A note on methodology: We tried to make sure we emphasized the gambling over the movie. So, with the release of Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter, we decided to take a look back at some of the best movies about gambling. They usually don’t end up with a calm home life upstate, counting their winnings. It’s not fun to watch someone be prudent and cautious, but to see someone constantly putting his well-being on the line in desperate, irrational hope for that One Big Score … well, gamblers in gambling movies are in many ways just like that veteran cop who takes One Last Case before retirement. Movies about gambling have an inherent drama because, by definition, they’re about risk. It is fortunate that 'Casino' is available on Archives.This article originally ran in 2020 and is being republished ahead of the release of Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter. I enjoyed this film and thinking about Scorsese's films again. This film captures the hardness of Sin City and, as does much of Scorsese's work, has a metaphysical, religious feel below the surface. Violence, sexuality and greed come together to the accompaniment of Scorcese's lavish and apt musical background of songs from the era.

Sharon Stone gives a strong performance as his wife, Ginger, while Joe Pesci portrays Rothstein's lifelong friend, the violent and unstable Santoro. Robert De Niro stars as 'Ace' Rothstein, the gambler with Mafia connections who runs a large Vegas casino, the Tangiers. It also has well developed characters although they are all unsympathetic, even vile.

The movie is full of violence and criminality. Although lengthy, the film maintains tension and interest throughout as it shows the sordid nature of the business just below all the glitz. 'Casino' offers a close look at Las Vegas gambling during the years through the 1980s when organized crime was rampant. Both films center on money and materialism. Both films are about the greed, glitter, and violence of Las Vegas, with 'Showgirls' involved with glamour and stripping and 'Casino' involved with gambling. 'Showgirls' was a critical and commercial failure although its reputation has increased somewhat in recent years while 'Casino' is a masterpiece. I took the opportunity to watch 'Casino' here on Archives after watching another 1995 film 'Showgirls' set in Las Vegas. I have long been admirer of Martin Scorsese even though there are many of his films I haven't seen.

Casino (film) videos