Like all of Martin Scorsese’s best movies, Casino focuses on flawed individuals who rise to the top before falling from grace due to their own bad decisions. This theme is echoed in every aspect of the film from its choice of setting (Las Vegas) to the complex relationship between characters. But unlike Goodfellas, which sometimes jumped ahead in the story without explaining why, Casino is able to keep things clear because everything that happens later on is directly correlated to a character’s decision earlier in the movie.
This is largely thanks to the brilliant performances from the cast. The aforementioned Robert De Niro is in top form here as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, and he’s supported by Joe Pesci’s ruthless Frank Santoro and Sharon Stone’s seductive Ginger McKenna. Each one of these performers is a tensely captivating watch and they each bring a certain sense of menace to their roles.
Whether it’s the popped eyeball scene or the shockingly edited and sound-designed baseball bat beating, there is not a moment in this movie that doesn’t feel well thought out. But the violence is not what elevates this above the rest, it’s the overall tone and the way that Casino expertly reveals how corrupt the mob was in Las Vegas. It’s an incredible and underrated work that showcases the best of Scorsese’s filmmaking skills. This is not up to the standard of his classics like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, but it’s still miles ahead of most movies out there.