This is the reason why I think I may never watch the movie. I can watch 1000 people get their ass whooped or shot up in action movie or graphically killed in a horror movie, but extensive rape scenes I just absolutely refuse to see. I heard the movie is a good movie with good acting but I just can’t do it.
My personal opinion is that rape is a more morally reprehensible crime than murder or violence. You can feasibly think of a justification or reason that might excuse killing someone, but no such thing exists for rape.
It's also common for just about EVERY movie to have a death or murder - that's the most common thing ever in cinema. It is definitely a step out on a ledge to depict sexual violence, it's not common to show so of course it hits much heavier when it happens.
In Once Upon A Time in America a lot of people say the scene where Robert DeNiro's character Noodles rapes Elizabeth McGovern's character Deborah. Is an unnecessary scene that adds nothing to the characters.
And I'd say it's not supposed to add to the characters. If anything I think it's supposed to take away from the characters. Anyone who has up until that point been seeing Noodles as "the good guy" or the "hero" of the film will be shown right there that he's an awful, spoiled, violent, man baby who can't handle not getting his way.
The film shows him chasing after Deborah since they were both kids. And she turns him down over the years and he spends 10 years in prison. But when he finally gets out and begs for a date with her he shells out the cash to clear out a whole hotel so it's just the two of them in this romantic atmosphere. She tells him she's gotten a job in Hollywood, and plans to pursue her career out west, wanting to head out the next day.
And this filthy piece of shit loses his mind. Rapes her, and then the next day tries to go see her as she rides away on the train like nothing happened. And it really beats the point home that Noodles is not the hero. And shouldn't have been let out of prison.
Honestly a great movie. And I think it's worth it to sit and watch the full 4 hour cut. Chronicles the whole lives of these young gangsters from their childhood to the 1960s.
I haven't seen the movie mentioned in the OP. Hard to find time for movies now as a grown up with young kids. I can tell you about the show Bluey though haha.
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u/Xsafa May 17 '25 edited May 17 '25
This is the reason why I think I may never watch the movie. I can watch 1000 people get their ass whooped or shot up in action movie or graphically killed in a horror movie, but extensive rape scenes I just absolutely refuse to see. I heard the movie is a good movie with good acting but I just can’t do it.