In the Casino, Martin Scorsese delivers a hellacious vision of Vegas life that is both a civic portrait and a warning. It lays bare the city’s dark origins and its past ties to organized crime while displaying its opulence and gamblers playing cards and slots. The film is also a lament for what’s lost as Sin City becomes more family-friendly and devoid of its old-school grit.
The precise origins of gambling are unknown, but the practice is seen in almost every culture throughout history, from Ancient Mesopotamia to Napoleon’s France and Elizabethan England. The popularity of the game is often seen as a result of human curiosity and the need to test oneself, especially in uncertain times or situations.
Today, casinos use a variety of tactics to keep people in the building and betting. They waft scented oils throughout their ventilation systems to make people feel comfortable, and the euphoric sound of slot machines helps keep players coming back. They even offer “near-miss” rewards to encourage gambling, such as free food and drink or merchandise. These rewards are sometimes called comps and are distinguished from the monetary gifts given to players, such as cash back or free play, monthly mailers, loss rebates, and airline tickets.
The movie’s heart and soul is Stone, whose performance builds on and inverts Basic Instinct. She is a relentless machine, a self-satisfied hustler who relishes her own ability to manipulate men and keeps them awake with her incessant chatter (“A smart hustler could keep a guy awake for two or three days,” Ace says of Ginger). Despite the movie’s violence and sexual degradation (including a popped eyeball and a bat-beating that was trimmed to avoid an NC-17 rating), Scorsese conveys a certain admiration for his characters.