With Casino, Scorsese made a film that wasn’t just about the mob, but one that was about what it felt like to be in their midst. The film follows Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro) and his day-to-day operations as the henchman for Chicago Outfit bosses in Sin City. He’s a master at gambling and the business of it, but he’s also not blind to its inhumanity. The movie’s opening sequence, which has deliberate echoes of Goodfellas’ Copacabana interlude, takes us inside the money counting room at the Tangiers Casino, and we see how skimming off the top of the till is an art that Ace countenances, as long as the kickbacks go to a group of old-school mobster bosses in Kansas City.
Casino is the most influential film about gambling and its effects on society, but it doesn’t stop at showcasing the dark side of casinos. In fact, the movie exposes some of the psychological tricks that casinos use to make people keep spending their money. For example, casinos typically design their layout in a playground style, with high ceilings and beautiful decor, to create a feeling of safety and euphoria. They also waft scented oils through their ventilation systems, which can keep players in a trance-like state and oblivious to how much time has passed. Casinos can also program slot machines to produce near-misses, which encourage players to continue playing and increase their total winnings.
The film is a tour de force for its cast of characters, including Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) and Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), who is considered by many to be one of the best performances in Scorsese’s career. The film was a game-changer in how Scorsese presented his subject matter, and it continues to inspire filmmakers and audiences alike.