Once upon a time in America

A film by Sergio Leone

Background Information

Once upon a time in America was set in 1968 and released to the

cinemas in 1984 on the 17th February.

Sergio Leone directed and co-wrote this movie.

It was also given 8.4/10 by IMDb ranking it 76th in their top 250 movies.

It has won 2 baftas and been nominated for 2 golden globes.

‘Sergio Leone's epic crime drama is visually stunning, stylistically bold,

and emotionally haunting, and filled with great performances from the

likes of Robert De Niro and James Woods.’ - Rotten Tomatoes.

Location - The Dark Street

The dark gloomy street lit by dim lampposts is an iconic setting for any noir film. Leone

has used this setting to symbolise the characters moral fibre. The darkness

surrounding them suggests that they themselves have dark shady personalities as well

as looks. This setting is also used in ‘The Third Man’ to enhance the mysteriousness

of the character. The addition of rain connotates depression and desolation and often

rain only appears at a sad part of the movie suggesting all hope is lost. In Once upon a

time in America the scene contains the main characters friends lying dead which

further connotates that the stormy weather represents De Niro’s character mood.

Rain is also used foreshadow and to create a sense of imminent disaster or to provide

a dreary back drop which can allow us to relate and sympathise with the characters,

however in this scene we simply sympathy for ‘Noodles’, whose friends are lying dead

in the street, even though he is not in this scene.

Location - LiftsLifts are often used in movies to allow conversation between characters, like in ‘Pulp

Fiction’ where Jules and Vincent are taking the lift up to a flat where their next

‘victims’ are and it allows the film to introduce the characters and allows us to relate

to them. However In films like ‘Once upon a time in America’ and ‘Silence of the

lambs’ lifts are used to create tension and fear within the audience. In ‘The silence of

the lambs’ the lift is used as a place where the characters are vulnerable with no way

out. 1920s lifts are specifically used in thrillers as they are slow and loud which

means that the people on the other end of the lift can hear them coming. Elevators

are also used in ‘The Godfather’ to add comedic value in some aspects as well as

tension.

In ‘Once upon a time America’ the lift and the use of silence add to the stressful and

anxious atmosphere, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats. Then suddenly

a gunshot and the whole atmosphere changes completely.

The lift is used well in this scene because the character has no idea whos coming

and believes he has the advantage if this is to lead to a fight. The first shot we see of

the lead, Noodles, is a worms eye shot portraying him as heroic as well as being

physically, and morally, above the other characters.

Archetypes - Femme Fatale

Femme Fatale or fatal woman is the misogynist representation of a woman who always dies and is

commonly featured in Film Noir. She often refuses be the stereotypical faithful wife and loving stay-at-home

mother that society wants, and she uses her cunning and attractiveness to gain her power over everyone.

In ‘Once upon a time in America’ the femme fatale is Eve who dies almost instantly. Quicker than most

femme fatales. "She is not often won over and pacified by love for the hero, as is the strong heroine of the forties who is significantly

less sexual than the film noir woman." - Jenny Price.

However, sometimes films have a character with many of these characteristics who does not die and

actually stays strong throughout the movie. Such as Evey Hammond in V for Vendetta. In this film Evey

Hammond is portrayed as a femme fatale who doesn’t die showing she is stronger and tougher than the

other female roles who follow these characteristics. This goes nicely with the morality of the film showing

their government that we are all equal and leading the world to anarchism where everyone is free.

Femme fatales are often only found in film noir, however, Irene Adler from the movies and TV shows is a

fine example of a femme fatale, she is cunning and “To Sherlock Holmes, she is always THE woman. I

have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the

whole of her sex.” who eventually dies in the movie ‘A Game of Shadows.’

Archetypes - The Anti-Hero

Unlike a traditional hero such as Robin Hood or Superman, an anti-hero lacks traditional heroic

qualities such as courage and morality. Antiheroes are normally ‘good guys’ however they are not

doing this to be a hero but often doing it for their own gain, out of revenge or to clear up a dark past.

'Noodles' is the antihero in 'Once upon a time in America’ and we can see that he won’t be the perfect

hero from the first shot, the main character relaxing in an illegal opium den. This shows instantly that

he has no respect for the law, proving that whatever good he does in the movie he will probably break

the law doing it, making him seem as though he is almost a vigilante. We find out that he is haunted by

his involvement in the deaths of his childhood companions so is taking revenge. In the lift scene the

shots are low all suggesting ‘Noodles’ is empowering over the gangsta. The same types of shot angles

are used during the police scene, connoting that he believes that he is the dominant one, further

suggesting that he sees himself as an elitist.

Other anti heroes include Sherlock Holmes and V. Sherlock Holmes is considered an anti hero

because even though he works against evil he does it in strange ways, like in the recent adaptation he

goes to the morgue to test different methods of deaths and injuries. He also does it as a hobby and for

enjoyment and not to help anyone. V is much different as he is saving England from fascism and is

doing it to save people, however his approach is dark and immoral, yet he believes he is doing it for

the common good.

Lighting

This film uses chiaroscuro lighting to connotate power and corruption.

We can see this in the very opening scene when Eve walks in and

discovers bullet holes in her bed. The first shot of Eve opening the door

shows her in the dark suggesting shes ‘in the dark’ about the events going

on, meaning that she is ignorant to what has happened.

Another shot that establishes Eves character shows the light on her pearls

and red lips, this connotes the femme fatale archetype as it is rev

Later on in the scene it reveals the cops with a shot that shows them

lurking in the shadows. The lighting of this scene suggests they are

immoral, iniquitous and corrupt. The use of the tiffany lamp suggests that

the warm glow connotes the 'warmth', almost juxtaposing the femme fatale

stereotype just before she dies