When I first heard about Sergio Leone completing his dream project after 12 years of labor, I was ecstatic to see it, being a huge fan of his "dollar" trilogy with Clint Eastwood. I always found his style so dreamily stylized as to be otherwordly, projecting quintessentially universal stories against iconic American imagery.
The earliest reviews from Europe were fabulous, but then I read about how the film had been altered from its 227-min original form to a much-shorter 139-min version that was chronologically ordered instead of told in flashbacks. As a result, the film came off rather choppy, skipping from here to there. I remember thinking it was good, but odd and almost Frankensteinian, like all the good parts were sliced out for a TV audience and you could spot the zippers. I fell in love with the romantic music, though, and felt like it was a troubled classic that I would someday hope to see in its European version, but being in the before time, the only way you could see that is if you caught it at some art house theater.
The outcome seemed tragic: Leone was heartbroken--literally, and died soon after. Enrico Morricone's amazing soundtrack was never registered for Oscar consideration, and so didn't win, despite its "Doctor Zhivago"-level quality.
Then, years later, I finally got ahold of the original cut on VHS and was astounded at how it all worked so beautifully. I had come across other director cuts, but frankly, the differences in just about all were minor (save Ridley Scott's scotching of the narrative by Decker in "Blade Runner"). But this was an entirely new film.
Still, the two versions competed in my head. Until, years again later, I watched the remastered DVD version in my home theater--instead of on a modest TV, and I have to tell you, this is one of the best films ever made. There are scores of fabulous scenes and performances, and the set design is gorgeous. A long list of great performers: DeNiro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern (in arguably her best role), a young Jennifer Connolly (who sticks in your mind even then), Danny Aiello in a screamer cameo, Joe Pesci, Treat Williams, Tuesday Weld, and so on and so on.
It was the quickest, nearly 4-hour movie I've ever watched, and I would watch it again in a heartbeat.
Vonne said she thought it was as good as "Godfather," and I put it in the same class.