CASINO (1995)

Casino, directed by Martin Scorsese, is a sprawling, cinematic portrayal of greed, power, and betrayal set against the glittering yet corrupt world of Las Vegas in the 1970s and 1980s. The film stars Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, and Joe Pesci, delivering a gripping exploration of the rise and fall of a casino empire, along with the personal and professional turmoil that comes with it. Based on the non-fiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi, Casino is a powerful narrative that blends crime, drama, and Scorsese’s signature filmmaking style.
The story revolves around Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro), a highly skilled but paranoid sports handicapper who is chosen by the mob to run the operations of the Tangiers, a high-stakes casino in Las Vegas. Alongside Sam is Nikki Santoro (Pesci), a ruthless mob enforcer, and Ginger McKenna (Stone), a beautiful, scheming former prostitute who becomes Sam’s wife.
As Sam tries to run the casino smoothly, he faces challenges not only from rival crime organizations but also from his own personal demons—primarily his volatile relationship with Ginger and his growing distrust of Nikki, whose violent tendencies threaten to destabilize the entire operation. The film explores the opulence of Las Vegas casinos and the underlying criminal activity that fuels them, highlighting the dangers of unchecked ambition and betrayal in the cutthroat world of organized crime.
Set in the 1970s and 1980s, the film showcases the rise of Las Vegas as the gambling capital of the world, with the neon lights, lavish casinos, and excessive lifestyles providing a stark contrast to the corruption and violence lurking beneath the surface. The film’s tone is both glamorous and gritty, reflecting the excesses of the time.