NEW DIRECTORS CUT

[stanton]

You are going to follow one scene of two guys talking in a room together with ANOTHER scene of two guys talking in a room together--and it's the same room! Man, am I glad that you aren't directing movies.

Any editor would tell you that one of those scenes has to go. It's easy to choose in this case--cut the one that doesn't play.

I have to see the actual scene and how it works in the film's context before I can judge it. But so far it seems to me the only new scene which could improve the film.

Maybe the Eve scene, but not for Eve, only for Noodles.

Otherwise, frankly said, I would prefer a shorter, and not a longer version of OuTA.

[drinkanddestroy]

I have to see the actual scene and how it works in the film's context before I can judge it. But so far it seems to me the only new scene which could improve the film.

Maybe the Eve scene, but not for Eve, only for Noodles.

Otherwise, frankly said, I would prefer a shorter, and not a longer version of OuTA.

as far as the Eve scenes go, they are vitally important, I don't know what you mean by "not for Eve, only for Noodles." Do you mean that it's important to show that he's recovered from his obsession with Deborah?

Being a gangster with lots of cash, Noodles can always pick up a dame. But the fact that he and Max are discussing what would be the greatest heist in the history of the world in front of her on the beach, and that she is very distraught on that fateful night when Noodles informs her he won't be coming home for a while, shows that there is a very close relationship between them. There is no way that the movie can get away with just showing her on the beach. (even though we were introduced to her in the opening scenes, those occur after the beach scenes. We have to be introduced to her).

I still haven't seen the scenes with Eve (except for brief moments in a montage), but my understanding is that the scenes that are restored show Noodles walking into a club, miserable after his night with Deborah; Eve is a dancer in the club and she walks over to Noodles; he is attracted to her tits and accepts her offer, on condition that he can call her "Deborah." And he pulls out a thousand dollar bill and gives it to her without looking at it; she says "I've done more for less." He asks her how big the bill was, she lies and says it was a hundred dollar bill. They go to the hotel room where he lives (probably the same room where Eve is killed in the opening scene of the movie), where he is all miserable over Deborah,  asking Even "Do you love me Deborah,"  and he falls asleep before they even do anything; Eve doesn't even take her clothes off. The next morning Noodles wakes up and sees a note from Eve, signed "Deborah." Then comes the scene where he goes to see Deborah at the train station as she is heading to Hollywood....


But there are actually more scenes with Eve that were cut but not restored: At this point, Eve was just supposed to be a one-night stand and that's it. But in scenes that have still not been restored, he meets her again by chance, and that is when they fall in love: Here is how that goes:

when Noodles leaves Jimmy's hospital room, he gets into the elevator, and his gaze falls on a pair of tits.... they are Eve's tits; he says hello to her, and that he'd recognize those tits anywhere; I think she was visiting the hospital for some medical tests. She asks him if he's been cured of his "Deborah-itis," he says yes! Then she admits to him that he'd given her a thousand dollar bill. They make up to meet again, and then Noodles gets out of the elevator, where we have that scene where Max catches up to him and says he wants to go with him to Florida. Then, we have another scene with Noodles and Eve at his hotel room. Noodles has been enchanted with her abundant cleavage. So when they meet in his hotel, he has bought her a gift of some very fancy, large bras. Eve opens her top, and reveals herself..... to be wearing falsies! He'd been crazy about her cleavage, but now realizes she's actually flat!

Suddenly, they hear someone at the door. Noodles pulls his gun out, the door opens, and in walk... Max and Carol, to pick them up to go to Florida!

--------


I am pleased that the scenes where Noodles first meets Eve were restored, but I wish that eventually, they restore all the scenes with Eve (along with the other 20-25 minutes that still haven't been restored). Scorcese mentioned in an interview that there are still these 20-25 minutes that have not yet been restored, and implied that they may eventually be, if they are able to find it or something like that (this interview with Scorcese was transcribed earlier in this thread by Mat Viola).

[Derbent 5000]

video provided by Gucci and the Film Foundation narated by Martin Scorsese

http://www.gucci.com/us/worldofgucci/articles/once-upon-a-time-in-america-gucci-restoration

[Shambaby]

Bailey wants to be killed by Noodles at the end.  He knows he has to die so he would rather have Noodles do it.  First, he has guilt over how he treated Noodles and secondly, he figures Noodles would want to do it as revenge.  We find out that Noodles doesn't want to kill Bailey, (and Noodles never calls him Max, and says that he had a friend once, as if "Max", his friend died many years ago. )

[Derbent 5000]

added scenes













































According to the issue 359 Cahiers Du Cinema

Sergi Leone in interview there is another 50 minutes of scenes, Sergio Leone meant that 220 min PAL European runntime 3 hrs 40 plus 50 mins will be 270 mins or 220 mins plus 45 will be 265 mins that makes sense

[MatViola]

Oooops...needs more work:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/aug/03/sergio-leone-once-upon-time-america?newsfeed=true

[drinkanddestroy]

Oooops...needs more work:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/aug/03/sergio-leone-once-upon-time-america?newsfeed=true

while I am of course waiting anxiously to be able to see the restored film, I am glad to hear that they are trying to get it right. I guess that they rushed it to make it in time for Cannes, and now figure they want to get it as best as can be for the theatrical and dvd release. Based on the videos we've seen so far, the quality of the restored scenes is markedly worse than that of the rest of the film; I hope that this new work will rectify that, as much as possible.

Also, as we've discussed there are an additional 20-25 minutes that Leone wanted in the film that were not included in the Cannes release and which Scorcese speculated may eventually be restored (I am not sure exactly why they didn't do it for the Cannes release, whether they couldn't find negatives in decent shape or whatever?) Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but I am hoping that this re-restoration will include more footage.

I am glad that this restoration is in good hands, being done by people like the Leone children and Scorcese, who really care about this movie. So, as difficult as the wait is, my opinion is, take the time to get it right, and when it ultimately is released, hopefully we'll be able to say, after nearly 3 decades, that we FINALLY have the REAL version of the film 

[Novecento]

Oooops...needs more work:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/aug/03/sergio-leone-once-upon-time-america?newsfeed=true

Any delays for further restoration are good delays

TV5monde also did an interview with James Woods recently (in broken French):

Good on Woods for doing his best in French.

[nat]

Wow I live in Melbourne and didn't even know that it was going to be screened here, and now it's been pulled! I don't know whether to be disappointed that I could have missed this amazing opportunity or not now that's it's not showing anyway!

[Snake-Eyes]

If and when the complete, COMPLETE version of AMERICA ever makes it onto blu-ray, it'd be ideal if Sir Christopher Frayling were to contribute a commentary.

[dave jenkins]

While there has been no official announcement from the Leone estate, or Gucci and Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation who have been closely involved in the restoration, it is understood that after the Cannes screening it was agreed that more work, including on the audio track, would be beneficial for the newly inserted scenes.

That work is not expected to be completed until the autumn and Once Upon a Time in America in its latest guise will not be back on the film festival circuit until the winter of this year or spring of 2013.

OMG! Keep it from D&D!! If he finds out he might try to hurt himself!!!

[PowerRR]

WTF, HURRY UP USA!!!

[Novecento]

Wow so a BD release is coming after all.

I had thought things had been put on hold until further remastering was completed on the scenes already added (and possibly some others scenes were added)

[dave jenkins]

Well, the Blu-ray won't be in PAL.

[PowerRR]

Are you sure? I'm pretty sure Blu-Rays are still region coded...

And the new shot in the video of McGovern looks excellently restored. BONER BONER BONER