Gangster Flick: Once Upon a Time in America

When people are asked what are some of the best crime movies ever made, the oblivious movies come to mind; The Godfather, Scareface, Good Fellas, etc. But there are plenty of gangster flicks that slipped through the cracks that could be considered some of the best.

Here is one of my favorite under-rated gangster flicks.  

Once Upon a Time in America

A great movie about a rough Jewish town in New York and a couple of young men turn thieves in a small neighborhood. Eventually, the men would form a gang and become successful in the underworld, mostly involved in the sale of illegal alcohol sales. But before, after and during their success the crew would endue troubles and tragedy, and their success would eventually be halted with the end of prohibition.

The movie flashes back and fast-forwards through the 1920's - 1960's. Robert De Niro, who plays the gangster "Noddles" comes back to his old town for a mysterious reason and while he's back recaps the ups and downs of the life of his fellow friends and gang member's and his own.  

With great characters such as Robert De Niro and James wood, the movie takes a realistic look at how things were back in those days in rough Jewish neighborhoods, and in some cases a little more factually correct then some of the other more popular gangster flicks.