The film Once Upon A Time In America begins in 1933 New York City. It uses flashbacks to tell the story of Jewish immigrants and their involvement in organized crime. The opening scene shows the femme fatale Eve being threatened and then shot dead in her apartment by corrupt police officers. Sergio Leone uses ironic soundtrack choices and lighting, as well as the character archetypes and locations, to set the tone and convey his critical view of the American Dream and criminal justice system in the United States.

1. Once Upon A Time In America
Directed by Sergio Leone, 1929-1989.
The Italian Crime Thriller was released in 1984.
The premiere was at Cannes Film Festival in April.
The film begins and ends in 1933,
America. This was the end of the
alcohol prohibition.
“The camera's details are brilliantly, impulsively in sync with the characters'
preadolescent world: pathetically corrupt adults and the chubby-cheeked faces of
immigrant children. With a melancholy, tinny piano theme that suggests America as a
churning work in progress, ceaselessly plowing forward with or without them.” - Steve
Macfarlane, Slant Magazine, 2012.

2. Sound
Between the opening credits and the beginning of the opening scene, there is a
sound bridge. This links the scenes and allows the audience to be anticipating the
next scene.
The non-diegetic sound is ‘God Bless America’ composed by Irving Berlin.
Sergio Leone used such a patriotic song ironically, contradicting Eve’s death in
the opening scene.
The song takes the form of a prayer; for God’s blessing and peace for the nation.
Sergio Leone’s purpose of this was to make it
clear to the audience how corrupt the law
enforcement is in America. Also, as Irving
Berlin was a first generation Jewish
immigrant, the use of the sound bridge
allowed the irony of the supposed ‘American
Dream’ which people would travel to live in
America to achieve. Sergio Leone puts his
point across that the dream doesn’t exist, the
idea if you work hard enough you can
achieve anything, which he saw as a lie.
The film ‘Deer Hunter’ also has the use of ironic ‘God Bless America’ song. At the
end of the film, some characters have dies and the rest are broken; they toast,
singing ‘God Bless America’. Michael Cimino, the director, like Sergio Leone has
used the soundtrack to create an ironic tension to the film, getting across their
opinion of American life.

3. Opening Scene
We are first introduced to Eve, the femme fatale, in her dark and
shadowy apartment. She appears innocent, turning on the tiffany
lamp by her bedside before she pulls away her bed covers to
reveal the outline shape of a body made from bullet holes in the
mattress. The smashing of glass makes her turn around to face
three men who threaten her.
The immediate thrill and action in the opening seconds of the film
was deliberately done by Sergio Leone to grip the audience from
the beginning. Only a few minutes in is when Eve is shot dead.
The opening scene of the film can be seen to be one of the most important moments of the whole production;
the director, Sergio Leone, must ensure that the audience get the message he intends to give out about the
Specifically, looking at this shot to the right:
Sergio Leone has created a beautiful composition with
how Eve’s body frames the bottom of the screen, the walls
of the room’s arch line the sides of the screen.
The low angle, looking slightly up at the detectives or cops
creates the idea of their assertion and dominance as
characters over Eve.
content and characters.
The use of saturation in editing, allows these cream / yellow colours to all match and seem connected, allowing
the camera to cut to different angles or shots with the same continuity in order to not confuse the viewer.

4. Lighting
The femme fatale, Eve, is introduced to the audience, walking into
her dark apartment, even then, the basic light illuminates her face.
Focus on her lips and shining pearl necklace, creates the
connotations with her character archetype.
As a member of the audience, you can really tell the glamourous
femme fatale silhouetted, how her face remains quite concealed,
yet also, the non-ambient lighting creates a natural effect, possibly
referring to the innocent, exposed and defenceless character she
appears to be represented as, due to her being female.
The chiaroscuro lighting, contrast between light and dark also helps the audience have a greater understanding
about the character. The shadowy areas which are created by lighting, is where the cops emerge from, showing
their villains, or at least negative characters. Possibly referring to their negative past, or even dark motives. In
contrast, the lightness of the lighting on Eve has the connotations with innocence and vulnerability.
The classic tiffany lamp is very symbolic in this
opening scene, almost an extension of Eve herself.
When entering the apartment, Eve turns it on, the
apparently safe warmth of the light on her face
matches the apartment’s aesthetics, as well as Eve’s
...
costume.
A few minutes into the scene, Eve is shot dead on her
bed, the investigator reaches over and turns the light
off, symbolic of the idea the ‘Light of Eve’ has gone off,
showing her death visually as well as through subtle
prop uses.

5. Characters
Archetypes:
Eve, the first female character that we’re introduced to, is a femme fatale. These types of women are usually
glamorous but deviant, and will ultimately bring disaster to herself and a man involved. Being named ‘Eve’, her name
has connotations with religion; that Eve in the Bible ate the poisonous apple and disobeyed God. So as a character,
we can assume Eve will bring disaster to her life, and possibly the people around her; which is seen straight away in
the scene where she’s shot dead.
The three cops emerge from the shadows, immediately conforming to the idea of
the American law enforcement being corrupt. The gangster-like way they smash
Eve’s picture and threaten her, reflects how they don’t abide by the law. The early
presentation of these detectives, who seem to be on the same level as the
criminals themselves, shooting dead the femme fatale ad fitting to the rogue and
corrupt apparent ‘law keepers’. The low angles and worm’s eye shot creates the
look of these men being dominant and powerful.
Gender Representation:
In ‘Once Upon A Time In America’ the representation of women, it could be said, to be expected for the time. In the
1930s when women were the inferior sex in comparison. The femme fatale, like a damsel in distress, gets herself into
danger and suffers by death because of it. Men are seen to be more powerful, able to kill and poorly treat others. It
seems to be a very misogynistic view of women, most females end up perishing because of their own actions, implying
their not as intelligent as males.
Costumes:
Eve appears with red lipstick and nails. Red having connotations with determination
and passion, also a colour that usually signifies danger. She is wearing a pearl
necklace and engagement ring. Pearls can signify tears, which is symbolic of Eve
then getting shot.
The three male cops appear from the shadows, dressed all very similarly, with
matching coats, shirts and hats. The same costumes making them appear visually
connected and as if they’re part of one group.

6. Location
Eve’s Apartment:
Eve’s apartment is dimly lit at first, creating a very shadowy and dark location.
The significance of these shadows allows there to be a very
clear significance of the ‘cops’ appearing from.
Eve’s flat is somewhere the audience may assume her to be
safe and feel confident in, when in fact she’s targeted at her
most vulnerable and alone without a way to escape them.
Also, the scene of the lift ascending to an apartment is
anonymous. it’s not clear if the person in the old-styled lift is
a threat or if they’re not.
Street:
With pouring rain, thunder and lighting, a storm in the dark sky. This is an example of pathetic fallacy and how
the weather can reflect the mood of the scene.
The grimy dark streets reflects the perfect film noir characteristics,
the night setting adds to the melancholy mood.
The dead bodies lying in the street emphasise this grimy and
disgusting scene. The corpses lying in rows across the street, like
they’ve been arranged that way seems to suggest order and that
their deaths are being dealt with.
The bodies are then covered with body bags, covering them from
the rain. The darkness and rain all connoting this depression of
Noodles.

7. Intertextuality References
Comparison with other Media:
‘Once Upon A Time In America’ can compare to LA Noire, due to the topic of America being represented as
‘The Land of the Free’ and anyone is able to have an ‘American Dream’ but noticing the poor way that the law
is enforced, and the police force don’t really abide to the law; they are in fact corrupt.
‘LA Confidential’ also highlights how it’s meant to be equal, that everyone has a chance to successful and
achieve, if they work hard enough at it. When realistically, this is far from the truth, and almost the opposite of
what the real-word is actually like. ‘Once Upon A Time In America’ represents this by the ironic use of ‘God
Bless America’ the patriotic song being used to show how it’s a false facade of the country.
Narrative Structure:
The film has a complex and circular narrative.
With the plot beginning in 1933, a series of flashbacks build the audience’s understanding of the scenes which
occurred before that time. Allowing the previous events to be recounted, and to be told what happened before
the story’s following events, in order to fill in the crucial backstory. This use of flashbacks continually means
that he film ends how it started; in the same time at the same place, in 1933 in America. This circular narrative,
in terms of the loop that happens; so the film does a full circle on its self and ends where it began.
Contemporary Directors:
Sergio Leone can be compared to Quentin Tarantino is terms of being a
contemporary director for the time.
Tarantino has such a range of film successes including: ‘Reservoir Dogs’-
1992, ‘Jackie Brown’-1997, ‘Kill Bill: Vol.1’-2003, ‘Kill Bill: Vol. 2’-2004,
‘Grindhouse: Death Proof’-2007, ‘Inglourious Basterds’-2009. In
particular, Pulp Fiction - 1994, can be compared to ‘Once Upon A Time In
America’ due to the complex narrative, having a total of seven narrative
sequences and three primary story lines.