Once Upon a Time . . 2.

 

Yes we're back at Once Upon a Time in America as I wanted to point out something strange.

First of all, I like discussing movies, they are as much a part of art as any other medium and in some cases they are more important. As you may see from the comments section I am not the only one who prefers good movies as opposed to blockbusters but I am very grateful for them; they pay for the films I like. Some of those are hits, of course, as I love The Godfather series of movies and what could be more satisfying than a piece of work that lots of others appreciate.

But I remember when I first started out as an actor I would be asked questions about my choice of work, warned I would spend a lot time unemployed and I remember that that was something I liked about it. I know now that some huge stars spend a lot of time not working. They don't worry financially about it but one very famous actor, recently, only worked two days in a twelve month period.

There was also a list of considered important jobs, I should follow, like a barber, a toolmaker or an electrician; amazing it was never something like a lawyer or a musician but I came to realise that all jobs are of the same so called importance. In brutal terms they are there to pay income tax and nothing else. However, it is widely considered that the farmer and the poet are the two most important jobs. The farmer feeds your body and the poet feeds your brain and maybe your philosophy. 

And you know something I think the actor is in the branch of poetry - as we interpret it.

If you say that to anybody they will say 'what about the doctor, the nurse, the President - well, we've all learned about the latter - but just think about it: the farmer or the poet. I know which one of them would never be on a bike.

The other idea of work is to 'put bread on the table' which must be a phrase from a Hollywood movie.

Getting back to Once Upon a Time in America - I do digress, don't I – when I went to live in America in January 1995 I met someone who could convert videos from the British system to the American one – PAL to NTSC. So I asked my wife to send my VHS copy over and had it converted.

Another guy told me it was his favourite film so I gave him the copy. He returned and said 'that was weird' – he had seen the film before, but never 'in that order.'

The film has a very well known opening. It starts with the sound of a telephone ringing and it rings a few hundred times as the action goes to montage scenes from the story including telephones being answered, which is strange to watch; it also had the thing of making us think it had stopped and then another ring. 

The film is set in 1920, 1932 1933 and 1968; and the montage flips from 1933 to 1968 then back 1920 for the start of the story.

The order my friend saw the original showing on TV went in date order and I am so glad I saw it as it was meant; someone at the television station had re-edited it.

 I like lots of films like that – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Slaughterhouse 5 – a lot of those movies, by the way, may have a character thinking back to days gone by but, if I can remember correctly, in Slaughterhouse 5 – the lead character, Billy Pilgrim, thinks forward.