How Sergio Leone utilises Thriller generic signifiers in “Once upon a time in America”

First signifiers is non-dietetic sound (aural signifiers) of ‘God Bless America’ and the footsteps of Eve. This is ironic because USA is represented as violent in the next 5 minutes of action. This could be an inter textual reference “The Deer Hunter” (1979) where ‘God Bless America’ is also used ironically in the last moments of the film. The footsteps suggest fear and anxiety, like you are being followed. The establishing immediately suggests the genre because of a close up of a shadowed female in a doorway, noir lighting/chiaro scuro lighting to suggest illusion or nightmare. The femme fatale in the film is the character of Eve. A low angle shot of the cop with a gun, which he killed Eve with, makes him look more powerful/superior.

When Noodles returns to the café, Leone utilises the generic lift shaft with extreme low angle shot from Noodles’ point of view. This signifier indicates cause of danger that Noodles may face. The low angle shot uses low key lighting. There’s no sound apart from the lift shaft slowly lowering down, this creates tension. The sound of the lift is diegetic.