Casino is a powerful film that showcases the power of great collaboration. Its cast is superb and the performances are outstanding, especially that of Sharon Stone who delivers the best performance of her career. The direction by Scorsese is unbridled; he has that “film sense” that only the very best directors possess (like Spielberg and Kubrick). He understands what Pauline Kael called the “poetics of editing,” he knows exactly which shot should follow which and is an absolute master of camera movements, angles, and framing. The result is a movie that moves at a breakneck pace and never once flags, even though it is three hours long.
Like Goodfellas, it’s a mob film that doesn’t skimp on the details and isn’t afraid to show the ugly side of the criminal world. The film follows a group of mobster-connected players and the relationships, betrayals, and eventual destruction that they all face. Casino is the antithesis of the flashy glitz of other films of its time that emphasized Vegas as the setting but only glossed over the characters and the problems they faced.
The film is also interesting in that it shows the effects of casinos on local economies. When new casinos open, they attract large numbers of visitors who spend money in hotels and other local attractions. This money translates to jobs for local residents who then use it to buy goods and services from other people in the area.