Robert De Niro plays Nicky Santoro, a mobster who moves to Las Vegas to protect a casino owned by his brother-in-law, played by Joe Pesci. The film follows the rise and fall of a man who built his fortune on luck and violence, and then watched both fail him.
Trailer, via UniversalMoviesINTL.
Nicky Santoro’s Rise
De Niro plays Santoro as a man who believes luck is a weapon. He carries a gun, he cheats, he kills, and he laughs about it. The performance is electric, full of menace and humor in equal measure.
Pesci plays a man whose rage is the point. His character is a killer, a liar, and a man who trusts no one. The scene where he murders a man in the back seat of a car is brutal, and it sets the tone for the whole film.
The Casino Itself
The casino is a character in its own right. The film shows it growing from a modest operation into a sprawling resort, filled with lights, music, and endless crowds. The set design is lavish, and the camera lingers on the opulence.
The film also shows the darker side of the business. The scenes of debt collection, bribery, and corruption are grim, and they undercut the glamour of the casino floor.
The Running Order
| Scene | Location |
|---|---|
| Nicky arrives in Vegas | A hotel room |
| Nicky meets his brother-in-law | The casino floor |
| The murder in the car | A dark street |
| The final confrontation | A private room |
Comparing the Two Leads
| Character | Nicky Santoro | His brother-in-law |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Protector | Owner |
| Method | Violence | Business |
| Loyalty | To family | To the casino |
| Fate | Betrayed | Survives |
The Long Length
At nearly three hours, the film runs long. Some scenes stretch past their welcome, and the middle section drags in places.
But the length also allows the film to build its world slowly. The slow pace lets the audience sit with the characters and their crimes, and that patience pays off in the final act.
The Final Act
The ending is bleak. Santoro is betrayed, humiliated, and destroyed. The film does not offer him a happy ending, and it does not soften the cost of his choices.
That refusal to soften the ending is the film’s greatest strength. It treats its subject with respect even as it exposes his cruelty.
The Critical Reception
The film holds a critic score of 7.3 out of 10. That number reflects a film that is flawed but powerful, a movie that asks difficult questions without offering easy answers.
The film’s ambition is visible in every frame. It wants to be a portrait of greed, violence, and ruin, and it mostly succeeds.
What Remains
“Casino” is a flawed masterpiece. It is overlong, uneven, and sometimes too willing to romanticize its villains. But it is also thrilling, brutal, and deeply moving. De Niro and Pesci give career-best performances, and the film captures a moment in American history with a sharp, unflinching eye.
It is a film that rewards attention and punishes distraction. Watch it carefully, and you will see why it remains a classic.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
