Classic Film Series

The Classic Film Series highlights movies from the past, forgotten, overlooked and cherished alike, selected for their influence, relevance and worth. In this edition, writer, musician and filmmaker Chris Wade looks at one of the greatest gangster epics ever made, Sergio Leone's legendary, Once Upon A Time In America. Starring Robert De Niro as Jewish mobster Noodles, the film follows a convoluted plot which weaves in and out of different time spans. It starts in 1920 when he and his gang are young hoodlums, and ends up in 1968, when the ageing Noodles, seemingly all alone, drifts through the drastically transformed landscape of New York City, following clues left behind which will help to solve the great mystery of his life. This melancholic film had a troubled release in the USA, cut to ribbons against Leone's wishes, but was widely acclaimed everywhere else in the world, staying true to the master's grand vision. Featuring cast and crew recollections, including a new interview with James Woods who plays Max, this is a celebration of one of the most beautiful, tragic and moving films in the history of cinema.