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Information

Year
1963
Runtime
174 min.
Director
Elia Kazan
Genre
Drama
Rating *
7.8
Votes *
3,880
Checks
979
Favs
60
Dislikes
14
Favs/checks
6.1% (1:16)
Favs/dislikes
4:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. Siskoid's avatar

    Siskoid

    The story of Elia Kazan's uncle and how he escaped Turkey's ethnic oppression, America America is obviously a very personal project for the director, who adapts his book and even lends his voice to the narration. Name changes are either to allow for dramatic changes, or to protect his uncle's reputation from some of the crimes the young Stavros (played with smokey brooding by Greek actor Stathis Giallelis) commits over the course of the story do not taint his reputation, who knows. But it IS a biopic, no matter how sculpted, and so its parts are uneven. Strongest by far is the first third, which shows us the regime the Greeks and Armenians were living under, and forces Stavros into real misery. The middle part, where his prospects looks up and he is tempted to stay in Turkey, is the lull; we start to feel the film's length. The shorter third act brings back some tension as it's not clear Stavros will be able to get off the boat. Nevertheless, each act includes a crucial moral dilemma, and if there isn't as much physical danger after the first act, Stavros' soul remains in peril. The film seems to say these sacrifices of honor were worth it, but it's really up to us to answer. 3 years 7 months ago
  2. Windill's avatar

    Windill

    Really amazing. So many episodes in this journey! A movie that brings surprises and very interesting new developments all the way from start to end. 7 years 2 months ago
  3. jarmel's avatar

    jarmel

    Very personal movie from Kazan 12 years 3 months ago
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In 7 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #22 in The New York Times's Book of Movies
    The New York Times's Book of Movies's icon

    The New York Times's Boo…

    22
  2. This movie ranks #86 in Cahiers du Cinéma's 100 Films for an Ideal Cinematheque
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    Cahiers du Cinéma's 100 …

    86
  3. This movie ranks #99 in A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese
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    A Personal Journey with …

    99
  4. This movie ranks #108 in Cahiers du Cinéma's Annual Top 10 Lists
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    Cahiers du Cinéma's Annu…

    108
  5. This movie ranks #239 in Academy Award - Best Picture Nominees
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    Academy Award - Best Pic…

    239
  6. This movie ranks #330 in Library of Congress's National Film Registry
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    Library of Congress's Na…

    330
  7. This movie ranks #994 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films
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    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…

    994
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