- Usually the song 'Danny Boy' is there to heighten or foreshadow tragedy. Leo plays it while lounging around in his bathrobe when guys burst in with tommyguns in hand and their hats on their heads, he sure looks like the Sacrificial Lion. But not quite.
- The opening scene where Caspar visits Leo to formally request a hit on Bernie, who's been cutting in on Caspar's rigged boxing matches. A tense introduction into the story's criminal underworld that neatly sets up the movie and its main characters, as well as a brilliant homage to the opening scene of The Godfather.
- The sequence in the forest where Tom is ordered to execute Bernie. With Bernie — with an incredible over-the-top performance by Turturro — literally begging for his life. "Look into ya heeaaarrtt..."
- And the response that takes the rest of the movie to get to. "What heart?"
- The Dane calmly threatening Verna in an empty boarding room, casually leaning to avoid a low-hanging lamp (he's that tall) as he stalks her.
- How Tom is able to — while getting the crap beat out of him by an enraged Dane — convince Caspar that his loyal Dragon is the one aiding the devious Bernie.
- Tom, with a little luck, manages to destroy the Italian mob using a Zero-Approval Gambit and downright brilliant manipulation tactics to see it tear itself apart and ensure his boss comes out on top.
- Tom is so well liked and respected in the criminal underworld that both Leo and Caspar offer to square Tom's debts with Lazarre, a bookie who almost sounds like a boogieman even to crime lords. What makes it awesome is that when Lazarre's henchmen come to collect, they *apologize* to Tom as they beat the daylights out of him not because they're afraid of the repercussions, but because they don't want to hurt him.
"Lazarre says he's sorry about this, but it's getting out of hand. He likes you, Tom. He said we didn't have to break anything."
- Tom needles Caspar so much about the potential for The Dane's treachery that he explodes in anger. Tom studies him dispassionately for a moment then places his hand on his shoulder, seemingly provoking him to even greater rage. Then:
''"Johnny, my chin's hanging out there right alongside yours. I'd worry a lot less if I thought you were worrying enough"
Calming Caspar down in a moment.
