Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone)

I was actually pretty surprised to stumble upon this movie on DVD at my local video rental shop. It’s been ages since I last saw it—decades, really—so I decided to grab it and revisit the whole thing.

Man, what a masterpiece! People always bring up Quentin Tarantino or Ang Lee, but let's be real—they're just playing in the sandbox Leone built. It’s a three-hour epic that barely needs dialogue to tell its story. You sit there watching, just stunned by how good it is. And the score? The cinematography? The cast? Just... perfection.

Since it's been digitized, the picture quality is incredible. I grew up remembering Leone's films through those grainy, terrible broadcasts on old TV sets, but this is a completely different experience.

Do yourself a favor and pick up Once Upon a Time in America on DVD, whether you've seen it before or not. Honestly, I'm already heading out to buy a copy for my own collection.

I had absolutely no idea that Once Upon a Time in America had even been released on DVD here. Wow. It looks like it’s officially time for me to overhaul my DVD collection—and I'll probably have to pick up Diplomat as well, since it's easily one of the greatest films ever made.

While most of Sergio Leone's other Westerns can be considered somewhat campy despite their merits, this particular film is so flawlessly executed across every single dimension that it makes my usual favorites—even heavyweights like Unforgiven, Odyssey, The Matrix, or The Lord of the Rings trilogy—look almost trivial by comparison. It is honestly a tragedy that it doesn't command more respect on the all-time great critic lists.

Once Upon a Time in America

Released back in 1968
Written by – Dario Argento, Bernarda Bertolucci
Starring – Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards

Even though it was shot 36 years ago and just got a recent double-DVD release, this remains one of the most captivating and unique films ever made. This epic Western directed by Sergio Leone is essentially a love letter to all the great Westerns out there—honestly, many consider it a monument to an entire genre that left its "golden age" far behind us.
Everything about this movie feels grand and irreplaceable... take that opening sequence at the train station; in just five minutes of waiting for a locomotive, you see more masterclass directing than in a dozen loud, obnoxious blockbusters combined. Whether it’s a fly landing on Jack Elam's face that he tries to blow away, water dripping onto a dark-skinned rider's hat, or the creak of a windmill on a water tower, these details make you actually feel how slow and majestic time passes...
The score is the legendary collaboration between Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone. In this flick, you get just four compositions composed specifically for the four leads (Jill, Harmonica, Frank, and Cheyenne), and I doubt anyone alive hasn't heard them at least once. Throughout the film, the music follows the characters so closely that it turns this grand Western into a full-blown Wagnerian opera.
Charles Bronson (in what I’d call his career-defining role that basically made him an icon) is the ultimate mysterious stranger appearing out of nowhere. Along with Clint Eastwood, he defines that archetype of the gritty loner—the guy who doesn't say much, draws his gun faster than you can blink, stays ice-cold, and prefers riding solo. Then you have Claudia Cardinale, a stunning beauty with olive skin, gorgeous eyes, and curves that make even Hollywood's best implants look like cheap imitations. We also have Jason Robards, a true stage actor, who is phenomenal as the honorable outlaw, and of course, Henry Fonda, who until this point was known as the quintessential good guy, playing a vicious villain with some pretty twisted ideas on "how to kill someone as cruelly as possible."
Sergio is a master of sweeping landscapes, but he’s just as good at those intense close-ups. John Carpenter once remarked that the close-up of Bronson's eyes right before Charles kills Fonda is probably the greatest close-up of eyes in cinematic history.
The movie could have easily run for five hours, but they had to trim it down just so people would actually sit through it... which makes it the longest Western of all time (thankfully, also the best). When it first hit the USA, the critics and audiences weren't exactly showering it with praise, but it was embraced immediately in Europe—especially in France, where it played nonstop in a single theater in Paris for a staggering 48 months...

There is currently a Sergio Leone Western marathon playing here in the States. Last week they showed "A Fistful of Dollars," and tonight it's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." Anyways, I think these films will be running all month, every Friday night around 10 PM. I can't quite recall if it was
Slo1 or
Slo2.
Since I've never actually sat down to watch them before, this feels like a pretty rare chance to catch up. 😁

glupinickname said:Since I’ve never seen them before, this is my one shot at catching them up. 😁

As if you haven't been alive.

I watch Leone films at least once a year. Usually around Christmas. Some people sit through "It's a Wonderful Life," but I’d rather have "For a Few Dollars More."

The only one I missed was "A Fistful of Dollars" because CNN (in all its infinite wisdom) never aired it when they were running his other film cycles.

Regarding "Once Upon a Time in America," if it's in my video collection, I’ll have to pull it off the shelf—I need to see it in widescreen. If any movies lose their soul when cropped for a TV screen, it's these ones.

And yeah. Frank is the most formidable villain in the Western genre, period. Maybe even among the greatest ever. That opening scene where he kills that kid just for hearing his name... that is pure EVIL. Not like those "BWAHAHAHA" caricatures you see in Bond.

Hajaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
I still have that gorgeous two-disc DVD set lying around from back when I unfortunately had to review it for work.

THE GREATEST AND MOST AWESOME WESTERN EVER MADE.

Watching the Harmonica made me seriously want to pick up the instrument and learn how to play.
Boooyah.

Frank rules.
It’s just a shame Claudia didn't strip down a bit more; specifically during that scene where she starts bathing in the tub and those two maids join her—it was all about innocent looks and lesbian undertones, and then... regardless, the movie is fuckenly great.

And don't even get me started on the music.
Or that moment when Cheyenne lowers his boot like he’s just stepping down, but his hand is actually inside, ready to shoot the guy who thinks he's getting played.

🙏

rapidstag74 said:It’s like you haven't even lived.

I watch Sergio Leone films at least once a year. Usually around Christmas. I mean, some people sit through "It's a Wonderful Life," but me? I'm going with "For a Few Dollars More."

The only one I missed was "A Fistful of Dollars" because CNN (in all its infinite wisdom) never actually aired it when they were running those other Leone marathons.

As for "Once Upon a Time in America," if it's in my video library, I’ll have to pull it out specifically to watch it in widescreen. If any movies lose their soul being cropped for TV, it's definitely these ones.

And yeah, Frank is hands down the most badass villain in Western history—maybe even overall. That opening scene where he kills that kid just because he heard his name... that is pure EVIL. Not like those "BWAHAHAHA" laughing types you see in Bond.

Since the movie came out in that fancy deluxe double DVD set, it’s basically a mandatory addition to any collection...

The way the H. Fund picked Frank for the role is exactly what separates the true geniuses (like Sergio) from everyone else... I totally agree that he might be the greatest villain ever put on screen (there are three documentaries about the film on one of the DVDs, keep an eye out for the short interview with Bond... what a phenomenal actor 🙏 )

rapidstag74 said:It’s like you haven't even lived.

I watch Sergio Leone movies at least once a year. Usually around Christmas. Some people sit through "It's a Wonderful Life," but I’ll take "For a Few Dollars More."

The only one I missed was "A Fistful of Dollars" because CNN (in all its infinite wisdom) never aired it when they were running his other films in a marathon.

I've got it on VHS. Never understood why ABC wouldn't show it.

Is nobody going to mention Jason Robards? The guy is just totally cool in this movie.👍

Douglas Edwards2 said:Since the movie came out in that fancy deluxe double DVD set, it’s basically a mandatory addition to any collection...

The way the H. Fund picked Frank for the role is exactly what separates the true geniuses (like Sergio) from everyone else... I totally agree that he might be the greatest villain ever put on screen (there are three documentaries about the film on one of the DVDs, keep an eye out for the short interview with Bond... what a phenomenal actor 🙏 )

When a guy kills a child with a smile on his face, he’s pretty much guaranteed to be one of the most chilling villains
of all time, even if Angel Eyes (played by Van Cleef) also took a kid out in a way that felt good, bad, or just plain evil

I haven't seen it yet, but I'd love to...

I watched the movie. It was okay, but nothing to write home about. Maybe I just missed the point because I was watching it late at night. The soundtrack is exceptional. The cinematography might be too, but if there’s some deep message buried in the plot, I either didn't catch it or the storytelling just failed to deliver it properly.

Man, I am absolutely stoked—finally sat down and actually watched it. All I ever remembered from being a kid was that killer opening sequence; I never actually finished the rest because, let’s face it, I was just a hyperactive brat back then and long-form movies weren't really my vibe. So, I never gave it a fair shake until last night.

I'm definitely going to be diving much deeper into Sergio Leone's work from here on out. ☕

Man, I just can't get this movie out of my head, it's driving me nuts

The lighting, those shots, the characters, the actual plot... everything about it

man, this movie is pure FILM-MANIA

definitely makes the top 5

Claudia 😍

Claudia is an absolute knockout.

This movie is a total cult classic, hands down one of the best ever made. Between the atmosphere, the characters, Claudia herself, and that iconic Morricone score... I mean, seriously, why don't they air this on TV more often? It’s about time kids saw what a real movie looks like—and what a real woman looks like, someone with grit and soul, not all that plastic stuff you see nowadays.

I only watched this movie once in my entire life, maybe five or six years ago around Christmas, and never again. It’s one of those films you don't just sit through every couple of years; it isn't your typical flick. It's a genuine gem that you prefer to appreciate from a distance. One of my absolute favorite actors since I was a kid is Charles Bronson 😍, and he delivers what is arguably the finest performance of his career here. Apparently, he actually had a similar temperament in real life to the character he plays. As for Claudia, she’s probably the greatest lady to ever grace the screen, but her character in this specific film? I don't think there is a better or more perfect female lead in any Western 🙏

I've been eyeing this box set on Amazon

It is simply a must-have 🙏

I’ve sat through my fair share of movies in my time—tons of 'em, really—but this one? This one hits different. It’s something else entirely.
It’s like these characters aren't even acting, you know? Like they actually exist, like everything we just saw actually went down,
somewhere out there in the past...

It’s like you’re actually there, watching history unfold right before your eyes instead of just sitting through some movie... Now, don't get me wrong, Once Upon a Time in America is an absolute masterpiece, but this one? This one blows it out of the water in every single way. The characters aren't just acting; they feel like people who actually walked the earth. This is the pure definition of a gritty, badass masculine classic.

Check out these shots from the set—the whole crew is gathered here: The Crew

Here's another one

crew 2

Aunt Claudia