Once Upon a Time in America

Run Time: 229 minutes

Director: Sergio Leone

Starring: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Joe Pesci, Jennifer Connelly, Elizabeth McGovern

DVD Release: September 23, 2003
Rating: R

Watch Once Upon A Time In America on Amazon Instant Video as either a rental or purchase.

You will either love this movie as a masterpiece of cinema, or hate it for the sheer length of the story. Originally released in US theaters at a mere 139 minutes, this epic 229 minute story of Jewish immigration to the United States, as told by an aging Jewish gangster, will test the water retention limits of even the most determined camel. All jokes about length aside, if you enjoy gangster movies, this uncut version of Once Upon a Time in America should be part of your home collection. The story (especially the flashbacks) is compelling, painting a different picture of New York than we've seen in other Hollywood epics.

If you can track down a copy of the DVD, the commentary by Richard Schickel is also quite enlightening, but should definitely not be engaged the same day you watch the movie for the first time.

Region 1 Encoding (US and Canada only)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Commentary by film critic/historian Richard Schickel
Remastered "Director's Cut"
Excerpt fom the documentary Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone
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