Once Upon A Time In America Questions

Two Generic Locations Which Indicate The Generic Credentials Of The Film. Why Has leone used these locations and how do they effect the mood?

The opening scene to the film takes place in an apartment - Eve has just let herself in and all the lights are off. This all gives connotations of being alone and isolated; the point at which one feels most vulnerable.

This is somewhat expected when it comes to films of the Thriller genre, thus indicating the generic credentials. Another opening with this claustrophobic feeling is the opening to ‘Essex Boys’ - starting with a shot of a garage being opened from the inside, provoking this feeling of confinement. Places such as apartments, bathrooms or bedrooms are often seen in Thriller films because it is a juxtaposition between the comfort of one’s own home and the horrific incidences which occur in films - the fear of this happening to the viewer is what makes it unsettling to watch.

She also is wearing a string of the pearls, representative of tears - clear foreshadowing of the jarring event about to occur.

The song ‘God Bless America’ also plays in the background, an ironic statement about the true corruption in the country.

Another setting generically used in thriller films is a place with connotations of corruption and/or criminality, such as the opium den in this film.

This effects the mood in the way that it is the first time we see the protagonist of the plot - the audience know straight away that he is flawed; another generic archetype of the thriller genre.
Sergio Leone goes back to the basics in this film and relies heavily on the visual side of filmmaking, especially in this scene, as nothing is really said throughout. There is the non-diagetic sound of a phone ringing throughout, linking to the idea of a painful comedown after the drug induced coma he seemed to be in.

Sergio Leone uses generic archetypes. Identify at least two of these archetypes and reference any contemporary film or tv crime dramas that includes these archetypes.

In these two previously referenced scenes, two of the most common archetypes of the thriller genre are used - the Femme Fatale and the flawed anti-hero.

The flawed anti-hero is a protagonist with questionable morals, sometimes making the viewer question whether they are really the villain.

An example of this outside of the film would be Mark Gatiss and Stephen Moffat’s interpretation of Sherlock Holmes.

With his fluctuating temperament, an incredibly low and thus destructive boredom threshold and occasional drug induced antics, Sherlock is the epitome of a flawed protagonist.

The Femme Fatale is the traditional representation in 1940/50s film of a deviant woman who is subdued by domesticity / marriage. Generally she is punished, exiled or killed off at some point in the film.

Another example of a femme fatale also is in BBC Sherlock - the character Irene Adler.

A dominatrix who almost outwits Sherlock himself. I would argued that the writing for this character is terrible, as the hyper sexualisation is somewhat offensive, and by having her fall in love with the main character, does not stay true to the original story ‘A Scandal In Bohemia’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and portrays with the stereotypical association between femininity and weakness.

This does comply with the original archetype of a femme fatale but is offensive to the character and women and in my opinion has no place in modern television.

The film is considered to be an example of film noire. Identify a clip in the film which has noire characteristics. think particularly  about chiaroscuro lighting. What is the purpose of this lighting style?

Chiaroscuro lighting refers to a frame / shot with large contrast between light and shadow, with the purpose of achieving three-dimensional depth in an image. It also inflicts a sense of mystery and suspense upon the scene, as darkness symbolises the unknown.

Using this before Eve’s murder foreshadows the impending event, allowing the sense of doom to smoothly yet jarringly transition into a feeling of horror.

Eve’s face is also partially obscured by darkness; rare in the Hollywood film industry yet a fairly iconic convention of the Thriller genre.

Explain the connotations of any other aspect of mise-en-scene which are examples of the creative use of generic conventions.

The movie begins with opening credits, during which, the song ‘God Bless America’ quietly fades in; it is then followed by Eve’s killing by two corrupt cops. By doing so, Sergio Leone is making an ironic statement about the difference between the way America is portrayed and the way it really is.

The setting of this scene is also very stereotypical of the genre, as they often use regular, but claustrophobic spaces such as apartments. They do this to achieve a sense of unease through juxtaposing the comfort of being at home, with the disturbing events that occur in thriller films.

Eve’s clothing and hairstyle establish her as the glamorous femme fatale of the film, another generic archetype of the thriller genre.

There is a superstition surrounding pearls that they bring bad luck and represent tears. By wearing one it foreshadows Eve’s imminent death, and sets the mood for the rest of the film.