Casino (1995 film)

Casino (1995 film)
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Name	Casino
Director	Martin Scorsese
Producer	Barbara De Fina
Writer	Nicholas Pileggi
Based on	"Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas" by Nicholas Pileggi
Starring	Robert De Niro; Sharon Stone; Joe Pesci
Music	Ryuichi Sakamoto; Robbie Robertson
Cinematography	Robert Richardson
Edited by	Thelma Schoonmaker
Studio	De Fina-Schoonmaker Productions
Distributor	Universal Pictures
Released	1995
Runtime	178 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Casino (1995 film) is an American crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Nicholas Pileggi, based on Pileggi's book about organized crime in Las Vegas. The film stars Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, and Joe Pesci and dramatizes the rise and fall of a casino operator entwined with mob figures, entertainers, and union bosses. The production involved collaborators from the Scorsese repertory and received attention for its performances, cinematography, and depiction of Mobster activity in late 20th-century Nevada.

Plot

The narrative follows Sam "Ace" Rothstein, a Jewish sports handicapper recruited by the Chicago Outfit to run the Tangiers Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, alongside his friend Nicky Santoro, a volatile mob enforcer. Sam navigates relationships with casino executives, hospitality staff, and showgirls while skimming casino profits to funnel to organized crime families in Chicago, New York City, and Sicily. His marriage to Ginger, a former prostitute entangled with Hollywood and entertainment figures, deteriorates amid infidelity, substance abuse, and schemes involving union corruption tied to figures linked to the Teamsters and prizefighting promoters. Nicky's violent methods draw attention from federal investigators, including agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney's office, while internal mob conflicts echo disputes between families such as those historically associated with Al Capone-era and later syndicates. The plot culminates in betrayals, federal prosecutions, and reprisals that mirror episodes from American organized crime history.

Cast

Principal performers include Robert De Niro as Sam Rothstein; Sharon Stone as Ginger McKenna; Joe Pesci as Nicky Santoro. Supporting roles feature actors associated with Scorsese's ensemble and Hollywood contemporaries portraying casino executives, mob bosses, union officials, and entertainers connected to Las Vegas Boulevard nightlife. Cameos and character parts evoke figures from the worlds of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and The Rat Pack-era show business, as well as syndicate affiliates linked to Meyer Lansky and other historical operators in Atlantic City and New York City.

Production

Development grew from Nicholas Pileggi's nonfiction reporting and prior collaboration with Scorsese on Goodfellas (1990 film). The screenplay adapted episodes from Pileggi's book and interviews with former casino insiders, union figures, and law enforcement. Scorsese assembled a crew including cinematographer Robert Richardson and editor Thelma Schoonmaker, with music contributions from Ryuichi Sakamoto and Robbie Robertson. Filming occurred on location in Las Vegas at properties evocative of the Tangiers and on studio stages, recreating period sets referencing Sahara Hotel and Casino-era interiors and exterior views of the Las Vegas Strip. Costuming and production design drew on vintage fashion linked to entertainers like Sammy Davis Jr. and executives from corporations such as MGM Resorts International predecessors. The production navigated cooperation with Nevada regulators, negotiations with unions including those tied to stagehands and hospitality workers, and concerns over portraying real-life crime figures, referencing legal matters similar to cases prosecuted by notable federal figures and prosecutors in Chicago and Las Vegas.

Release and reception

Released by Universal Pictures in 1995, the film premiered amid awards season and summer releases, competing with studio films and independent productions. Critical response highlighted Sharon Stone's performance and Scorsese's direction while debates arose over running time and depiction of violence associated with mob rule and labor racketeering. Major film critics and publications compared the picture to Scorsese's earlier crime films such as Goodfellas (1990 film) and The Departed (2006 film), and commentators linked its aesthetic to works by directors like Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Cimino. Box office returns reflected moderate commercial success domestically and internationally, with ancillary revenue from home video markets and broadcasts on networks including cable channels and premium services. Law enforcement and academic commentators analyzed its portrayal of organized crime alongside nonfiction works on the Chicago Outfit and federal prosecutions by offices like the United States Department of Justice.

Themes and analysis

Scholars and critics have examined themes of power, corruption, loyalty, and spectacle through lenses invoking historic personalities and institutions. Analyses connect the film's depiction of casino operations to authoritarian patronage systems like those associated with Midwestern syndicates and East Coast families, referencing historical figures and entities such as Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano, and unions tied to prominent labor leaders. The film's treatment of performance and identity draws parallels to showbusiness legends including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and impresarios who shaped Las Vegas entertainment. Cinematic techniques—long tracking shots, montage, and voice-over narration—are compared to sequences in works by Orson Welles and Federico Fellini, while its moral ambiguity and violence have been discussed in studies of American crime cinema and cultural histories of Nevada and Las Vegas capitalism.

Awards and legacy

The film earned awards recognition, with Sharon Stone receiving nominations and wins from bodies such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Golden Globe Awards, and critics' circles; Scorsese and the cast were acknowledged by guilds including the Directors Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild. Over time the film entered discussions about Scorsese's oeuvre and was cited in retrospectives at institutions like the American Film Institute and film festivals that spotlight crime cinema. Its influence is traced in later portrayals of casino culture, crime dramas on television, and works by filmmakers exploring organized crime narratives, echoing through productions set in Atlantic City, New York City, and neo-noir treatments across American cinema.

Category:1995 films