History Film / OnceUponATimeInAmerica

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Noodles brutally stabs Bugsy to death in retaliation for Dominic's death.

* CoolGuns: Noodles uses a Fabrique Nationale Model 1910 to assassinate a gangster.

The film, which centers around a Jewish-American gangster named David "Noodles" Aaronson, spans five decades (and nearly four hours), and is framed as an elaborate flashback sequence. It's also notable for being a victim of an especially despicable version of ExecutiveMeddling, and what could be held as the second worst example of it to a film during the 80s (the other being Film/{{Brazil}}.) Basically, if you're not watching the director's cut, you're not watching the complete version.

** The film was recut so much for its first release in America that Sergio Leone was left heartbroken because of it, and never made another film. He was planning on directing a film about the siege of Leningrad, and wanted to work with "America" star Robert De Niro again in the lead role for this film. Too bad [[DiedDuringProduction he died two days before he was to have officially signed on to do the film.]]

* CruelMercy: [[spoiler:Noodles discovers that Max faked his death, and arranged the death of Patsy and Cockeye. Now Max is facing his own lengthy prison sentence, he invites Noodles to take his revenge by killing him. Noodles pretends not to recognise him, stating that the Max he knew was a good friend who died long ago. Max says that's a better way than any of getting revenge, and kills himself by throwing himself into a garbage compactor truck]].

''Once Upon a Time in America'' (also known as ''C'era Una Volta in America'') is a 1984 epic crime film directed by Creator/SergioLeone, [[SwanSong in his last film in the director's chair,]] loosely based on the novel ''The Hoods'' by Harry Grey, starring Creator/RobertDeNiro, Creator/JamesWoods, and Creator/ElizabethMcGovern.

* Deconstruction: The film is basically one gigantic deconstruction of gangster/mafia films that came before like The Godfather or Scarface. How the romanticisation of the criminal life just hides what a truly monstrous and empty life being a gangster really is.

* RareGuns: Mobsters use SIG P210s.

* SecretIdentity: [[spoiler: Bailey is Max, having faked his death 30 years ago, changed his name and moved into politics]]

* ReallyGetsAround: Peggy. In an early scene, Max and Noodles catch and photograph a cop having sex with her, and in addition to turning a blind eye to their activities, order him to pay for their turn right there.

* OneLastJob: [[spoiler:Noodles returns to New York in TheSixties summoned by politician Bailey. Told to check the locker where his friends stored money that had gone stolen in TheThirties, Noodles finds the suitcase re-filled with cash. It's payment for a hit: Bailey/Max wants Noodles, as Bailey is facing a criminal investigation he can't evade.]]

* TheChessmaster: [[spoiler: Max/"Secretary Bailey". His scheme involves making Noodles think he's going on a hopeless raid of the Federal Reserve (basically a suicide run), banking on his good friend dropping dime on him to keep him and their compatriots alive. The raid fails (but the real plan succeeds), as Cockeye and Patsy die and Max himself is [[FakingTheDead believed dead]], which enables him to steal the gang's cash and establish a new identity as the wealthy Secretary Bailey. ]]

* TheChessmaster: [[spoiler: Max/"Secretary Bailey". His scheme involves making Noodles think he's going on a hopeless raid of the Federal Reserve (basically a suicide run), banking on his good friend dropping dime on him to keep him and their compatriots alive. The raid fails (but the real plan succeeds), as Cockeye and Patsy die and Max himself is believed dead, which enables him to steal the gang's cash and establish a new identity as the wealthy Secretary Bailey. ]]

* ILoveTheDead: Played with. Noodles is picked up from a lengthy prison stay by Max in a hearse. Max shows off the beautiful dead woman in the hearse's coffin and makes lewd jokes about her. It turns out that the woman is very much alive and has been hired to take care of Noodles.