Casino (1995)

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

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Nicholas Pileggi (book), Nicholas Pileggi (screenplay),

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci

Top 250 #141 | Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

This Martin Scorsese film depicts the Janus-like quality of Las Vegas--it has a glittering, glamorous face, as well as a brutal, cruel one. Ace Rothstein and Nicky Santoro, mobsters who move to Las Vegas to make their mark, live and work in this paradoxical world. Seen through their eyes, each as a foil to the other, the details of mob involvement in the casinos of the 1970's and '80's are revealed. Ace is the smooth operator of the Tangiers casino, while Nicky is his boyhood friend and tough strongman, robbing and shaking down the locals. However, they each have a tragic flaw--Ace falls in love with a hustler, Ginger, and Nicky falls into an ever-deepening spiral of drugs and violence.

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Plot Keywords:

casino | boyhood friend | murder | greed | 1970s | 

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Taglines:

Winner loses all.

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Country:

USA France

Language:

English French Persian

Release Date:

22 November 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kasino

Filming Locations:

357 Desert Inn Road, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$52,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

£3,834,340 (UK) (15 March 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Syalis DA, Légende Entreprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

178 min

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo DTS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dick Smothers' character, Senator, is partly based on Nevada Senator Harry Reid, who was chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission. The scene in which Sam Rothstein is denied a license by the Nevada Gaming Commission is based on a December 1978 hearing when Harry Reid was the commission's chairman; some of Reid's statements are used in Smothers' dialogue. The scene was shot in an actual courtroom in the Clark County Courthouse, which was later closed in 2005.

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Goofs

When Nicky calls Sam after Sam kicked the big cowboy from Nicky's crew out of the casino for cursing him, Nicky apologizes, then hangs up the phone. Nicky then asks the cowboy why he "took off his boots and put his feet on the blackjack table." However, Sam never told Nicky this information.

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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.
[Ace's car explodes]

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Connections

References Contempt (1963)

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Soundtracks

"Sweet Dreams"
Written by Don Gibson
Performed by Emmylou Harris
Courtesy of Reprise Records
by Arrangement with Warner Special Products
Published by Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.

User Reviews

An underrated and undervalued Scorsese Classic

If you haven't seen Casino yet, stop whatever it is you're doing, rush to the nearest video store, rent it, and watch it. Along with Mean Streets Casino is probably Scorsese's most underrated and unheralded picture. I would also venture to say that this is probably his most ambitious film. The film deals with a particular time period and a particular atmosphere and accomplishes an overwhelming achievement by creating and accurately portraying both. The art direction is splendid, most likely the best of any film Scorsese has ever done. The acting is superb. I never thought Pesci would be able to top his dynamic performance in Raging Bull until I saw Casino. Every time I watch this picture I fall in love with it all over again. This is the most honest depiction of Las Vegas, especially of the time period it was portrayed in. Scorsese's direction is flawless. Perhaps it is because I watch alot of Scorsese and Kubrick films, but I am becoming less satisfied with plot driven films and more enamored by films that possess the freedom that typical stories just don't seem to hold. Sharon Stone gives the best performance of her career, and as far as the editing is concerned, well if you believe like Kubrick and Pudovkin that a film is not shot, but built who better to have on your team than long time cohort, collaborator, and editor Thelma Schoonmaker. Ultimately, the genius of Scorsese is not just in the mastery of the medium, but in the understanding and appreciation for the necessity of great collaborators on all levels that Scorsese has consistently utilized throughout his career. Casino exemplifies not only the best of a Scorsese film, but transcends it. This film is truly a gem.