Casino – Martin Scorsese at His Best

Casinos are a social hub where people from all walks of life come together. They offer many different games for everyone, from the simplicity of slot machines to the strategy of poker and the fast-paced action of craps. The odds of winning are stacked against you, as each game has a house edge that ranges from 1-2% up to 35%. But this doesn’t mean you can’t win at the casinos – it just means that your chances of losing are greater.

Opulent Decor

Many casinos are renowned for their luxurious and opulent environment. They often include stunning chandeliers, intricate architectural designs and beautiful marble floors. The opulent decor is designed to impress and inspire, creating a unique and captivating experience. Casinos also host a variety of high-quality entertainment, from concerts and comedy shows to fine dining and celebrity chef restaurants.

In some ways, Casino is Martin Scorsese dialing up Goodfellas to 11. But the film is also a western in its basic dynamics. The mobsters are expanding west, pushing out towards the Pacific in organised crime’s version of manifest destiny. And like cowboys, they are dismissive of Nevada’s locals, talking about them in the same tone that cowboys once used to talk about indigenous people.

This sense of expansion is reinforced by the cinematography, with Scorsese frequently entering shots from a high vantage point. These shots resemble the kind of elevated perspective that would be favoured by a god, watching over his subjects – whether the floor of a casino or the city of Las Vegas itself.