Following the success of Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese and his team were able to secure Universal’s backing for Casino. Based on the nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi, and featuring a cast led by Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci (and completing a trilogy begun with Raging Bull), this is an epic of corruption and greed that’s also one of the most entertaining mob films ever made.
The film follows Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro), a professional gambler who is hired by the Chicago Outfit to run the day-to-day operations of Tangiers casino in Las Vegas. He soon meets streetwise chip hustler Ginger McKenna (Stone) and begins a relationship that will ultimately lead to his downfall. Along the way, Scorsese lays bare the tangled web of corruption that engulfed Sin City, with tendrils reaching out to politicians, Teamsters unions, and even the Midwest mafia headquartered in Kansas City.
While a lot of movies have been set in Las Vegas, few capture the true story of the city’s history quite like this one does. From the feisty Ginger to the deteriorating relationship between Sam and Nicky, Casino is a movie brimming with captivating characters and themes. Moreover, it’s one of the most riveting and lean thrillers in Scorsese’s career, with no slow spots or lulls as it races toward its shocking climax. That’s no small accomplishment, considering that it’s over three hours long. A truly masterful piece of cinema.