40 minutes in....
nothing has happened that couldn't have been shown in 5. does it get watchable
shareNope
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MovieChat Forums > Once Upon a Time in America (1984) Discussion > 40 minutes in....
One of the best movies ever. Don’t pause it.
shareturns out it wasnt...
shareI’m glad you mentioned this movie because as I recall I loved it. I didn’t realize there are different versions and the “European” is the suggested one. I saw it a while ago in a revival theater one afternoon and we walked in at 2pm and came out hours later. It’s based on the book The Hoods. Jennifer Connelly is only 12 in this, I think. I recall Tuesday Weld. There’s the rape scene. The NYC streets in 20s or 30s reminded me of young Vito in Godfather II.
But what I remember most was the opium den. I can recall other scenes of smoking opium in Indochine, Apocalyse Now, the French movie The Lover, and maybe The Knick but it was a novelty in this movie being in New York. And the fact that a person can live their whole life believing something happened for which they’ve experienced guilt, shame or grief, and then to find out it didn’t happen at all. This movie is rated high on most gangster films list. I think no. 4 in The Guardian. Everyone has different tastes but I think this is a great film. It stretches out over a lifetime that’s why it feels like its a novel.
"It stretches out over a lifetime that’s why it feels like its a novel."
I just wish something interested happened in that novel. ive seen mold grow that more engaging.
1 hour in and ive watched 3 minutes of a 12 year old dancing. THREE MINUTES of a kid sit there in silence eating a cupcake. 1 minute for an elevator to go up. and 3 minutes of him laying down in an opium den...
The 12-yr old is the famous and beautiful Jennifer Connelly.
Maybe it was the cupcake - some movies have to be watched in a theater at least for the first time. Classics aren’t always for everyone. And this is really long.
Did you like The Revenant?
"The 12-yr old is the famous and beautiful Jennifer Connelly."
lol and? if she was less famous or beautiful would it have been worse? Im an adult so I have no interest in a 12 year old but I get why they did it for the character. doesnt make it good.
yep revenant. godfathers, titanic. im okay with long films even if this is much longer
Well, the 12-yr old girl is the main purpose of this film. It starts with a pack of kids from a Jewish slum in NY’s Lower East Side, and two of these kids fall for this girl as they are all about the same age. The are like brothers and she comes between them. And while she is performing ballet, if you recall, it was said “some people just have it no matter where they come from - that they are destined to be a star” and it was in reference to her. That’s why the actress who played her had to be really astonishing because she is the motivator for these kids that are hoods. And then since it is the span of their lives with all the stuff they do trying to better themselves trying to rise to the top and succeed by way of being gangsters, that it comes back around that the soul of this movie revolves around her. Beginning to end.
The 12-yr old is later portrayed by Elizabeth McGovern as are all the leads - with adult actors DeNiro and Woods. I mention The Revenant because a lot of people felt about that film the same way as you do about this film. The Revenant is a beautiful movie and a classic too but you know, not everybody likes a movie.
If there is a movie to debate it’s greatness, it is Titanic.
Yaaa im good the film meanders and jerks off at its own meandering.
the revenant is 2 hours and 30 minute long..this is 4 hours 11.........
more happens in the first 10 minutes of the revenant than the first hour of this film.
I think it's a good movie but it's a little overrated. With this cast, it should have been better. And it shouldnt be on the IMDB top 250 either. But it is what it is....
shareIt deserves to be on top 250. It is a great movie and is one of the best gangster movies.
shareI think it's good but wow, I just can't put it on the top 250. I think that other film with a similar title, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, is better. Very different movies though...
Ohhh well, at least we agree on some other films. lol.
We agree on a lot.
Once Upon a Time in the West
Once Upon a Time in America
Two great movies. Sergio Leone. Tarantino singles out Sergio Leone as the most influential artist for him, and that’s why his movie is named once upon a time in Hollywood.
I just love the gangster genre and heist genre and I love French crime - for me Melville. This movie, Once Upon a Time in America, is #4 on the best gangster list after Godfather I and II and Goodfellas. And then no. 5 is the one I told you about - Infernal Affairs, the original to Departed. But we agree on a lot. You have good taste.
Thanks letess.. likewise.
shareIt takes it's own time. I didn't mind just watching the neighborhood goings-on, falling into the spell of the movie.
I liked when films were relaxing and intriguing and thoughtful, and I fully expected to sit quietly and try to understand what the director was trying to say and establish.
I mean it certainly does take time.... 40 mins to say he betrayed his crew and was depressed.. watching him walk over at the bus station to get some coffee or food. why?
if theres a spell of this film its a boredom and sleep spell. showing sooooo much unessecary things. or showing the same thing over and over and over again. we get it, hes peeping on the girl and gets caught. do I really need to see him peeping and get caught like 6 times? I got it the first time.
I think what goes on with a lot of movie viewing is that some people expect a short story while this movie is a novel.
Another thing is that too many people tend to ignore the history of particular filmmakers and their style and Leone had his own style and way of storytelling which he remains loyal to with this film. It would be like someone going to a Michael Bay flick and expecting some well-acted and powerful drama and then get ticked off when it does not.
I didnt expect a short movie or story. I expected a directed who knew when to cut, or at least if you dont and let it drag, have a good reason for it.
watching him get a bus ticket (which too forever in itself) then walk over to get a coffeee or whatever was painful to watch. I kept wanting to yell cut at the screen.
then we gt to see him be a peeping tom and get caught 3 times. THREE TIMES> I got it the first time. we literally walked a girl dance for almost 3 minutes....
"It would be like someone going to a Michael Bay flick and expecting some well-acted and powerful drama and then get ticked off when it does not."
I just expected better. this films long long long slow mess
The gangster movie you're looking for is The Valachi Papers (1972)
shareill check it out. I totally love long movies, character driven ect. this was just boring AF
shareAgreed. I remember seeing the cut version and liking it. I didn't think it was the greatest thing or anything, but it was enjoyable. Then I really expected the 4-hour version to be even better but it's quite opposite, long and boring, more style than substance, just like Once Upon a Time in the West.
sharewhich I can appreciate style. but this is just long and drawn out for the sake of it. I dont care about anything because im watching them do nothing. im watching scenes take 2-3X more time than it should and worded out of my tree
sharejust watched because leaving hulu not sure what I watched seems there are other versions out there this one I think it what they tried to put back together, you are too used to tv shows that leave out the background reasons people do stuff we just make it up in our own minds
shareits just boring. and this is from somone who watched "there will be blood" multiple times a week
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