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Once Upon a Time in America AKA C'era una volta in America (Blu-ray) (1983)
A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to Brooklyn over 30 years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.Director: Sergio Leone
OVERALL: Draw-
OVERALL: Draw
The US Collector's Edition, US Extended Director's Cut Reissue, the German Extended Director's Cut, the Japanese Limited Edition, and the UK Extended Director's Cut releases for including both the Extended Director's Cut and the Director's Cut with extras.
However note the Italian Blu should be more than 2min longer when comparing its runtime to the one of its DVD counterpart (after PAL conversion). This discrepancy is currently unexplained.
Note: the Regency Films library which was distributed by Warner Home Video changed hands to Twentieth Century Fox in 2015. Previously released Blu-rays by Warner Brothers were repackaged by Fox, with identical discs in new packaging.
GENERAL NOTES ABOUT THE RUNTIME:
There is quite a lot of debate regarding the complete runtime for this film. The following versions of the movie are known:
- The first Sergio Leone version (~269min),
- The original Italian version (~236min),
- The Director's cut (~229min),
- The censored US laserdisc version (~227min),
- The censored Brazilian version (~226min),
- The US TV version (~192min),
- The US theatrical version (~139min),
- The Extended edition (~256min).
*The Director's cut, theatrically released in Europe, was trimmed down by Sergio Leone himself from his first version.
*The censored US laserdisc version is based on the DC, but slightly trimmed to secure an 'R' rating: cuts were made to the two rape scenes and to some of the violence at the beginning. The final flashback montage of Max and Noodles as children was also eliminated from their final scene.
*The censored Brazilian version was made available on video, laserdisc, and Warner DVD in Brazil and omits several key scenes, including the rape scene with Robert De Niro and Elizabeth McGovern, and has also blurring and re-framing in the scene a woman pretends to be dead in the back of a hearse (the former Flashtar edition, however, is said to be uncut).
*The US theatrical version was released against Leone's wishes: in this version, the film's story is rearranged in chronological order, which had the effect of making it even more difficult to follow. Most of the major cuts involve the childhood sequences, making the 1933 sections the most prominent part of the film. All of the scenes in 1968 with Deborah were excised, and the scene with "Secretary Bailey" ended with him shooting himself (albeit off-screen), rather than the famous garbage truck conclusion of the 229-minute version.
- The US TV version retains the film's non-chronological order but still leaves out several key scenes.
- The Extended version, that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2012, was released on DVD and Blu-ray.
A comparison between the Extended version and the Director's cut is available on Movie Censorship. -
CUTS:
- Blu-ray ALL America- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Director's Cut (229:19).
- Blu-ray ALL Collector's Edition America- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Includes both the Extended Director's Cut (251:09) and the Director's Cut (229:19).
- Blu-ray ALL Extended Director's Cut America- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Extended Director's Cut (251:09)
- Blu-ray ALL Extended Director's Cut Reissue America- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Includes both the Extended Director's Cut (251:09) and the Director's Cut (229:19).
- Blu-ray ALL Australia- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Director's Cut (229:19).
- Blu-ray ALL Extended Director's Cut Australia- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Extended Director's Cut (251:09).
- Blu-ray ALL France- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Director's Cut (229:19).
- Blu-ray ALL Germany- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Director's Cut (229:19).
- Blu-ray ALL Extended Director's Cut Germany- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Includes both the Extended Director's Cut (251:09) and the Director's Cut (229:19).
- Blu-ray ALL Extended Director's Cut Italy- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Extended Director's Cut (251:09).
- Blu-ray ALL Japan- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Director's Cut (229:19).
- Blu-ray ALL Limited Edition Japan- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Includes both the Extended Director's Cut (251:09) and the Director's Cut (229:19).
- Blu-ray ALL Scandinavia- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Director's Cut (229:19).
- Blu-ray ALL Spain- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Director's Cut (229:19).
- Blu-ray ALL United Kingdom- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Director's Cut (229:19).
- Blu-ray ALL Extended Director's Cut United Kingdom- Warner Home Video - No cuts - Extended Director's Cut (251:09).
- Blu-ray B Extended Edition Italy- Warner Home Video - No cuts - extended version (250:56)
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Comparison added by Paul_Lewis on 07/12/12
Comparison last updated by Rick_Curzon on 05/08/19UPDATE LOG:
07/12/12: initial entry
Please ensure you read our disclaimer.
09/03/14: Addition of notes regarding the various versions of the movie.
25/03/13: Addition of a note regarding the discrepancy between the Italian DVD and Blu-ray.
04/03/15: Additions of the US x3, Australia x2, France, Germany x2, Japan x2, Scandinavia, Spain, UK EDC releases.
22/05/15: Addition of the Italy EDC, DVDBeaver, capsaholic links.
22/08/16: Addition of US Fox, updated capsaholic link, noted about Regency library, updated General Note, corrected typo of "Digitla" to "Digital".
05/08/19: Typo.
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