10 Best Gangster Movies (Not Made By Martin Scorsese)
7. Once Upon A Time In America
Sergio Leone's epic crime drama film is often overlooked by wider audiences when discussing gangster films, probably for various reasons. With a running time well in excess of 200 minutes (precise length depends on which version of the film you watch) and a narrative that has a non-chronological order to boot, there's little wonder why the film isn't as prolific to mainstream audiences as The Godfather, Scarface or Goodfellas. The above isn't a slight against the film or the movie-going public in any sense: the film's very nature just hasn't made it as accessible as its contemporaries. Once Upon A Time In America though, is considered by many to be Leone's greatest directorial achievement, and there's little wonder why. The film charts the rise of David "Noodles" Aaronson (played by our dear friend Mr. De Niro) from a Jewish ghetto youth to the prominence of New York's world of organised crime. With the supporting cast including the likes of James Woods, Joe Pesci and Elizabeth McGovern, Once Upon A Time In America is arguably the most uniquely crafted example of a gangster film - there's really no other film like it in the genre. The Godfather Part II may deal with dual narratives, but Once Upon A Time's scope is simply much larger than Part II. If you haven't seen it already, then you owe it to yourself to watch it.
Joe is a freelance games journalist who, while not spending every waking minute selling himself to websites around the world, spends his free time writing. Most of it makes no sense, but when it does, he treats each article as if it were his Magnum Opus - with varying results.
