After a decade of gangster films that made mob bosses into dashing hero figures, Casino shattered the mold. Nicholas Pileggi’s fact-based story, adapted by Scorsese and De Niro (completing the team’s mafia trilogy that started with Goodfellas and Raging Bull), lays bare an intricate web of corruption that centered in Las Vegas. From the casinos to local politicians, Teamsters unions to Chicago mob kingpins, the mafia touched every aspect of society. The movie is rich in details, from the tacky 1970s period decor to little moments like Ace ordering casino cooks to put “exactly the same amount of blueberries in each muffin.” Unlike many crime dramas of the era, Casino resisted the temptation to exploit violence for shock value or style. That said, scenes like a torture-by-vice and the gruesome death by overdose of Joe Pesci’s character are harrowing — but they accurately reflect real-life incidents in this world.

Casino features some of the best acting of Robert De Niro’s career, but it’s Sharon Stone who spikes the picture with her dynamite performance. She builds on and inverts her role from Basic Instinct, exulting in her opportunistic, femme fatale persona as she effortlessly seduces and controls men.

Casino may be one of the longest movies that Scorsese ever made, but it never lags or loses steam in its middle. He uses taut narration and masterful editing to keep this lean, mean thriller a thrilling ride until the very end. The film’s most memorable moment comes when a mobster is stabbed through the heart with a baseball bat, an image that lingers in your mind long after the credits have rolled.