Max fakes his death at the end of each of the three time periods
Perhaps Noodles smiles at the end because he dreams/imagines that Max is still alive.
shareInteresting.
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MovieChat Forums > Once Upon a Time in America (1984) Discussion > Max fakes his death at the end of each o...
Or perhaps he understands that life is a joke ))
BTW, which is the third fake death?
The Garbage truck.
shareI always thought the garbage truck was either for the body of Noodles (who'd be killed after completing his job) or the body of Max (after Noodles completes his job). However the sinister way the truck lights go on after Noodles leaves the estates could imply the truck was originally for Noodles. Also, I don't remember Max dying (faking his death) at the end. He just stays in his study all alone with his problems.
shareAnd you don't know that it is Max that comes out of the gates either - looks like him - but there's no close up and whoever it was may have got into the passenger cab. What was the significance of the cars driving by with the revellers too?
Max says earlier that the gang need to get into the trucking business after prohibition.
His final appearance, where he deceives Noodles by disappearing behind the passing truck, mirrors his first scene, where he deceives the boys by stealing the drunk behind his passing carriage. Max is always one step ahead of Noodles.
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