Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Richie-67-485852 We forget our roots and the origins of others but this film will nicely remind you of the beginning of may Americans and how they came to this land of the free. First of all one must dream of something greater and for tens of millions of people America was that dream. This is nicely portrayed in this movie as we focus on one family and its one family member that caught the liberty and freedom gene and never let go no matter what came to take it. Today, 3 generations of Americans have forgotten what a privilege it is to be born here and to come here because they are here and have forgotten the contrast which keeps you humble and appreciative for what we tend to take for granted every day. There are a few poignant scenes that will excite emotions as well as a satisfying ending bringing closure to the point made in the movie. Get to America at all costs because whatever it cost is worth it if only everyone could see and have this. Many who came here were so overwhelmed with the experience (for the good) that all they could say or think of was I want all of family back home, wherever that was, to come here and see for yourself. The movie covers that too. We also learn that without passion, life is cheapened and with passion, life has meaning. Next time you go for a burger and fries, or to a movie or a park, give a moment to where you are and why and how beautiful it is to not only be here but to have that "here" in your heart. Good movie for sunflower or pumpkin seeds munching with a tasty drink. Sandwich works too. Take note of America's nick-name: Oh beautiful

faraaj-1 Only in the last 5 minutes of America, America is there any action actually filmed in America. The prelude to that - a good 2 hrs 40 minutes - is about one young man's struggle against the odds to reach America: the land of opportunity. This, director Elia Kazan's most personal project and favorite film, is partly biographical based as it is on the experiences of his eldest uncle Stavros.Elia Kazan's name generates mixed feelings. According to some e.g. Stanley Kubrick, he was the greatest American director. Most others are unable to get past his "naming names" to the HUAC in the 50's. Be that as it may, his works need to be judged on their professional merit, and certainly no other film captures the immigrant experience in the early part of the 20th century like America, America.The only negative to the film is the lengthy running time and the slow pace for the first hour. Some have criticized the acting of the central character who occupies center stage for virtually the entire film. He's certainly no Brando, Clift, Dean or DeNiro. However, his accent and looks are much more Greek and that adds to the documentary like feel of the film.Instead of filming in Hollywood studio sets, Kazan and DP Haskell Wexler (who won a well-deserved Oscar) opted for locations in Turkey and Greece - the action being set in Central Anatolia and Constantinople. This gives the film a rougher, more realistic look absent from other Kazan films of the late 50s-60s. The tragedies and injustices meted out to minorities under Ottoman rule and the harshness of life are what really stays with you after the film is over. There are several emotional moments such as when Stavros gets engaged and his fiancée pleads to him, or when he finally lands in America and sends a letter home.

allanlevy I saw America, America in 1963 when the movie came out and was extremely impressed with the way the years of the great immigration in the US was portrayed. Having Grandparents that immigrated from Turkey and Greece the images and the experience of the trip over to New York range true to the stories told to me by them. In a comment made in a recent blog the writer couldn't understand the desire of the immigrants to come to this country. The passion and the hope these immigrants had only could be understood by someone old enough to experience the whole immigrant movement of the 20's, 30's and 40's. The film itself has beautifully filmed images and a great film score. The film itself has been available as a PAL DVD and regional title in Europe and has not been released here in anything but VHS. Occasionally, it is shown on AMC but not too often. It appears that it has been tied up with some sort of legal issue. It is a perfect film for the Criterion Collection.

yarkis This is a great movie narrating the life journey of individuals who start their way from their original homeland escaping Turkish massacres and ethnic cleansing to New York, the place of the "poor and the tired" ...everything is great...scenes, narration, events, acting.This is a sensitive movie, with a good and impressive ending that tells a lot. In summary, it is the history of America of Immigrants, the shelter of persecuted from the viewpoint of victims of Turkish massacres in the beginning of the 20th century. Based on its content, I can say that it is the life history of all immigrants in USA.A good movie...worth 8/10!