tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post5954494863808635534..comments2024-01-11T05:02:32.321-05:00Comments on Goodfella's Movie Blog: 1984: Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone)Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-34655076414975349102011-02-16T00:31:47.533-05:002011-02-16T00:31:47.533-05:00The film is about relationships; the many years No...The film is about relationships; the many years Noodles spends away from his friends receive only a cursory mention. The film, like life and memories, unfolds slowly and reflectively.Once Upon A Time in Americahttp://www.moviesplanet.com/movies/2934/once-upon-a-time-in-americanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-32285873151076922782010-03-27T12:15:30.841-04:002010-03-27T12:15:30.841-04:00This is a good,but flawed movie. Why? Because of t...This is a good,but flawed movie. Why? Because of the vicious rape by Noodles on Deborah, which is NOT in the book. The infamous bank raid scene where Noodles indulges in very rough public sex with Carol is laughable, because to my knowledge none of the real life gangsters would actually have contemplated such a deed.<br /><br />They were too busy trying to get any cash available, and then leave the premises preferably alive....<br /><br />Leone admitted the film was a fantasy, and not true to real life. Even so,extreme sexual violence in films cannot be justified unless it is central to the plot, like "Monster" which does portray the effect of such events with ghastly consequences.Rob Jnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-49552980752981641492010-01-24T16:09:05.740-05:002010-01-24T16:09:05.740-05:00I thoroughly enjoyed Once Upon a Time in America. ...I thoroughly enjoyed Once Upon a Time in America. I have seen it over and over, and tried to make some sense out of the end of the movie, but could never quite be able to put it all together. Now that I read this review and I can see clearly it was an opium-enduced dream, thats the only way you can make sense of the last half. Everyone in the movie was spectacular....especially Robert DeNiro and James Woods. I loved the haunting music throughout the movie and the love song of Amapola played when he sees his childhood sweetheart as a grown woman. It is up there with my favorite movies...along with The Deer Hunter and The Killing Fields. I have a hard time to decide which is the winner of the three, but I am leaning towards Once Upon A Time In America.....I just loved it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-37428141301846653342009-11-16T07:59:00.918-05:002009-11-16T07:59:00.918-05:00once movie is a romantic musical drama features th...once movie is a romantic musical drama features the story of a young guy who works part-time helping his father run a small, vacuum cleaner repair business, nice movie I wanted to watch it so I made <a href="http://www.moviewatchlist.com/movie-once" rel="nofollow"><br />once movie download</a> into my pc.Atulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12049346153652194514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-22410547546808529422009-10-19T20:22:09.935-04:002009-10-19T20:22:09.935-04:00An odd, often enticing picture, which I saw as a r...An odd, often enticing picture, which I saw as a result of Allan's countdown. My thoughts are over there, on that thread.<br /><br />My pick would be Stranger Than Paradise; though I don't think of myself as a Jarmusch fan, this film burns (slowly) with style.MovieMan0283http://thedancingimage.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-62840509864963018832009-10-08T22:25:11.747-04:002009-10-08T22:25:11.747-04:00just another film buff - Excellent choices there. ...just another film buff - Excellent choices there. I too love Broadway Danny Rose (and just about all of 80s Woody Allen).<br /><br />Definitely check out Once Upon a Time if you get the chance. It's long, it might take some effort to enjoy, but it's definitely worth it.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-9923149875444943822009-10-08T00:01:57.830-04:002009-10-08T00:01:57.830-04:00Haven't seen this one. My favorites of 1984:
...Haven't seen this one. My favorites of 1984:<br /><br />Stranger Than Paradise (Jarmusch)<br />Where The Green Ants Dream (Herzog)<br />Broadway Danny Rose (Allen)<br />Love Streams (Cassavetes)<br />Ballad Of The Little Soldier (Herzog)just another film buffhttp://theseventhart.infonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-38962164713159249452009-10-07T13:01:17.523-04:002009-10-07T13:01:17.523-04:00Shubhajit - The opium theory certainly makes your ...Shubhajit - The opium theory certainly makes your rethink events in the film, doesn't it? :) As Sam and I discussed at WitD, the theory might not necessarily incorporate every detail into it, but we both agreed that it improves the film narratively to look at it that way. I personally buy it and think the theory works, although as I said it's not essential to enjoying the movie.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-23284041871683555702009-10-07T12:43:47.070-04:002009-10-07T12:43:47.070-04:00Nice review of an outstanding cinematic achievemen...Nice review of an outstanding cinematic achievement. I felt the movie wouldn't have been as powerful without its epic length and its melancholic tone. Every frame is filled with a sort of deep sense of nostalgia & sadness - a deep craving to return to the days lost to the mists of time. The sort of elegiac tone that the Coens' too used brilliantly in No Country for Old Men.<br /><br />Robert De Niro was extremely effective even though the role here was miles apart from his more legendary turns in the likes of Taxi Driver & Raging Bull - principally because he has given such a restrained and nuanced turn. And James Woods' volatile turn might have formed the template that Joe Pecci used with iconic effect in his volcanic turn in Goodfellas.<br /><br />By the way, I wasn't aware of the theory that you mentioned about the older version of Noodles being a fantasy. Thats an interesting thought indeed!Shubhajithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02040495040897333606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-6770331095796046472009-10-07T12:36:22.342-04:002009-10-07T12:36:22.342-04:00John, I can't argue with the selection of Amad...John, I can't argue with the selection of Amadeus. It's such an incredible film and I would certainly rate it the best that Foreman ever made (although I've never been a big fan of Cuckoo's Nest)<br /><br />Sam - I had a feeling this would be your selection. I assume that you easily consider this Leone's best?<br /><br />Samuel - Definitely check this out. The only version I've ever seen is this "full length" one (although there are rumors of there actually once being an even longer version). It might start slow or be hard to get into, but once I was drawn into the story I was completely hooked. I actually have not seen Under the Volcano, but I agree with you that Huston finished his career strong.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-19670645905831498762009-10-07T11:39:45.151-04:002009-10-07T11:39:45.151-04:00Dave, I regret to report that I haven't seen O...Dave, I regret to report that I haven't seen Once Upon A Time in America at full length. I guess I was put off by its troubled reputation. But would it have been more weird if Leone ended his career with the story he was supposedly working on when he died, about the 900 day siege of Leningrad during World War II?<br /><br />Anyway, with that important caveat in mind my top five are Blood Simple, Under the Volcano (John Huston begins his strong stretch run), Amadeus, Ghostbusters (one of the best pop comedies of modern times)and Spielberg's underrated sequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.Samuel Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-39325555371031649872009-10-07T09:59:45.409-04:002009-10-07T09:59:45.409-04:00I do agree with both of you, Dave and John, on the...I do agree with both of you, Dave and John, on the greatness of Foreman's AMADEUS, and it's a strong runner-up which pushes very close to the top spot. But in the end, I fully support Dave's #1 choice. It's one of the greatest of epic films, an elegiac masterpiece which as Dave notes is not a film that's easy to love on initial viewing. Morricone's score is one of the greatest ever written in the history of the cinema, and more than any other element in this film it fuels the emotional response. The theme piece is electrifying.<br /><br />Dave, you make some excellent, valid points here:<br /><br />"The film really has to be seen in its entirety in order to take in how huge and epic in scope it is. For many folks this is not an easy film to love. Even when I watched it for the first time in high school I was a little put off by the pacing of the first third of the film. Based on the topic of the story and director at the helm, I suppose I was expecting something along the lines of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly meets The Public Enemy. It's certainly not that."<br /><br />My Own #1 Film of 1984:<br /><br />Once Upon A Time in America (Leone, USA)<br /><br />Runners-Up:<br /><br />Amadeus (Foreman, USA)<br />Carmen (Rosi, Spain/France)<br />Heimat (Reitz, West Germany)<br />La Femme Publique (Zulawski, France)<br />Colonel Redl (Szabo, Hungary)<br />Blood Simple (Coens, USA)<br />Stop Making Sense (Demme, USA)<br />Stranger Than Paradise (Jarmusch, USA)<br />Broadway Danny Rose (Allen, USA)Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-34646801008425547002009-10-07T08:08:44.481-04:002009-10-07T08:08:44.481-04:00Well, Dave, I have to go with “Amadeus”, one of M...Well, Dave, I have to go with “Amadeus”, one of Milos Foreman’s two best films (the being Cuckoo’s Nest). I believe I placed this film around number 9 or 10 on my best 1980’s list over at WitD. I have to admit Leone’s work did not even make my top 25 and that is a regrettable oversight on my part, I don’t know what I was thinking. I am a constant list maker yet I hate making list because I am usually never satisfied with how I rank everything. On any given day, rankings can change and to tell the truth ranking a film 21 or 22 is so subjective that it is of little value. Anyway, I am starting to babble. <br /><br /><br />“I love the depiction of the early lives of the kids growing up in the slums of Manhattan. It makes them very endearing personalities, so that you actually care what happens to them when you see them grow into men. There are truly touching scenes in these early sections, such as when Patsy buys a cupcake in order to lure favors from a promiscuous neighborhood girl. While waiting for her to come out, the temptation of the treat is too much for him to resist. He tries to placate himself simply to taking a swipe of the icing. When that doesn’t suffice, he goes for the cherry. When that too is not enough, he ends up furiously consuming the entire thing.”<br /><br />This is a great description of one of my favorite scenes in the film. Leone does an amazing job if depicting this time in NYC. And as you mention Morricone’s score is perfect for the mood of the film, one of the great film composers needless to say.<br /><br />Another well thought out and enjoyable review.<br /><br /> #1 Amadeus<br /><br />Runner-ups in no order <br /> <br />Once Upon a Time in America<br />A Soldier’s Story<br />Blood Simple<br />Beverly Hills Cop<br />1984<br />Broadway Danny Rose<br />The Killing Fields<br />Stranger Than ParadiseJohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808503055317962289noreply@blogger.com