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Amazon.com essential video: This movie has a checkered history, having been chopped from its original 227-minute director's cut to 139 minutes for its U.S. release. This longer edition benefits from having the complete story (the short version has huge gaps) about turn-of-the-century Jewish immigrants in America finding their way into lives of crime, as told in flashback by an aging Jewish gangster named Noodles (Robert De Niro). On the other hand, it's almost four hours long, and this sometimes-indulgent Sergio Leone film is no Godfather. Still, it is notable for the contrast between Leone's elegiac take on the gangster film and his occasional explosive action, as well as for the mix of the stoic, inexpressive De Niro and the hyperactive James Woods as his lifelong friend and rival. --Marshall Fine Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2008-06-12
Stunning portrayal of wasted human lives
Director Sergio Leone has produced an ambitious, complex, and moving portrayal of Jewish gangsters in the early 20th century. When the aged former mobster Noodles Aaronson (Robert DeNiro) is summoned back to New York, memories of his childhood gang and subsequent rise in organized crime resurface, as does the mystery of what happened to the money the gang had been pooling since their first days together. The answer to that question--and the payoff to this fine film--renders one of the most moving portraits of betrayal and wasted lives that I have ever seen committed to film. James Woods delivers an explosive performance, as always. Rating: 
Date: 2008-06-09
Too many flashbacks
The movie action was great(I've watched it several times) but I can never figure out the ending. I'll watch it again in a month or two. Rating:
Date: 2008-06-02
Not a "Mafia" movie
There have already been nearly 300 reviews of this film posted and I will not add to the large amount of commentary except to say that it is a grievous mistake to call this a "Mafia" movie. The gangsters are Jewish and there was a very real subculture of gangster activity among the immigrant Jews in New York. They may have crossed paths with Italian gangsters from time to time, but retained their own structure and organization. Secondly, this is surely not a great DeNiro performance. It takes nothing away from DeNiro's greatness to say that he virtually sleepwalks through this movie. That's fine, really, not everything this master does is great, as people who have seen some of his real clinkers know. Rating:
Date: 2008-05-26
A Must Have Film
If you are into mafia movies, or just like GOOD movies, this film is for you. De Niro is fantastic, as normal. Buy It, you will not regret it. Rating:
Date: 2008-05-07
Leone and his America
I first saw this in a severely edited version in a theatre and was dumbfounded. How could Warners do this to a great director like Leone? Subsequently I did see the uncut version on DVD and many scenes that were confusing now make sense. DeNiro has never been better than in his final scenes with Woods who was also excellent (they would re-unite for the last time in "Casino", a lesser film)and the supporting cast is great with a young Joe Pesci and Treat Williams as a Hoffa like union organizer. My only complaint here is why did they not age Elizabeth McGovern? As the other characters age, she remains youthful. Outside of this flaw, this film is a near classic in the tradition of "Godfather" | 
