Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

"Once Upon a Time in America" finds De Niro in his most familiar and loved genre, playing Jewish gangster David 'Noodles' Aarnson. Master director Sergio Leone weaves a tale spanning over five decades about a group of friends who begin as petty criminals, grow up to become legendary mob figures and who are ultimately reunited to face their demons. Described by the New York Times as an "hallucinatory epic", "Once Upon a Time in America" is told via a complex web of flashbacks, memories and dreams, illuminated by Ennio Morricone's gorgeous score.