40 minutes in....

What Apocalypse Now is to war films and what Blade Runner is to science fiction is what this film is for the gangster film genre: a slow burning film that features a cold lone wolf protagonist that tends to be loved or hated by audiences.

Personally, I love this film. Yet, I totally understand why folks have a hard time getting into it. These nihilistic and slow paced sorts of films have certainly proven to be an aquired taste.

I don’t know about the notorious truncated cut which I’ve never seen, but the full version of this film is glorious, in my opinion the greatest gangster movie ever made, and one of the best coming-of-age films, too. It takes its time but to my mind doesn’t waste a moment,

I found that upon a second viewing it was very moving and sad when the main character stands and looks through a hole in the wall just as he did as a teen peaking at his childhood love.

As he reflected back on his youth and how it was then, while feeling the mileage of how it is now, was a powerful moment.