Once Upon America

Legendary Italian director Sergio Leone made six important films during his career, five of which were westerns. The exception was his final film, Once Upon a Time in America, which instead explored the cinematic mythology of American organized crime. It proved to be the best film of his career, slightly better than The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, and significantly better than his most acclaimed project, Once Upon a Time in the West (1969). Based upon Harry Grey's novel "The Hoods", Once Upon a Time in America depicts the rise and fall of a group of Jewish gangsters. As with The Godfather (1971), the story takes place in New York City, but the gang is formed from childhood friends rather than family members. Many elements are similar to both films: corrupt policemen, betrayal of fellow gang members, and the gradual transformation of the innocent and idealistic into hardened criminals.