Plot: What’s it about?
After the success of Goodfellas in the early part of the decade, director Martin Scorsese and writer Nicholas Pileggi chose to team up once again in another tale of organized crime. With Scorsese’s filmmaking vision brought to a wider scale thanks to his efforts on Cape Fear and The Age of Innocence, the sites were set for Las Vegas and two of the main principles (Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci) from Goodfellas costarring again in a tale of the luck of the draw, the rise and fall and the glitz and glamour that is Casino.
Meet Ace Rothstein (Robert DeNiro), he’s one of the best handicappers when it comes to sports betting, a fact that draws the attention to some people in the world of organized crime. Out in Vegas, the bunch from Chicago has gotten a hold of the Teamsters pension fund and with a great amount of money look to venture their business into the casino world of Las Vegas, running The Tangiers. How Ace fits is that they need someone to run the place legitimately. At the same time, one of the boys back home named Nicky Santuro (Joe Pesci) is keeping a sharp eye for the boys into this venture. Along the way Ace meets a hustling pretty gal named Ginger (Sharon Stone) that will be there for him during the good times and the bad but literally could also be the death of him.
Upon first viewing, this viewer didn’t know what to make of it in 1996 (when the film came out on video), and the result was a little less satisfying than most of Scorsese’s work. However, in the years since then it took a friend’s wild request of Joe Pesci movies to view the film amongst friends. It was through this film that one element about Martin Scorsese’s films was imminent. His films are so much better the second time around and more and upon second viewing, this viewer noticed one of the most visually striking films of any decade along with a great capture of the period as well as a solid three hours of film (started with a great title sequence by Elaine and Saul Bass (A LEGEND!!)) that go by as each element is presented during the ongoing operations of the casino.
The film has gangster elements in the film but if one were to nail a genre for this piece, one would consider a docudrama with elements in between of interaction. The narration from both views (Nicky’s and Ace’s) carry the film very well in its backgrounded moments.
Scorsese and Pileggi develop a tale that leads to little holes in the operation to an unexpected triangle between his wife and his guardian. One of the things I love about the film is the way Scorsese plays with the structure as well as playing with location and time titles in different points of speed and movement.
It also leads to some great trademarks of Scorsese, the crazy camera close up, the great selection of period music as well as a number of long takes one being almost 6 minutes into the picture showing “the holiest of holies” in Vegas. I also like the term “boys back home” to refer to the shady characters that were skimming off the casino.
As for the cast, the film is well cast all around. As Ace Rothstein, Robert DeNiro gives a great performance of a man who gives into luck when he doesn’t believe in it and pays the price in the long run as well as having a high level of trust with things he cares for the most, even the slightest of things (like chips or blueberries in a muffin).
Joe Pesci brings a fierce menace to Nicky Santuro as a man different from Tommy in Goodfellas in that their dangerous element is similar, but the difference being that Nicky is already a made guy and one that crosses the line too far when the time comes (as Tommy never got to that point). It also is worth noting of Pesci’s other co-star in both Goodfellas and Raging Bull, Frank Vincent as he plays Nicky’s associate that gives a moment that saves the best for last for Frank in the run of those 2 movies.
In the film’s sole nomination (there should’ve been more), Sharon Stone plays Ginger, a gal with the line on all the side people at the casino but with a line on the man in charge and a line of coke at the same time. She plays a gal that no matter how much love Ace gives to her, she sees herself still attached to her slimeball ex-boyfriend (played brilliantly by James Woods).
Another interesting element of the film is the many comics that fill serious roles amongst the films. All of them (Don Rickles, Alan King, Kevin Pollak, Dick Smothers and a cameo by Steve Allen) this viewer is sure has played Vegas at one point or another and to bring their presence non-comedically into the flow of Scorsese’s film is most welcomed and they do extremely well in their supporting parts.
Through all the good moments, Casino never feels overlong and follows in the long tradition of films made in Vegas as a thing of beauty visually (thanks to cinematographer Robert Richardson) and in all aspects is a film like many of Scorsese’s worth going back to if you haven’t and worth appreciating if it’s been your umpteenth time. Casino is a winner all around, bet, place and show.
Video: How does it look?
In this title’s second release of the 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, the 10th anniversary makes some improvements over the other release as the colors of the film are a lot more solid and a lot more eye popping throughout all scenes of the film. There is a lot less debris on the transfer and the specks here and there are put to a bare minimum on this release. I thought one line or two were on this transfer but once I noticed that was on one of the airplanes of the film, that was a lot clearer to me that it wasn’t the transfer but one element of the film. Overall, a nice improvement over the previous release.
Audio: How does it sound?
The Dolby Digital 5.1 brings more of a “you are there” element to this edition than the previous release as the mix of music and background noise are flowed in the rear channels while the dialogue is succumbed to the center channels. All the words and effects come off beautifully without a hiss, pop or any lost information audibly. There’s nothing like hearing both versions of “The In Crowd” mixed within one side character of the film in a key scene when it comes to the offside of winning in a casino and the sound mix throughout makes out very well (particularly in the use of Moonglow from the movie “Picnic” in the cashroom). Another improvement all around sound wise. This disc also has a French and Spanish Surround track along with English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Before we get into the meat sections of this edition, one element that is not on this edition on either side is the film’s theatrical trailer (including much Rolling Stone music throughout the 2 minutes) so that and the menus original poster look are 2 reasons to hang on to the original release (as I feel it’s good to have both co-exist). The beginning of the DVD are spots for The Big Lebowski: Special Edition, Assault on Precinct 13 and the first 3 seasons of Northern Exposure.
Also, the menus I can see are a moving visual improvement on side one as the music that is used for both sides reminds me in a way of a mix of the local NYC 4:00 movie on Channel 9 and the 6:00 Sunday movie on Channel 11 themes. I’m sure Casino would’ve been entries on either one of those if they existed today.
Now onto the other extras, side one begins with a commentary track entitled “Moments with Martin Scorsese, Nicholas Pileggi, Sharon Stone and More” These are pieces from interviews with the three principles with the “More” portion filling up with editor Thelma Schoonmaker, costume designer Rita Ryack, and actor Frank Vincent. Each person fills the time up not always connecting with the action going on in the film but each giving their own view of their positions with this film whether it’s how Rita dressed De Niro or how Thelma was introduced to the digital world of editing and the pluses of it along with how Pileggi and Scorsese balanced a book and a screenplay at the same time of filming with a lot of the track belonging to Sharon Stone which went into her feelings after auditioning for Scorsese and an unexpected visitor that came to her when she was ready to give up her quest into the film. It’s also good to note that both Stone (at the 1 hour, 45 minute mark) and Frank Vincent (at the 2 hour , 18 minute mark) give some of the best takes of what to expect on watching a Martin Scorsese film that even for this viewer is dead on. Each person is addressed with their name before their piece and it is all around a very good track well put together.
Now we’re onto the same menu music on side 2 but with no motion and some more extras. Like with Raging Bull, a big four part documentary is featured without a play all function but each one in their own varying minutes way, cover bases that are intriguing.
In The Story, writer Nick Pileggi chats about his fascination with Vegas along with Martin chatting a bit about a few elements introduced in the picture. Some interesting poster elements before the original design make another interesting take on how the film would’ve been viewed in a coming attraction paper sense.
The Cast and Characters is a longer piece going into the casting of the picture with viewpoints from 1995 from DeNiro and Pesci along with present day takes from Stone and Frank Vincent along with some insights into the real life characters.
The Look goes into the visionaries behind the cameras (shown in the cards on the intro) that go into the long shoot and the set designer Dante Ferretti and the ideas of the visual sense of the film from research along with the costume design with Rita Ryack and storyboarding along with the lighting styles of cinematographer Robert Richardson (seen but not discussed on camera). It also showed one of the first experiences with Scorsese of CGI and the timeframe that they had filming every day.
After The Filming goes into the editing with Thelma Schoonmaker as well as different takes on the opening scene that comes back a few times later in the film along with the choices of music within the film along with the pluses and minuses of length when exhibiting the film in addition to the involvement of Saul Bass and the initial reaction of the film at the time.
It all combines 53 minutes and most of the interviews here are used within the commentary track with a repetition of information along with some other elements matched in. In this case of this release, it’s not a problem as it’s a pleasure to hear all info once again fitting into the second time pleasure of Scorsese’s films working well into this less than an hour piece.
After those pieces is three deleted scenes that play within 3 minutes and long that block that’s more of outtakes than deleted scenes that incorporate the reactionary role of Catherine Scorsese to one side conversation with Joe Pesci and company to a signature Don Rickles line during one key scene (which was not used in the film).
On the second page are two pieces concerning this issue on a more documentary re-enactment scale.
The first is a 13 minute NBC News piece called Vegas and the Mob which incorporate real life characters like Mayor Oscar Goodman (almost confused with Steve Austin’s superior named Goldman on the Six Million Dollar Man, same first name) along with little scenes incorporated into the piece.
The other, History Alive: True Crime Authors: Casino with Nicholas Pileggi, is a longer piece with the real life Ace
featured more going into all the actions from a more re-enactment sense of Casino with the inclusion of writer Pileggi with more stories concerning all the activities around Vegas at that time. No scenes from the film are incorporated but the result is very well done and detailed. Interesting to see what the talk show featured in Casino really looked like at the time too.
There is an option for the “Moments” piece but that urges the viewer to flip over to the other side for it (the commentary track) and to finish off the 10th anniversary are the production notes of the film.
Casino remains another in the long list of Martin Scorsese’s masterpieces as he gives a stirring look at Vegas and organized crime in the seventies going into the eighties and it’s well represented without any error for this viewer on this 10th anniversary piece with improvements all around and extras that give a very well recommendation all around.
