Film Analysis: Once Upon A Time In America
Once Upon a Time in America Journal
This film was a unique experience to be sure with its flashback structure providing a thematic connection between plot points. Each of the three time periods present within Once Upon a Time in America intertwine to show the consequences the main character’s choices have made. Crime would be central to any gangster film, but here large grandiose operations are scaled into smaller and more intimate moments. The broad story revolves around the rise and fall of Jewish gangsters, but not just as criminals instead humanizing them to see how one could justify such actions. Once Upon a Time in America takes a standard crime film and reworks it into an almost poetic experience. The film subverts the traditional style of the epic by refusing to have a grand and sweeping approach to its narrative despite the amount of time portrayed. Instead, its intense focus on its core characters and their experiences elevates what would be mundane moments into epic ones. In combination with its structure, the film creates the sensation that one has seen an entire life while only actually being shown three critical eras. Modern audiences might not see …show more content…
As a result, Once Upon a Time in America appeared to contemporary audiences derivative or out of step with then current trends. The primary reason for this was the long production cycle of the film as it was meticulously planned by Sergio Leone since the late 60’s to satisfy his perfectionist tendencies. In addition, the production company lacked faith in the project leading to a reedit which completely neutered the film alienating audiences. Therefore, when the film first premiered in the United States it was unable to stand on even its own poetic qualities in addition to combating public opinion with later releases rectifying the
This film was a unique experience to be sure with its flashback structure providing a thematic connection between plot points. Each of the three time periods present within Once Upon a Time in America intertwine to show the consequences the main character’s choices have made. Crime would be central to any gangster film, but here large grandiose operations are scaled into smaller and more intimate moments. The broad story revolves around the rise and fall of Jewish gangsters, but not just as criminals instead humanizing them to see how one could justify such actions. Once Upon a Time in America takes a standard crime film and reworks it into an almost poetic experience. The film subverts the traditional style of the epic by refusing to have a grand and sweeping approach to its narrative despite the amount of time portrayed. Instead, its intense focus on its core characters and their experiences elevates what would be mundane moments into epic ones. In combination with its structure, the film creates the sensation that one has seen an entire life while only actually being shown three critical eras. Modern audiences might not see …show more content…
As a result, Once Upon a Time in America appeared to contemporary audiences derivative or out of step with then current trends. The primary reason for this was the long production cycle of the film as it was meticulously planned by Sergio Leone since the late 60’s to satisfy his perfectionist tendencies. In addition, the production company lacked faith in the project leading to a reedit which completely neutered the film alienating audiences. Therefore, when the film first premiered in the United States it was unable to stand on even its own poetic qualities in addition to combating public opinion with later releases rectifying the