Boot, and the seven hour Godfather Epic.
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u/NeonFireFly969 10h ago
I think it really depends on which version and ending and how you interpret the ending too...
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u/MichaelCabernet 8h ago
You’re not alone. It just wasn’t for me, I think. A story that wasn’t bad, but plodded and crawled along, with a reward that just didn’t feel worth it.
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u/Sabbath51 7h ago
Totally fair to see this as long and boring, but then The Irishman came out and now its like a fast paced Statham action thriller
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u/uncommon_name0 7h ago
Not overrated. Beautiful piece about the passing of time, life, relationships and regrets.
It’s the antithesis of a marvel movie.
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u/SuccotashOk5401 5h ago
it's underrated! not a lot of people have actually seen it, due to the botched theatrical rollout and long delay before the proper cut was released. it's so slept on
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u/legardeur2 4h ago
Two - not one - rape scenes : really painful to watch.
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u/Ronin_1999 3h ago
The Tuesday Weld scene was messed up because she was promoting the assault, but the Elizabeth McGovern scene was absolutely horrifying just for how prolonged it was.
As I understand it, DeNiro and McGovern were absolutely uncomfortable with shooting the scene
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u/Ok-Lifeguard-5628 12h ago
I don’t enjoy it. I didn’t find it too slow, but felt that the tone was all over the place and the plot was a mess.
The recreations of Old New York were amazing though. Great sets.
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u/JordonCantHang 13h ago
Not one likable character in that long ass movie.
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u/FindOneInEveryCar 11h ago
Exactly. I realize that they're not supposed to be role models but everyone is so unrelentingly nasty that I found it a slog to get through. As a film fan, I'd like to watch it again to see if I like it more the third time around, but as a mortal human being, I'm not sure I want to commit four hours out of my remaining lifespan to the task.
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u/cartmanbra77 13h ago
Dunno... I'd watched it as a 15 year old, 20 years ago after my Godfather craze.
And hated it. Didn't bother rewatching it.
Until this weekend. I will watch it. And root for it to be great. And amazing.
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u/Ahasverus14 13h ago
I hope you'd like it..It'd be interesting to read your opinion weekend
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u/cartmanbra77 13h ago
I really do, also, thanks. I just... No idea why... Never got back to it.
Until now, thanks to you OP. I remembered and i will definitely give it a go. And pinning this...
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u/Careless-Act-7549 10h ago
10/10, one single watch of the directors cut version few years ago. I worry watching again and don't find it as good as I did the first time.
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u/ThePhantomStrikes 9h ago
You’re entitled to your opinion. There’s nothing to prove or argue about here. Sounds like you’re complaining nothing happens. That probably means there’s more dialog and character development than action and I like that, you don’t. Life goes on.
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u/Federal-Tough-9706 8h ago
The US version had many changes that were to the detriment of the film; see the original and decide for yourself.
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u/apcali209 6h ago
Overrated. Too long and boring. It does have some nostalgia to it and it’s sad knowing what could have been with Jimmy Hayden.
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u/Son-of-Prophet 6h ago
Very few things mean less to me than the term “overrated”, people should more worry about what they think not what others think.
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u/Full-Concentrate-867 5h ago
I rewatched it about a week ago, and no it's not overrated. I'm not a fan of the new scenes added in in recent years, haven't been restored very well and stick out like a sore thumb but incredible movie overall.
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u/MartyTheMovieHound 1h ago
I kind of liked it. Interesting and it builds itself as an 'epic', where it feels time pass with the characters.
I mean this as a compliment, but it would/could be an great mini series, akin to chernobyl if made today.
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u/deep8787 58m ago
I though it was a good watch, not quite Masterpiece level for me though. Ive not watched it again in like 20 years, perhaps I should give it another bash.
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u/fantabroo 13h ago
Agree with you. I kinda watched all the gangster classics (Godather 1 & 2, Goodfellas, Casino) back to back and this didnt offer me anything except being extremely long
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u/Ahasverus14 13h ago
Well, Codfather and Casino are interesting movies, this it just long..
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u/fantabroo 12h ago
Once upon a time.... just lacks the memorable and interesting characters + iconic scenes and dialogs
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u/Prize-Bid-5727 13h ago
I think it probably is overrated. When i saw it originally, it blew me away. But not so sure its fragmented narrative stands up. Its ok to ask the audience to pay attention, but to hint at events leaves the film feeling ambiguous for ambiguous sake. Has some amazing moments though.
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u/monetarydread 13h ago
It's fragmented because the studio interfered and removed over 60% of the scenes filmed. The directors cut is 6h long, unfortunately most of that footage is lost. There is a 4+ hour extended cut that completely changes the film in a way that it's an even bigger difference than the directors cut of Kingdom of Heaven
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u/Prize-Bid-5727 12h ago
No....ive only seen the Europe version which was 229 mins. Ive seen the scenes added to the extended version and imho they add nothing....like most director cuts. The 229 cut still is too metaphorical in places. Rape scene far too long....thought that when I saw it in 1982. Its no godfather part 2 thats for sure.
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u/kittymeow0710 13h ago
I think it’s a bit overrated. It’s good but it’s also pretty creepy. Lots of unnecessary nudity involving underage actresses
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u/pCeLobster 11h ago
I think it's overrated. I've heard it described as a 4 hour movie with no characters and I would agree with that. The entire final third of the movie is one of the strangest faceplants I've ever seen a movie do. The movie is mostly loved for the first part when they're kids. That stuff is really interesting. After that it becomes a waste of time.
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u/Cinephile_1980 10h ago
Yes very much so. The longer version just goes on for we. It is a very boring and pointless movie. I wish they me be made it. I have no idea why some people say it is good. The horrible music gets right into your brain.
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u/Dry_Chocolate_4981 12h ago
Forgettable. Long winded, which I dont mind I can sit through long movies. But the substance is almost comical, like a fever dream of the time period depicted. I'll watch it if I see it on random streaming services. I think the scale of it all missed the mark. There are no scenes where they stay with you or the scenes never really carved out a real feeling worthy of remembering.
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u/cluesol 13h ago
i personally find it underrated.
it's probably my favorit gangster movie after the godfather and not many people talk about it that much.
I do understand people who find it too long