When I saw this movie for the first time, I suddenly understood what “directing” meant. Especially because of the scene where Hyman Roth celebrates his birthday, and his cake (representing Cuba) is divided between all the participants. It looks like a simple b-day cake, but it says all about the scene : how the Mafia takes over, corrupts, and shares the benefits of a market/country, etc. Simple but so true. You don’t need special effect, no violence, just a clearly conceived scene.