The new 'director's' cut has several scenes of dubious quality laced in (almost as though no attempt has been made to colour correct them or sort out the audio), though they are beneficial to the story, e.g. McGovern acting out death scene from Cleopatra is great. Film is now just over four hours long but doesn't feel it. In a funny twist, Leone was nominated for a David di Donatello for best foreign director! (Milos Forman won for Amadeus.) It was completely ignored by the American Academy; the Brits had more class and awarded it for best costumes (Gabriella Pescucci) and score (Morricone, beautiful as ever), and nominated it for photography (Tonino delli Colli) and supporting actress Tuesday Weld. But for me, where awards should definitely have been showered was over the make-up department (Nilo Jacoponi, Manlio Rocchetti, Gino Zamprioli), whether we're looking at beautifully aged characters, ones who've been beaten to a pulp, or the actress removing her makeup to show her age underneath. And the amazing production design (Carlo Simi).
It is skilfully put together by Leone (and Pasolini) regular Nino Baragli.
Talking of violence it is eye-wateringly so, and I don't think we really needed the rape scene in as much detail, though it does add to the tragic thrust of the story. It's epic and huge but also powerfully elegiac. Highlight moments are the boys' ingenious trick, Max and Noodles' relationship, the opening with that phone ringing, Woods stirring his coffee (a sort of version of a classic Leone gunfight set-up) and that ever so subtle ending.
Of the cast, Scott Shutzman Tyler and Rusty Jacobs are the young Noodles and Max who grow into de Niro and James Woods; Jennifer Connelly and Elizabeth McGovern are both great as Deborah. Then we have Joe Pesci, Burt Young, Danny Aiello, Treat Williams and Larry Rapp as Fat Mo.
It was filmed in New York (where an entire block was recreated), Manhattan Bridge, Florida, Venice (the hotel Excelsior) and the Gare du Nord (standing in for Grand Central Station).
No comments:
Post a Comment