The famous telephone ring in movie history——Analysis of the beginning of "Once Upon a Time in America"

Adela 2021-10-20 17:29:55

Those who have watched "Once Upon a Time in America" ​​must be impressed by the harsh telephone ringing at the beginning of the film. Many people may think that the film is stuck when watching this section.

The phone ringing lasted for 4 minutes, which was accompanied by multiple scenes. The director of this ringtone meticulously arranged and used a variety of film languages. These ingenious designs have created this classic phone ringtone in film history!

Next, I will deeply interpret the meaning of this phone ringtone and the thought that the director wants to express.



"Once Upon a Time in America" ​​is a story about friendship and betrayal. A group of friends such as Noodles and Max grew up in New York and formed their own small group. On the day that Prohibition was repealed, they made a fortune by selling bootleg alcohol and decided to rob the Federal Reserve Bank under Max’s encouragement. Noodles, who had been in jail before, didn’t want to watch his brother go to ruin, so he privately called the police to force Max. stop. In the end, the police fought with Max and others, and the brothers were all killed. Since then, the noodles with a deep sense of guilt left the place where they grew up and the beloved girl, and went away.

Most of the whole movie is performed in flashback. A few minutes after the beginning of the film, Tired Noodles walked into an opium shop and smoked a lot of cigarettes.

He was deeply guilty when he saw reports of the gang rushing in the newspaper.



The telephone ringing suddenly rang at this moment, and the noodles were startled to sit up.







The noodles of God's unsuccessful homes can hardly calm one's guilt. The person next to him handed a big cigarette to the noodle who was frightened by the ringing of the phone. The noodle fell on the bed and smoked a big cigarette. Looking at the dim light, he was lost in memory. . . (The phone is ringing all the time) The





camera slowly moved to the light. Using the light, the director completed an excellent transition!



The lens is zoomed out, and the lamp of the cigarette hall has become a lamp on the street. This is the memory scene of noodles. The transition is complete.





The scene grew bigger, and we found that this was a scene after a gunfight, and lying on the road were the bodies of the noodle brothers.

Note that the bell has been ringing harshly at this time!





The name tag on the corpse. The bell is still ringing. . . .





Everything on the screen transitioned again. This time it was at a celebration party celebrating the abolition of Prohibition, and the coffin with the "Prohibition"

bell was still ringing!







The noodles left everyone and went to a room.

The ringtone is still ringing. At this time, many viewers must be wondering or even tired of the harsh telephone ringtone. Where did this ringtone come from?

Is it still the phone ringing in the smokehouse? ?





When the noodles came to the room, the sound source finally appeared. The ringtone is ringing and





one hand starts to draw, pick up the phone. At this moment, we will feel relieved that the ringing of the phone should stop this time. .

But it's still ringing! !





It turned out that this was not an incoming call. One hand draws and starts dialing. This is an outgoing call. Who should I call? ? ?

The phone is still ringing. . . . .





A close-up of the caller is noodles.

Who is he calling? ?

The phone is still ringing.





Everything is on the screen again, and the transition is complete.

The source of phone ringtones finally appeared! ! The name tag says, Sheriff Halloran. It turned out that it was noodles that called the police station.

The phone is still ringing.





One hand picked up the phone and the phone ringing stopped.





Noodles sat up again in shock! ! !





Well, the introduction of the entire paragraph is complete.

The reason why this passage has become a classic is because of this long telephone ring. The director used the movie language of "sound" to successfully switch between several scenes.

The first transition at the beginning was done by lighting, and the source of the phone's ringtone at this time was the smokehouse.

When the noodles recalled the scene, the bell kept ringing. At this time, we assumed that the bell was still in the smokehouse. However, the plot went on for a long time, and the telephone ringing kept on. At this time, the director successfully mobilized the enthusiasm of the audience. Everyone would want to know where the ringtone came from and how to stop it.

When the first phone call appeared, the audience would take it for granted that this was the phone that made the nasty sound, but the director sold it again!

The truth became clear when the last camera called the sheriff! ! !



The whole paragraph is heartily and heartily. The director successfully connects the ringtones in memory with the ringtones in reality, and uses the link of ringtones to present the background of the whole story. It is really a masterpiece, extraordinary! !



From the moral point of view, it doesn't really matter where the ringtone comes from. This ringtone is the phone bell used by the noodles to inform the police. It was this ringtone that betrayed his brother and made the noodles feel a heavy sense of guilt! This piercing bell kept ringing in Noodle's mind, and it rang throughout the rest of his life.

All the audience in this passage will definitely be disturbed by the 4-minute ringtone. In fact, this is exactly the feeling of noodles. This harsh ringtone is always ringing for him!

It is precisely because of this paragraph that is a perfect explanation not only from the shooting technique but also from the character's psychological point of view, that has created a classic teaching material in the history of filming! !

Let us revisit "Once Upon a Time in America" ​​again and experience the shocking ringing of the phone again! ! ! !

View more about Once Upon a Time in America reviews

Extended Reading
  • Chanelle 2022-04-24 07:01:02

    Review, the 251-minute extended version, the look and feel is not very satisfactory. The biggest problem is not verbosity, but sensationalism. The characters in this film are indescribably complex and profound. The whole film is full of emotions from beginning to end, and at least 3 hours of 4 hours are spent on emotions rather than storytelling. The emotional pile is too full and too strong, which highlights the thinness of the characters in the plot, and the strong emotions also appear to have no reason, nowhere, and nowhere to put them. PS: All the glory goes to the photography, art and soundtrack.

  • Jadon 2022-04-24 07:01:02

    First-class dispatch (the elevator overlooks and rubs the America in the 1920s), first-class feelings (Leone kept De Niro with tears in his eyes, his feelings in the past were ups and downs, returning to childhood through a peephole, and sighing time through a pocket watch), plot The setting is top-notch (the mutual explanation of the two timelines), and the fun is also very good (the prelude to "The Magpie Thief", which is a baby's bag, jokes). Shaohua flows, Jiguang Pianyu's passing, brother's love and hate entanglement, always relieved

Once Upon a Time in America quotes

  • Frankie Minaldi: Hey, Joe, tell these guys the story about the pussy being insured. What is it? Tell these guys how you stumbled on this whole thing. Tell them the story. Come on. Pussy insurance, the insurance pussies. Tell them that story.

    Joe Minaldi: Life is stranger than shit, that's all. It's a pisser. No big story. I got this insurance agent, this Jew kid named David. He conned me into every policy in the world. Every policy, name it, dogs, house, wife, life, anything. I'm drinking with the boys one night. He comes in with his wife, a brunette with a nice ass who works for a jeweller. And he's still on the hustle, this guy. So I wink at the guys, I say, "Look... the most serious policy, you don't have me covered for." He goes, "What's that, Joe?" "Cock insurance. You make me a policy that when it don't work, I get a payment. I'll write out a check now." He thinks, and he says, "I don't know if the actuality gauges govern this... but we can make a policy. But you gotta guarantee you're in good health now." I says, "Look, leave her with me. Come back and see if it stands up. If it stands up, you know I'm in good health." The jerk leaves her. I screw her. Not only that, she likes it. And she tells me when her boss, the jeweller is shipping stones to Holland, where he keeps his stash - in a drawer in the safe - everything! Can't ask for more, right? Except, one better. I never paid the first premium on the new cock policy.

    Max: [laughing] Cock insurance...

    Joe Minaldi: Life is funnier than shit. But... be easy with the girl. I mean that. Be easy with the girl.

  • Dominic: Bugsy's coming! Run!