Once upon a time in America: why did this film spark controversy?

Released in cinemas in 1984, the cult movie Once upon a time in Americaworn by Robert De Niro, James Woods and Elizabeth McGovernwill be rebroadcast on Sunday March 6, 2022, from 8:55 p.m. on the Franco-German channel art. Directed by Sergio Leonethis feature film is in fact the third part of a saga covering several key periods in American history. The first opus, Once upon a Time in the West, was at the time of the conquest of the West. The action of 2nd episode, Once Upon a Revolution, was taking place in the midst of the Mexican Revolution, while Once upon a time in America ends this trilogy, returning to Prohibition and the advent of gangsterism.

Upon its theatrical release, Once upon a time in America had to face many protests. In particular, Sergio Leone’s film was criticized for its way of depicting the Jewish community of New York, which therefore did not escape the criticism of the Israelite people. The government of Israel will even go so far as to speak of a “terrible humiliation” at the time. The feature film also came up against protests from many feminist movements, who took a dim view of violence against women. Finally, Once upon a time in America was a huge financial disaster.

Once Upon a Time in America: Sergio Leone’s Final Film

Having needed an overall investment of between 30 and 40 million dollarswhich represented an immense fortune at the time, the exploitation of the film in theaters ended in a big commercial failure in the United States. Once upon a time in America recorded only 2.5 million dollars in receipts on American soil. For the anecdote, the film’s production budget exploded, exceeding the forecast by three million dollars. In all, the shooting of this feature film lasted more than a year, with numerous location shots in New York, Toronto, Rome and Venice. This film also marked the latest achievement by filmmaker Sergio Leonewho died 5 years after its theatrical release.

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