Casino (1995)

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers (WGA):

Nicholas Pileggi (book)
Nicholas Pileggi (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 November 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

You don't stay at the top forever

Plot:

Greed, deception, money, power, and murder occur between two mobster best friends and a trophy wife over a gambling empire.

Plot Keywords:

Casino | Las Vegas | 1970s | Mafia | Murder

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
Sharon Stone	...	Ginger McKenna
Joe Pesci	...	Nicky Santoro
James Woods	...	Lester Diamond
Frank Vincent	...	Frank Marino
Pasquale Cajano	...	Remo Gaggi
Kevin Pollak	...	Phillip Green
Don Rickles	...	Billy Sherbert
Vinny Vella	...	Artie Piscano
Alan King	...	Andy Stone
L.Q. Jones	...	Pat Webb
Dick Smothers	...	Senator
Joseph Rigano	...	Vincent Borelli
John Bloom	...	Don Ward
Melissa Prophet	...	Jennifer Santoro

Also Known As:

Casino (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong brutal violence, pervasive strong language, drug use and some sexuality.

Runtime:

178 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Brazil:18 | Australia:R | Italy:VM14 | Philippines:R-18 | Israel:18 | India:A | Poland:15 | Austria:12 (TV rating) (cut) | Argentina:18 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | Chile:18 | Denmark:16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #34125) | Finland:K-18 | Finland:K-16 (cut) | Singapore:R(A) | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Baker, Mojave Desert, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

After being elected the Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman, who played a small part in Casino and was the attorney of Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal, the basis of Robert De Niro's character and who represented the Four Queens Casino/Hotel in Las Vegas created a $5 and $25 casino chip with his portrait.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Nicky first comes to town, Ace shows him the panoramic daytime view from his corner suite. The only high rise building that can be seen is the Landmark (demolished). Later, in the scene where Ace proposes to Ginger, the same view, at nighttime, is instead filled with high rise buildings as well as nearby Dunes and Frontier marquees. The nighttime view is clearly fabricated; the south-Strip Dunes (demolished) is nowhere near the north-Strip Frontier (demolished). The daytime view implies the corner suite is somewhere inside the Las Vegas Hilton.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ace Rothstein: [voice-over] When you love someone, you've gotta trust them. There's no other way. You've got to give them the key to everything that's yours. Otherwise, what's the point? And for a while, I believed, that's the kind of love I had.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Sopranos: College (#1.5)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

EEE-O Eleven

A Can't-Miss Story No Matter How Told

As a lifelong gambler who has crossed paths with a few fringe types portrayed in the film, I'm well aware of the story, the culture, and the ambiance of the Tangiers, the fictional casino placed in the control of Sam "Ace" Rothstein (Robert Deniro). Rothstein is not a mob member, but a "moneymaker" for them because he's the nation's best sports handicapper. It was refreshing for a movie to finally show that not all gamblers are stupid, but instead one of those who takes advantage of the many who are.

Rothstein's partner in crime is Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), who is far less convincing as a mobster than he would seem to like to believe. Sharon Stone plays the psychotic Ginger, a once-in-a-lifetime role in that it was the only time in my life I could bear to watch her on film. The supporting cast is strong, led by James Woods and Don Rickles (excellent in his dramatic capacity), and the movie is generally well-acted.

If you are a gambler or know the "wiseguy" culture, the movie doesn't have to be explained, while if you aren't, you'll feel like you've stumbled upon the secret meeting place of the mafia and made privy to what is said, without anyone knowing you were there. This film is based on the true story of what happened when the mob tried to put its men in suits and have them heading a casino, and why it has never been tried since. The homage paid to the incestuous nature of Nevada politics was an excellent touch.

Most of us wouldn't like a guy like Sam Rothstein, nor would we like to be him, but if we go to Vegas for a weekend and stay at a casino/hotel, we'll have a better experience if his watchful eye is ensuring that our stay is a pleasant one. The film's nod to how Vegas has been sanitized since those days is also accurate, and reflects sadness at a lost era, where the baby (the "old school" types who made Vegas great) was thrown out with the bathwater (the organized crime influences).