Casino (Movie Review)

The gangster genre is loaded with films about people who rise to the top, only to be brought down by greed and corruption. This is a theme that Martin Scorsese has explored numerous times throughout his career, and Casino is one of the best examples. Sharon Stone gives one of the performances of her career, and the film is held together by masterful editing from long time Scorsese collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker.

It’s a complicated picture, and it doesn’t leave much space for heroes or heroines. Everybody is mired in violence and treachery, and the film is about their gradual road to destruction. That makes it a compelling watch, and it also helps to make us feel sympathy for these characters when they meet their end.

Unlike Goodfellas, which is essentially a story about Henry Hill’s life as a mobster, Casino is more about the lives of the people who run casinos. This gives the movie a more balanced perspective, and it also allows Scorsese to focus on specific people rather than broad movements in mob life.

De Niro and Pesci give terrific performances, but the real star of Casino is Stone as the blonde hustler Ginger McKenna. Her character is a force to be reckoned with, and her dynamic with Sam is one of the more fascinating in the film. Seeing him slowly turn into a hound after her is an example of Scorsese’s subtle genius, and it makes for one of the most compelling plotlines in the entire film.