Editing Once Upon a Time in America (section)

== Interpretations ==
As the film begins and ends in 1933, with Noodles hiding in an opium den from syndicate hitmen, and the last shot of the film is of Noodles in a smiling, opium-soaked high, the film can be interpreted as having been a drug-induced dream, with Noodles remembering his past and envisioning the future. In an interview by Noël Simsolo published in 1987, Leone lent support to this interpretation, saying that the scenes set in the 1960s could be seen as an opium dream of Noodles's.{{sfn|Simsolo|1987|page=}} In the DVD commentary for the film, [[film historian]] and critic [[Richard Schickel]] states that opium users often report vivid dreams, and that these visions have a tendency to explore the user's past and future.<ref>{{cite AV media |title=Once Upon a Time in America |first=Richard |last=Schickel |author-link=Richard Schickel |medium=DVD}}</ref>

The ending, in which Max is seen by Noodles outside Bailey's mansion, only to disappear behind a truck as it passes, was reportedly left ambiguous on purpose. James Woods, who played Max, stated that he does not know if Max jumped in the truck or just disappeared. Critic Carlo Affatigato described this twist as a "[[paradox]]", postulating that the whole film is about how Noodles spends the second half of his life seeking out the truth of what happened, only to discover it, not accept it, and not investigate what happens to Max in the end. Noodles wants only to believe the reality that he has created for himself, not an objective one. Affatigato also believes that this could point to it all being the imagination of Noodles.<ref>{{cite web|last=Affatigato|first=Carlo|url=https://auralcrave.com/en/2018/08/16/the-mysterious-ending-of-once-upon-a-time-in-america/|title=The mysterious ending of ''Once Upon a Time in America''|work=Auralcrave|date=2018|access-date=October 1, 2021|archive-date=August 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831172239/https://auralcrave.com/en/2018/08/16/the-mysterious-ending-of-once-upon-a-time-in-america/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Many people (including Schickel) assume that the 1968 [[Frisbee]] scene, which has an immediate cut and gives no further resolution, was part of a longer sequence.<ref>{{cite video |title=Once Upon a Time in America |type=DVD audio commentary}}</ref> Critic [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' suggested that the purpose of the flying disc scene was to establish the 1960s time frame and nothing more.<ref name="Ebert84" />