Once Upon a Time in America, a film ahead of its time

With this, his magnum opus, Leone crafted a sprawling yet intimate portrait of friendship, betrayal and the corrosion of the American dream that is unparalleled in the gangster canon.

Spanning decades from Prohibition-era New York to turbulent 1968, Leone conjured stunning visual tableaux through masterful cinematography and production design that transported audiences into a bygone criminal lifestyle of grand schemes and intimate ties.

Robert De Niro and James Woods played their roles as childhood friends turned adversaries with a lived-in weariness and searing intensity that endures to this day. Their evolution is archetypically Leonean.

At 229 minutes, Leone's staging provided an epic and demanding experience that viewers had to fully submit to. But those who did were rewarded with the best performances and cinematography of his career in a cerebral and philosophically rich narrative.

Leone was ahead of his time, tackling toxic masculinity, marginalised communities and the folly of empires that rise and fall based on moral decay rather than immutable fortune, making it emphatically topical even today.

A film that I still reflect on with awe decades after seeing it, and one that meets every cinephile's definition of a true masterpiece of art. Leone's magnum opus was a gift to cinema that he tragically never surpassed.

Although it was not a box office success at the time, grossing only $2.5 million domestically against its $25 million budget, it has endured as a cult classic.

Leone's edit was rejected by the studios, who released a much shorter edition, so many were unable to enjoy his vision as they envisioned it.

It received nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Drama at the Golden Globes, but did not win. Hollywood was not prepared for such a sprawling epic.

Among the accolades he received were multiple awards from international critics such as the NSFC, FIPRESCI and film festivals in Belgium, Italy and Spain, which recognised his mastery.

Only in the decades since has it received wider recognition, being included in the National Film Registry in 2019 for its historical significance.

It now routinely appears on lists of the best gangster films ever, and demand to see Leone's cut has been gratifying on home video.