Masterful direction and cinematography...!!!! It was watching a series of wonderful black and white photographs taken by a skilled professional photographer. This movie is a joy to watch and enjoy.The actors, most of them unknowns at the time, are excellent. It is so well dome it is like watching a documentary. The hand-held camera work helps give you this feeling.The story, basically a true story about an uncle of Elia Kazan and his efforts to get to America, is riveting. The characters seem real because they are real. It will hold your attention. SEE IT..!!!! You won't be sorry.

Reading the rave reviews here, I feel a bit like the boy in the Emperor's New Clothes, but ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I found this movie almost unwatchable. I really don't understand the cult of Kazan -- I wonder if sometimes he doesn't benefit from a kind of reverse discrimination -- some people just determined to like the films --- good or bad -- just to spite those who feel so strongly about his political / ethical behavior in the 1950's. (FYI - from what I understand of it all, I can't say that I think he behaved as well as possible, but I have no problem separating that from his movies.) The movie is pretty in some parts, but I found the acting to be clichéd and hackneyed. The dialogue was worse and was aggravated by the fact that the actors were apparently all directed (or at least allowed ) to SHOUT LOTS OF THEIR LINES (to show that they are a heartfelt peasant folk wearing their emotions on their sleeves? Or maybe just to try to keep the audience awake.) The fact that most of them do it with a Lower East Side New York accent is just a bonus. Except the lead, who somehow picked up a Greek-ish accent (it starts to sound more Latino as the movie goes on) in a village where his parents and neighbors sound like Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks (no wonder he wants to go to America.) But he doesn't talk so much -- his specialty seems to be long, dark smoldering looks. I guess the looks are meant to substitute for motive -- while he is obsessed with getting to America, it's hard to believe that his desire to do so overwhelms the other opportunities he's presented with in Constantinople ------ frankly, he ends up seeming a bit simple-minded throughout the film.I agree with the commentator who noted that there aren't a lot of movies that deal with the Armenian genocide, but I don't see where that means you should celebrate a bad one (especially one that is really about the Greeks anyway, not that they were treated well by the Turks either). I certainly don't think that a movie that perpetuates every dumb stereotype about Greeks and Turks and immigrants (and Americans, come to think of it) is anything worth getting excited about. I'd say the only reason to rush to get this one on DVD is that it'd be easier to fast forward through it than on VHS.

"America, America" deserves a modern audience but is almost impossible to find. I just viewed a VHS version obtained through the inter-library loan program. I live in Virginia and it was sent down from Alaska!This film should be required viewing for anyone interested in understanding why the huddled masses flocked to America but it is highly personalized and focused on a young man from a middle class Greek family with a big dream that seems impossible to fulfill. Another reviewer correctly likened Stathis Giallelis to a young Brando for his overpowering individuality, determination, and (for Turkish society in 1900) swagger. But when his character Stavros grows a mustache, he becomes a young Omar Sharif. AA is brilliantly written and directed by Elia Kazan.

Whenever directors have 'personal' projects, that's enough to make me scream for the exits. Take for example, Elia Kazan's 'America, America', a movie that just SCREAMS "Pretentious" because it's so "important", or so it would like it to be.A young Greek who has big dreams of going to America, hits a few stumbling blocks along the way, namely turncoat friends, lack of money, turncoat hookers, lack of money etc. He then realizes that in order to GET money to get to America, he has to marry into it. But is he comfortable with that decision though? Although the acting is good (the lead, played by Stathis Giallelis, is particularly good), I found some of this either strangely dubbed, or badly written, can't quite place it. The cinematography is great though, as looks as gritty as it seems. Finally, Kazan unfortunately feels this was, again, IMPORTANT, so his little speech at the beginning and his hilarious voice-over over the credits when we could just read it for ourselves just screams pretentious film-making.So, good in some parts, bad on others, too long, and woefully pretentious in places. There, you're on your own now. :)