Casino (1995)

When watching Casino for the first time, years ago, I must admit that I felt a bit disappointed by it. It was a very long movie (178 minutes) which never captivated me the way something like Goodfellas did. It’s the obvious comparison to make of course since it’s also directed by Scorcese and stars Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci and maybe that was the reason I didn’t like it back then. I was probably hoping for the same type of movie and although it has its similarities it is a very different movie. Thinking I hadn’t been fair to the movie at the time, I had to revisit the world of Las Vegas during the seventies. A time before the big corporations moved in and when it was possible for gangsters to make quite a bit of money in the gambling capital of the world.

Robert De Niro is Sam Rothstein, a man who is a genius when it comes to sports betting. He analyzes whatever he can get his hands on and only gambles if he is sure that he is right. The mob in Chicago is already skimming money in the casinos in Las Vegas and regularly receive a briefcase of money. The bosses think it would be a good idea for Sam Rothstein to run the Tangiers casino since he has a great reputation. Although hesitant he agrees to take the job and heads to the city in the desert. Since the casinos are checked regularly he has to make sure nothing turns up, but with one of his childhood friends, Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), also joining him he might not have it all under control. When he falls for Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), a high-end call girl his life gets even more complicated.

Casino has been based on the experiences Frank ‘Lefty’ Rosenthal had when he was working in Las Vegas. It’s a story you would not believe, but it has been mostly based on actual facts. It is a typical Martin Scorcese film which does not shy away from violence. One of the most horrific scenes is when someone’s head is put in a vice. It is a scene which Scorcese thought would never make it through the ratings (and was willing to sacrifice), but when it did he decided to keep it. Although these scenes are only a small part of the movie they are the ones you will not forget soon.

Visually the movie is stunning and manages to really capture the excitement and glitz of gambling in a casino. The scene in which Sharon Stone’s character, Ginger Mckenna, is introduced is a good example of it. Despite Sam Rothstein’s knowlegde that starting a relationship with Ginger McKenna is also betting against the odds he takes it. As their relationship starts to crumble I wondered if Scorcese put his own experience of divorce (he has married 5 times) into those scenes. Not only does their relationship crumble, but the power of the mafia also slowly starts to fade away in Las Vegas resulting in a bittersweet ending. Just like in Goodfellas you know you are rooting for the bad guy even though they might not make it to the end of the movie. I was happy to have rewatched this movie as I appreciated it a whole lot more than I did the first time. Although I still think Goodfellas is the better movie this one is well worth seeing too.