Following the monster hit of Goodfellas, Scorsese and his team turned to Casino. Based on a non-fiction book, this ambitious crime drama delved deep into the seedy underbelly of Sin City. It portrayed an intricate web of corruption that stretched from the casinos to the Teamsters, politicians and even to mobster allies in Kansas City. It also starred Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone, with the latter in the best performance of her career.
The film is centered on Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro), the owner of the Tangiers, who’s backed by the mob. He runs the hotel as a front but skims the money as it goes through. His henchman, Nicky Santoro (Pesci), arrives in Vegas to take over the gambling operations. But Ace isn’t going to let him.
Casino is a riveting, fast-paced thriller that takes on big themes and big characters. Its script never bogs down and its editing is taut and lean. At three hours, it’s one of the longest movies that Scorsese has ever made but it never lags and never runs out of steam.
The movie is a testament to how much Scorsese understands the power of collaboration and how to pull the best performances out of his actors. It’s one of the most important films of its era. Casino’s success paved the way for more movies that explore the darker side of Las Vegas while still showing its opulence and neon signs.