# Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

> Sergio Leone’s sprawling gangster elegy follows an aging exile through fractured memories of loyalty, ambition, betrayal, and irreversible guilt.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/264

## Facts

- Runtime: 139 min
- Genres: Drama, Crime
- Director: Sergio Leone
- Cast: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Joe Pesci, Burt Young, Tuesday Weld, Treat Williams, Danny Aiello
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087843/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: graphic
- Mood: melancholic, brooding, operatic, serious movie night, long-form cinema marathon

## Synopsis

A haunting journey through the shadows of a man's past as he seeks redemption.

## Movies like Once Upon a Time in America

- [The Irishman (2019)](https://ember.film/movie/248377)
- [Casino (1995)](https://ember.film/movie/411)
- [Real Gangsters (2013)](https://ember.film/movie/151019)
- [True Confessions (1981)](https://ember.film/movie/20137)
- [The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (1992)](https://ember.film/movie/237344)
- [Gangs of New York (2002)](https://ember.film/movie/2075)
- [The Godfather (1972)](https://ember.film/movie/198)
- [GoodFellas (1990)](https://ember.film/movie/614)
- [Raging Bull (1980)](https://ember.film/movie/1034)
- [Borsalino and Co. (1974)](https://ember.film/movie/41347)

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