Casino (1980 film)

Casino is a 1995 American epic crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone. It is based on the 1995 non-fiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese. The film explores themes of greed, power, deception, and violence within the Las Vegas Mafia and the gambling industry during the 1970s and early 1980s.

The film tells the story of Sam "Ace" Rothstein (De Niro), a Jewish American gambling expert hand-picked by the Chicago Outfit to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. Ace's success attracts the attention of both law enforcement and his volatile childhood friend, Nicky Santoro (Pesci), a mob enforcer sent to protect Ace's interests. Nicky's increasingly reckless behavior and disregard for the Outfit's authority create problems for Ace and threaten the entire operation.

Meanwhile, Ace falls in love with and marries Ginger McKenna (Stone), a high-end prostitute and con artist. Their tumultuous relationship is plagued by Ginger's past, her drug use, and her lingering feelings for her former pimp, Lester Diamond. Ginger's instability further complicates Ace's already precarious situation, leading to a series of betrayals, power struggles, and ultimately, the downfall of Ace, Nicky, and the Outfit's control over Las Vegas casinos.

Casino is known for its unflinching depiction of violence, its use of voice-over narration, its meticulous recreation of the 1970s Las Vegas setting, and its ensemble cast. The film received critical acclaim, particularly for Scorsese's direction and the performances of De Niro, Pesci, and Stone, with Stone receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The film is considered a significant entry in Scorsese's filmography and a landmark crime film.