Casino
1995 · Directed by Martin Scorsese
Original language: English
- crime
- drama
The story
In Las Vegas, two best friends--a casino executive and a Mafia enforcer--compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.
What it’s like
Warm desert sunlight bleeds into the neon-soaked interiors of a 1970s Las Vegas, where gold leaf, mirrored ceilings and green felt tables glow under constant artificial light. Scorsese's camera moves like it owns the room: restless tracking shots, freeze-frame narration, and voiceover that sounds like a confession, all set to a jukebox of Rolling Stones, Dinah Washington and Tom Jones. The mood is glamorous and corrosive, a sun-bleached, sweaty excess that keeps tipping toward paranoia and dread. Violence is frequent and sudden, sometimes brutal, including a notorious beating and a car bombing, and there is heavy drug use, profanity, sexual content and cruelty throughout. The pace is brisk and relentless, with long stretches of talk, scheming and gambling interrupted by eruptions of rage. Its arc follows two old friends and a woman who wants more than she can have, a slow unraveling of greed and loyalty. For people who want a sprawling, stylish crime epic with a hard edge, not something gentle.
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