This movie was probably relevant in the 70s and may have been a benchmark at the time it was made. Watching it in 2006, I can see how it added to the movie landscape and that effect that it had on subsequent film making.

Some of the film is amazing, but mostly it goes on and on. It is very long, with some of the scenes taking an age, without really adding to the atmosphere or the point. These are not impressive pauses, silences, looks, stares, or useful dwelling time, simply editing that never happened.

This film is worth seeing as a history lesson in film, to get an understanding of the development of the genre, but anybody who has seen goodfellas, casino, or any other mob flick is unlikely to find the moral tale worth the journey.