Once Upon a Time in America: Special Edition (2 Disc Set) Director's Cut

Director: Sergio Leone

Directed by Sergio Leone, whose reputation had been built on the famous spaghetti westerns of the 1960's, "Fistful of Dollars", "A Few Dollars More" and "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", as well as the truly stunning "Once Upon A Time In The West".

"Once Upon A Time In America" turned out to be Leone's last film, and was also over twenty years in the making. Leone turned down the opportunity to direct "The Godfather" to continue developing this epic story of a group of young Jewish mobsters in New York which was finally completed in 1984.

Starring Robert De Niro, James Woods and Elizabeth McGovern, this epic film traces the rise and fall of a five young boyhood friends, four of which develop a thriving underworld business during the prohibition era of the 1930's. The story is told, with the extensive use of flashback's from the 1960's to the 1930's, and is a times graphically violent. However, the underlying theme is one of lost dreams, betrayal, broken lives and redemption.

De Niro's performance is stunning, and regarded by many probably one of the finest in his career.

The soundtrack by composer Ennio Morricone is a musical masterpiece, integral to the story and truly unforgettable.

The theatrical release of the film was surrounded by controversy, as it was not only cut (over 80 minutes of footage was removed), but the story was re-edited to run chronologically. The film was a critical and box office disaster.

The film was finally released in its entirety after appearing at the New York Festival to widespread critical acclaim a couple of years after its original theatrical release.

This restored version is quite simply a cinematic masterpiece.