Once Upon a Time in America
- Alternative title
- C’Era una Volta in America
- Synopsis
- Feature film epic telling the story of a group of Jewish gangsters from their youth in New York’s Lower East side through Prohibition to their reunion in the 1960s. Antony and Cleopatra is referenced briefly at the end of the film. Max (Woods), now an old man, goes to see a performance of the play to tell Deborah (McGovern) who left him to become an actress that she made the right decision. He sees a production poster on the wall with the line ‘Age cannot wither her’. Deborah is taking off her white make-up after a Kabuki version of the death scene. The Kabuki scenes are not shown although it is believed that Leone shot them for the film.
- Language
- English
- Country
- Italy; United States
- Medium
- Film
- Technical information
- Colour / Sound
- Year of release
- 1983
- Duration
- 229 (director’s cut)
Credits
- Director
- Sergio Leone
- Producer
- Arnon Milchan
- Cinematographer
- Colli, Tonino Delli
- Screenplay
- Enrico Medioli; Franco Arcalli; Franco Ferrini; Leo Benvenutti; Piero De Bernardi; Sergio Leone
- Music
- Enrico Morricone
- Art Direction
- Carlo Simi
- Cast
Elizabeth McGovern Deborah (Cleopatra) James Woods Maximilian ‘Max’ Bercovitz Robert De Niro David ‘Noodles’ Aaronson
Additional Details
- Production type
- Fiction Films
- Plays
- Antony and Cleopatra
- Keywords
- Kabuki; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Gangster films
Notes
- General
- Adapted from the novel The Hoods by Harry Grey.
Production Company
Distributor (Sale)
- Name
Retail outlets
How to cite this record
Shakespeare, "Once Upon a Time in America". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av67761 (Accessed 26 Nov 2024)