Once Upon a Time in America (1984) on Netflix
David 'Noodles' Aaronson and his friends Max, Patsy and Cockeye run small jobs in the Lower East Side and smuggle liquor through Prohibition. Decades later, an aging Noodles returns to New York.
- Netflix3.8/5
- IMDb8.3/10412,212 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes86%
Trailer
Plot summary
In 1933, three thugs hunt for a man called Noodles, who hides in an opium den and then leaves the city. Years earlier, David 'Noodles' Aaronson and his friends Patsy, Cockeye and Dominic run errands for the gangster Bugsy in the Lower East Side. A robbery of theirs is spoiled by a newcomer, Max, who joins them, and the gang blackmails the corrupt officer Whitey to win the police protection Bugsy enjoys. Bootlegging during Prohibition brings in money, which they hide in a railway locker whose key they leave with their friend Moe. Deborah, Moe's sister, wants to become a dancer, and Noodles' life as a gangster leaves no room for the love he feels for her.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Filming in New York proved difficult because the IATSE labor union objected strongly to Leone's use of a foreign crew, launching a public protest campaign big enough to persuade President Ronald Reagan to call for a Department of Labor investigation.
- Leone turned down an offer from Paramount Pictures to direct The Godfather so that he could pursue his own trilogy about America, made up of Once Upon a Time in the West, Duck, You Sucker! and Once Upon a Time in America.
- In 1981, at Milchan's suggestion, Leone met Robert De Niro and offered him his choice between the roles of Noodles and Max; De Niro's commitment turned out to be crucial to Milchan securing the financial backing for the film.
- Leone eventually made a deal with Norman Mailer to write the screenplay, but the draft greatly disappointed both Grimaldi and Leone, who described it as "a Mickey Mouse version [of the novel]" that lacked structure and "made no sense at all".
- Because of an early audience reaction, fears over the film's length and its graphic violence, and the inability of theaters to have multiple showings in one day, The Ladd Company cut entire scenes and removed approximately 90 minutes of the film without Sergio Leone's supervision.
- The film's music was disqualified from Oscar consideration on a technicality: when the studio trimmed the running time for the American release, it accidentally left the composer's name off the opening credits.
- Joe Pesci was chosen by Arnon Milchan because of his role in Raging Bull and offered a supporting role of his choice, while Tuesday Weld was cast as Carol at De Niro's recommendation, in a part Leone had previously envisioned for Claudia Cardinale.
SPOILER
The ending, in which Noodles sees Max outside Bailey's mansion only for him to disappear behind a passing truck, was reportedly left ambiguous on purpose; James Woods, who played Max, has said he does not know whether Max jumped in the truck or just disappeared.
