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Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Once Upon a Time in America (1984) poster
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4.2

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Drama, Crime • 3h 49m

Overview

A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan over thirty years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.

Director: Sergio Leone

Cast: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams, Tuesday Weld, Joe Pesci, Burt Young, James Hayden, William Forsythe, Larry Rapp, Amy Ryder, Scott Schutzman Tiler, Rusty Jacobs, Jennifer Connelly, Brian Bloom, Adrian Curran, Mike Monetti, Noah Moazezi, James Russo, Darlanne Fluegel, Danny Aiello, Richard Bright, Frank Gio, Ray Dittrich, Mario Brega, Julie Cohen, Richard Foronjy, Olga Karlatos, Clem Caserta, Frank Sisto, Jerry Strivelli, Mike Gendel, Sandra Solberg, Margherita Pace, Paul Herman, Bruno Iannone, Bruno Bilotta, Angelo Florio, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Gerard Murphy, Dutch Miller, Robert Harper, Karen Shallo, Frankie Caserta, Joey Marzella, Marvin Scott, Ann Neville, Joey Faye, Linda Ipanema, Tandy Cronyn, Richard Zobel, Baxter Harris, Arnon Milchan, Marty Licata, Estelle Harris, Gerritt Debeer, Alexander Godfrey, Cliff Cudney, Paul Farentino, Bruce Bahrenburg, Mort Freeman, Massimo Liti, Jay Zeely, Salvatore Billa, Scott Coffey, Marco Stefanelli, Nunzio Giuliani, Nelson Camp, Dario Iori, Ole Jorgensen, Francesca Leone, Ron Nummi, Ryan Paris, Nicola Roberto, Gianni Sanjust, Alex Serra, Susan Spafford, Mark Frazer, Maria Pia Monicelli, Claudio Mancini, Rossana Canghiari

Best English-Friendly Release

251 min cut (Extended): Fox Blu-ray. Eagle Pictures has forced Italian subs in some parts

229 min cut (Theatrical): WB Blu-ray

139 min cut (US theatrical): VHS

Best Video Release

Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray, caps

The 4K includes both theatrical and extended cuts. It's overall a solid upgrade over previous discs, but some will strongly dislike the color grading.
There are some issues with encoding and grain management.


Nic's review:

Some definitely messed with it as there’s grain management going on that resulted in magnetic, squishy grain movement. Both cuts (4K discs) are affected and it doesn’t look like an encoding issue to me as the bitrates don’t drop down to single digits á la Paramount or StudioCanal. During opticals, the lowest I’ve noted on the Extended 4K was around 30 MB/s vs. ~5 MB/s more for the theatrical cut.

Darker scenes are mostly (but not always) better but when it gets brighter, particularly in exteriors or scenes like the Jennifer Connelly dance scene at minute 38, I can’t unsee the digital tinkering as it does some damage texturally.

I compared it with the Eagle Pictures and Warner Bros Fox Blu-ray of the extended cut and they all look fine without grain management like that. Eagle Pictures’s Blu-ray is an older one if anyone’s curious and credited to another authoring house than 64Biz, which did the 4K.

Other than that, except for some encoding-related chroma noise that peeks through in the DV layer, Eagle Pictures did everything right. They corrected the framing to 1.85, kept the original English titles, the English restoration note, subtitles, HDR/DV is gentle and respectful of the source black levels are better than on the Warner Bros/Fox Blu-ray. Without that grain management, this would’ve been the all-timer release we all longed for.

Best Audio Release

251 min cut: Fox Blu-ray (24-bit, Eagle Pictures is 16-bit, not audible)
229 min cut: Warner Bros LaserDisc (missing 2 minutes, but original mono mix was never released on DVD/Blu-ray)

Additional Info

Extended edition adds scenes cut from the theatrical, but from a much lower quality source. It's intended to approximate the original cut, but to what extent that is true is debatable.
US theatrical cut is infamously bad, was panned at release and never re-released on home video.

Format

UHD Blu-ray

UHD Tiers

Solid
Eagle

TSPDT

2026: #113
2025: #113
2024: #116
2023: #114
2022: #114

Length

229 mins

Type

Movie

Alternative Titles

Once Upon a Time in America Extended

Last Updated

2 months ago

Contributors

Best English-Friendly Release

251 min cut (Extended): Fox Blu-ray. Eagle Pictures has forced Italian subs in some parts

229 min cut (Theatrical): WB Blu-ray

139 min cut (US theatrical): VHS

Best Video Release

Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray, caps

The 4K includes both theatrical and extended cuts. It's overall a solid upgrade over previous discs, but some will strongly dislike the color grading.
There are some issues with encoding and grain management.


Nic's review:

Some definitely messed with it as there’s grain management going on that resulted in magnetic, squishy grain movement. Both cuts (4K discs) are affected and it doesn’t look like an encoding issue to me as the bitrates don’t drop down to single digits á la Paramount or StudioCanal. During opticals, the lowest I’ve noted on the Extended 4K was around 30 MB/s vs. ~5 MB/s more for the theatrical cut.

Darker scenes are mostly (but not always) better but when it gets brighter, particularly in exteriors or scenes like the Jennifer Connelly dance scene at minute 38, I can’t unsee the digital tinkering as it does some damage texturally.

I compared it with the Eagle Pictures and Warner Bros Fox Blu-ray of the extended cut and they all look fine without grain management like that. Eagle Pictures’s Blu-ray is an older one if anyone’s curious and credited to another authoring house than 64Biz, which did the 4K.

Other than that, except for some encoding-related chroma noise that peeks through in the DV layer, Eagle Pictures did everything right. They corrected the framing to 1.85, kept the original English titles, the English restoration note, subtitles, HDR/DV is gentle and respectful of the source black levels are better than on the Warner Bros/Fox Blu-ray. Without that grain management, this would’ve been the all-timer release we all longed for.

Best Audio Release

251 min cut: Fox Blu-ray (24-bit, Eagle Pictures is 16-bit, not audible)
229 min cut: Warner Bros LaserDisc (missing 2 minutes, but original mono mix was never released on DVD/Blu-ray)

Additional Info

Extended edition adds scenes cut from the theatrical, but from a much lower quality source. It's intended to approximate the original cut, but to what extent that is true is debatable.
US theatrical cut is infamously bad, was panned at release and never re-released on home video.

Format
UHD Blu-ray
UHD Tiers
Solid
Eagle
Featured Lists
TSPDT
2026: #113
2025: #113
2024: #116
2023: #114
2022: #114
Length
229 mins
Type
Movie
Alternative Titles
Once Upon a Time in America Extended
Last Updated
2 months ago
Contributors

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Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray > Capelight/Kino Lorber which has heavy noise reduction and opening snare hit is missing, Capelight is slightly better encoded than Kino Lorber

Best Audio:

1992 MGM LaserDisc [ML102699], but still a bit overly noise-managed.

1984 CBS/Fox Hi-Fi VHS maybe better?

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray > Capelight/Kino Lorber which has heavy noise reduction and opening snare hit is missing, Capelight is slightly better encoded than Kino Lorber

Best Audio:

1992 MGM LaserDisc [ML102699], but still a bit overly noise-managed.

1984 CBS/Fox Hi-Fi VHS maybe better?

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1991 MGM LaserDisc

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Best Video:

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Best Audio:

1991 MGM LaserDisc

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

US Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray

International Cut: Old 2007 Europe Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set

Best Video:

US Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray

International Cut: Old 2007 Europe Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1999 WB DVD

Additional Info:

No Blu-ray or DVD release has presented the movie in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 for the US cut or 1.66:1 for the International cut.

The packaging on the back of the 4K Blu-ray incorrectly states it as 1.85:1 when the movie is actually 1.78:1 as is the original Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

US Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray

International Cut: Old 2007 Europe Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set

Best Video:

US Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray

International Cut: Old 2007 Europe Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1999 WB DVD

Additional Info:

No Blu-ray or DVD release has presented the movie in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 for the US cut or 1.66:1 for the International cut.

The packaging on the back of the 4K Blu-ray incorrectly states it as 1.85:1 when the movie is actually 1.78:1 as is the original Blu-ray

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Best English-Friendly:

Final Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray (Caveat: No Dolby Vision from Streaming)

Other Cuts: WB Blu-ray

Workprint: WB 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Set for a better AVC encode

Best Video:

Final Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray (Caveat: No Dolby Vision from Streaming)

Other Cuts: WB Blu-ray

Workprint: WB 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Set for a better AVC encode

Best Audio:

1982 Theatrical Mix: Embassy Video releases, HD-DVD for the 70mm 6-track mix

International Cut Dolby Stereo: Criterion Collection LaserDisc, HD-DVD for the 70mm 6-track mix

1992 Director's Cut Dolby Stereo: WB CAV LaserDisc 2.0 PCM-best fidelity of any mix, HD-DVD for the 70mm 6-track mix

Workprint: WB 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Set DTS-HD MA 5.1

2007 Final Cut remix: Blu-ray Dolby TrueHD 5.1

Additional Info:

WB 4K Blu-ray only has Final Cut and contains a bad Atmos remix with new sound effects. Original Final Cut mix was removed.

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Final Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray (Caveat: No Dolby Vision from Streaming)

Other Cuts: WB Blu-ray

Workprint: WB 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Set for a better AVC encode

Best Video:

Final Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray (Caveat: No Dolby Vision from Streaming)

Other Cuts: WB Blu-ray

Workprint: WB 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Set for a better AVC encode

Best Audio:

1982 Theatrical Mix: Embassy Video releases, HD-DVD for the 70mm 6-track mix

International Cut Dolby Stereo: Criterion Collection LaserDisc, HD-DVD for the 70mm 6-track mix

1992 Director's Cut Dolby Stereo: WB CAV LaserDisc 2.0 PCM-best fidelity of any mix, HD-DVD for the 70mm 6-track mix

Workprint: WB 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Set DTS-HD MA 5.1

2007 Final Cut remix: Blu-ray Dolby TrueHD 5.1

Additional Info:

WB 4K Blu-ray only has Final Cut and contains a bad Atmos remix with new sound effects. Original Final Cut mix was removed.

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Best Video:

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UHD Blu-ray
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1993 Japan LaserDisc

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BFI 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

BFI 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1993 Japan LaserDisc

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1988/1990 WB Hi-Fi VHS, crystal clear, albeit with some distortion in louder areas

The 4K Blu-ray reuses the same poor mastering used on the 2006 WB Blu-ray, only with a completely unnecessary bass cut and extra noise reduction.

Additional Info:

Even putting resolution aside, the Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray has the best video. The old Blu-ray master and earlier DVD both had massive issues with colour.

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1988/1990 WB Hi-Fi VHS, crystal clear, albeit with some distortion in louder areas

The 4K Blu-ray reuses the same poor mastering used on the 2006 WB Blu-ray, only with a completely unnecessary bass cut and extra noise reduction.

Additional Info:

Even putting resolution aside, the Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray has the best video. The old Blu-ray master and earlier DVD both had massive issues with colour.

That said, picture on the 4K Blu-ray isn't perfect, with strange posterized magenta glints and some instances of DNRhttps://bsky.app/profile/dagscott.bsky.social/post/3leahavqi7k2l

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1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

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Best Audio:

1991 Daiei LaserDisc

Best English-Friendly:

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1991 Daiei LaserDisc

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

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Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

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Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Curzon 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Curzon 4K Blu-ray see caps

Additional Info:

For BD:

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

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Best Video:

Curzon 4K Blu-ray see caps

Additional Info:

For BD:

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

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Best Audio:

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Best English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

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Best Video:

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Best English-Friendly:

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Best Audio:

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  • The 1985 CBS/Fox LaserDisc for untouched English mono despite element defects and an incomplete print used. The main title on this LaserDisc is the highest quality version known to exist.

    The Arrow 5.1 is a careful upmix from their mono restoration to create a purist multichannel mix.

  • The Italy mono exists in lesser quality but Arrow performed additional restoration work to improve what they could.

Best English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

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Best Audio:
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  • The 1985 CBS/Fox LaserDisc for untouched English mono despite element defects and an incomplete print used. The main title on this LaserDisc is the highest quality version known to exist.

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Best Video:

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Best Audio:

Eureka has original mono.

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Best Video:

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Best Audio:

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Upcoming Release:

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Best Video:

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Additional Info:

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1080p Blu-ray
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WB Blu-ray

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WB Blu-ray

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1080p Blu-ray
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WB Blu-ray

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1080p Blu-ray
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DVD
Best English-Friendly:

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Additional Info:

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Once Upon a Time in America (1984) backdrop