Once Upon a Time In AmericaDirected by Sergio Leone

Released 23 May 1984 (Cannes Film Festival)

During the filming of ’Once Upon a Time in the West’, Sergio Leone read the ’The Hoods’, to which the film is based on. Leone was so intent on making the film, he in fact turned down an offer to direct ’The Godfather’ to pursue the project. Filming mostly took place in New York, while many interior shots were filmed in Rome. The New York's railway "Grand Central Station" scene in the thirties flashbacks was filmed in the Gare du Nord in Paris.

“Any simple description of the plot fails to convey the complexity of the various relationships, or the fragmented nature of the story - a brilliantly structured mosaic of memories drawn together by the symbol of a ringing telephone, echoing down the years. Shot with a beautiful, fluid grace, it's a patient piece of filmmaking and Leone invests these characters with a vivid inner life. But it's also a bitter, brutal story in which the characters' ambition is overshadowed by violence, and greed wins out over love.” – Film Four Reviews

Genre Conventions Within Mise-en-Scene | Location

In the film ‘Once Upon a Time in America’, the director, Sergio Leone, uses many generic locations seen in thriller films in order to indicate the generic credentials of the film and to create an atmospheric mood. There are many examples of such locations throughout the film, such as dark, claustrophobic rooms and isolated alleyways. However, I will be focusing on two different settings.Elevators are used a lot in thriller films, especially the traditional 1920s lifts with the loose cables and ropes, due to the fact that they are so slow and mechanical, which builds the tension and anticipation whenever a character is waiting for one; the slow build up often results in a sudden change of pace once it arrives at its destination, as seen when Noodles shoots the policeman in the head who had been alerted by the whirring of the lift. This mechanical sound of the ropes and pulleys also help to build the tension, as they are quite eerie, and reminiscent of the clogs of a clock which could suggest that the elevator is counting down the seconds until the confrontation. Sergio Leone uses a high angle shot of the elevator shaft to make it seem more imposing and atmospheric when Noodles is looking up at it; this could suggest that he is wary of what he might find at the top of the shaft. Other examples of the use of elevators are in ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘The Godfather’ and ‘The Silence of the Lambs’; all these examples make use of the claustrophobic, enclosed space of the lift which suggests no way of escape, connoting pressure and tension, thus leaving the audience of edge as there is no where for the characters to run or hide if something goes wrong.

Elevators, as featured in the films ‘Once Upon a Time in America’, ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘The Godfather’ and ‘The Silence of the Lambs’

Another generic location used in many thriller films are dark, damp streets; these are often streets, at night, where it is raining. Rain is used a lot in films to connote sadness and depression, and often feature at the part of a film where all hope is lost; this adds to the melancholy atmosphere of the scene, as the scene where this generic location is used is when Noodle’s old gang are being put into body bags, which could suggest that the stormy weather reflects Noodle’s dark mood. Rain also creates puddles and reflections where there would usually be none; this could suggest that there is a double meaning to his gangs death, and that the audience are not being told the whole story, especially as this features at the beginning of the film. The street used is very narrow and enclosed, which again connotes claustrophobia and the idea that the characters have no escape if they face danger; this is reinforced as the scene was set at night, where the darkness makes everything seem dark and untrusting and cloaks any escape routes.

Dark, rainy streets, as featured in ‘the films ‘Once Upon a Time in America’, ‘Batman Begins’, ‘The Third Man’ and ‘V for Vendetta’

Genre Conventions Within Mise-en-Scene | Archetypes

Sergio Leone uses generic archetypes in the film 'Once Upon a Time in America’, as seen through the characters of Noodles and Eve. The character of Eve is the traditional 'femme fatale’ – or ‘fatal female’ – featured most prominently in the genre of film noir. Sergio Leone reinforces this archetype through his choice of costume for Eve; she wears a pearl necklace which is said to symbolise tears, which foreshadows that something bad is going to happen to her character. The name ‘Eve’ also has many connotations; it links to Adam and Eve in the Bible where Eve is portrayed as a temptress, quite a misogynist representation. The traditional representation of femme fatale is a deviant woman who is subdued by domesticity and marriage, and is ultimately killed off once she has fulfilled her role; Sergio Leone reinforces this archetype as he portrays Eve as a traditional gangsters girlfriend, who is bought off through expensive gifts (as seen through the expensive jewellery she is wearing) and ultimately kills her off within the first few minutes of the films’ opening, suggesting that she is expendable and a weak, vulnerable character of little use. This idea of Eve being expendable is reiterated through the choice of location; Eve’s yellow and brown outfit blends into the walls which makes her seem part of the apartment, suggesting Noodles sees her as just another object he owns, so is ultimately unaffected by her death. There are many famous femme fatale characters in film; for example, Marion Crane in ‘Psycho‘ shocked audiences by being killed off in the first half of the film despite being billed as the films lead, which is reminiscent of Eve's untimely death so early on in the film. Another example is Marie Browning in 'To Have or Have Not’, and is the girlfriend of a smuggler, which is again similar to Eve and her relationship with Noodles; both seem to be drawn in by the charms of their partner, showing how 'femme fatale’ are drawn to danger.Another archetype Sergio uses is the flawed, ambiguous anti-hero of Noodles. These heroes are often far more interesting then that of more traditional heroes, such as James Bond or Atticus Finch, who have a very clean cut image and can do no wrong; anti-heroes may work on the side of good, but often have a tragic flaw or a horrible past, so fight for justice for reasons that are selfish and not entirely pure. Sergio Leone embraces this archetype through the character of Noodles; immediately, we are aware that he will not be a clean cut hero, as the first shot of him we see is in an illegal opium den, which highlights that he is lawless, but as he is in a drugged trance, he is also portrayed as tragic, due to his weak, dazed and confused nature. Anti-heroes are often hard, cynical and mean, as seen through his violent run-in with the police; Leone uses many low-angle shots to connote dominance and power throughout these scenes to reinforce his dark, dominant personality, while also making him appear more heroic and strong in order to gain the sympathy of the audience. There are many famous anti-heroes in film, such as Walter Neff in ‘Double Indemnity’; he is similar to the character of Noodles as he, too, attracts the attention of alluring women, such as Eve and Phyllis Dietrichson, both of which end in dramatic circumstances. Another famous anti-hero is Harry Callahan from the ‘Dirty Harry’ film series, who is similar to Noodles as they both do not hesitate to cross ethical boundaries in pursuit of what they believe is justice.

Femme Fatale (‘Psycho’, ‘Once Upon a Time’, ‘To Have or Have Not’

Antihero (‘Once Upon a Time’, ‘Double Indemnity’, ‘Dirty Harry’

Genre Conventions Within Mise-en-Scene | Lighting

This film is considered to be an example of film noir, as seen through the opening of the film to when we are first introduced to the character of Eve. The first shot of the whole film involves the use of chiaroscuro lighting, which is the use of dark and light to connote serialism, whilst adding aesthetic interest to the mise-en-scene. The first shot we get of Eve’s face is masked by the darkness, so only half of her face and her neck are visible: already, connotations of the character and genre are being made clear. The red lipstick Eve is wearing connotes seduction and desire, which suggests that she is a temptress, one of the stereotypes of being a ‘femme fatale’ character; the pearls around her neck symbolise tears which foreshadows that something bad is about to happen to her, another characteristic of ‘femme fatale’, which feature prominently in thrillers. This shows that the genre is being certified, as the archetype characters which often feature in thrillers are being introduced, as well as the chiaroscuro lighting and use of dark and light.Later on in that very opening scene, the antagonists of the film are introduced. Chiaroscuro lighting is very prominent in this scene as it allows the audience to identify that the new characters are villains; as each policeman enters the scene, they seem to come out of the shadows, which symbolises that they are dark, twisted characters who seem to live in the shadows, always watching out for their next targets. Eve is always in the light during their confrontation, which suggests that she is innocent and is being targeted by the police, who are again lurking in the shadows; this is reminiscent of other villains in film noir films, such as Harry Lime in ‘The Third Man’, who is first introduced to the audience in a shadowed doorway, hiding half of his face. The fact that these villainous characters are shielded away from the light so that their faces are hidden connotes mystery, as they do not seem to have an identity; this makes them more scary as characters as the audience is unsure about how they really look, which means they are left on edge throughout the film as they are unsure to when they may reappear or if they have even met hem already.The lighting is vey symbolic to what is happening throughout the scene. For example, when Eve first opens the door, her silhouette is a dark contrast to the bright lights of the corridor; this could symbolise how everyone is celebrating the end of prohibition, so the atmosphere is bright and happy, while Eve is entering into the unknown, which is dark and scary. As she enters the room, it is pitch black, which symbolises that she is entering into the unknown; neither Eve nor the audience knows what is going to happen beyond that point. Leone portrays Eve as the lighting throughout the opening; her clothing is reminiscent of the lampshade used in the scene, so when she leans over to turn it on, it seems as though the light is coming from her which connotes that she is innocent, thus making it more shocking when she is eventually murdered. This idea of Eve becoming the lighting for the opening is proved most effective after her demise; the police leave the room and the light is turned out, symbolising that the source of the light has gone.

Series of shots showing how lighting is effective in ‘Once Upon a Time in America’

Genre Conventions Within Mise-en-Scene | Editing, Sound & Costume

Sergio Leone uses editing to enhance the film noir genre of the film. The first example is how the opening credits are white on black, so that the black establishes the film noir genre as it symbolises the shadows and chiaroscuro lighting of the genre. Also, the opening shot is of Eve opening the door into the apartment; Leone edits it so that it looks as though she is opening the door onto the credits, which creates a memorable and dynamic opening. It could almost represent her raising the curtain in the theatre to begin the performance, but in this case to emphasise the beginning of the film. This is also seen in the opening of another thriller film, ‘Essex Boys’ where the main character pushing open the door to a garage in order to end the film credits. Leone also manipulates the colour saturation of the film, so that the overall effect looks slightly faded; this adds to the classic appeal as many older films have faded over time, which makes the film look more authentic and dynamic.

Leone is very clever in his choice of sound in ‘Once Upon a Time in America’. The opening credits include a sound bridge of the song ‘God Bless America’ from the celebrations outside Noodle’s apartment with Eve walking along the hallway and unlocking the door; this creates a sense of anticipation for the next scene as the audience want to know what is going to happen, also featured later on in the film through the use of a telephone ringing constantly throughout certain scenes. Also, there is no soundtrack throughout the opening scenes, which creates a sense of eeriness and serialism as the audience would expect music to correspond with the action. The silence instead adds to the drama of the scene, especially when Eve is killed; the fact that her death has no soaring strings or melancholic piano makes her death seem less tragic or beautiful, but more all the more shocking and unnecessary, while the empty silence reminds the audience that no one is coming to her aid and that she is all alone.

Similarities in the openings of ‘Essex Boys’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in America’

The use of costume is very important in films, and Leone is very effective in his costume choice. As mentioned before, Eve wears red lipstick and nail varnish, which connotes seduction and desire, thus reinforcing her role as a ‘femme fatale’. The male characters in the film all wear traditional film noir costumes, which consists of fedora hats and trench coats so to conform to the thriller genre. However, the fedora hats are effective as they shadow the characters face, which makes them more mysterious and hides their identity; this also links in to the near identical costumes wore by the police, which symbolise they have the same beliefs and identity.

Examples of costume in ‘Once Upon a Time in America’

Genre Conventions Within Mise-en-Scene | Attitude to the American Dream

Sergio Leone has a very dry and ironic view of the American Dream, as seen throughout the film ‘Once Upon a Time in America’. The most obvious example of this is in the opening of the film, where the song ‘God Bless America’ is playing during the murder of Eva; this shows a sense of irony as the American Dream is all about equal opportunities for any American, so the fact that Eva, an innocent, was being murdered by the police while the song was playing shows how lawless the authorities were at the time, in contrary to how he government wanted them to be portrayed. Also, the song was written by a Jewish composer, which makes the film even more ironic as the police are trying to hunt down the Jewish gang and kill them. The fact that they were first generation Americans shatters the American Dream even more; this is because they are not being treated fairly and the police are discriminating against them, highlighting that there is no ‘equal opportunity’ for them unlike the propaganda suggests.Genre Conventions Within Mise-en-Scene | Gender Representation

There are many examples in the film about a misrepresentation of gender, especially through many female characters. Due to the fact that Eve’s namesake was from Adam and Eve, she was already portrayed as a temptress and no-good; this shows that she is quite a weak character, which is reinforced when she is killed off after only a couple of minutes into the film. Another example of a female being portrayed as weak and fragile is in the opium den when the woman is touched up by the policeman; not only is she objectified, but she is also powerless to defend herself. The character was also sexualised by Leone, as her female assets were on show to the audience which made her look easy and powerless, instead of strong and dominant. The character of Deborah Kelly is also raped in the film by Noodles, which reinforces the idea that women are weak and cannot defend or protect themselves.

Genre Conventions Within Mise-en-Scene | Links to Other Media

The film ‘Once Upon a Time in America’ links to both the openings of ‘L.A. Noire’ and ‘L.A. Confidential’ through their representation of the American Dream. All three films are cynical of the propaganda: ‘Once Upon a Time in America’ uses the song ‘God Bless America’ as a juxtaposition to the violence surrounding first generation Americans, ‘L.A. Confidential’ describes how everyone views Los Angeles as a place full of opportunities and equality, where in fact it is the gangs that run the city and not the police, while ‘L.A. Noire uses the opening to highlight the American Dream, such as having your own car, and how everything is not how it may seem. All three also highlight how the police are lawless, be that through their violent actions or being bought off by criminals.Genre Conventions Within Mise-en-Scene | Narrative Structure

Sergio Leone uses a complex narrative structure throughout the film of interwoven flashbacks; this could be seen to represent the hallucinations of Noodles, as the film begins with him in a drugged up trance at an Opium Den, so he is in a constant state of confusion, trying to escape his past which keeps coming back to haunt him. A similar director who uses a complex narrative structure is Quentin Tarantino, in the film ‘Pulp Fiction’ where he uses a circular narrative, which is when the story ends up where it began; this makes the film more interesting and dynamic to watch, and adds to the complex and confusing nature of the film, thus forcing the viewer to interpret the storyline as these chose, so it could be seen as different each time.