Anniversary of a classic: “Casino” by Martin Scorsese turns 25

What, it's been that long already? The classic film "Casino" celebrates its 25th anniversary this November. It is considered a cinematic masterpiece that skilfully captures the glamorous city of Las Vegas with all its highs and lows. Director Martin Scorsese was in his element here.

Lead actor Robert De Niro also shines with his talent in this unforgettable film. He plays the casino manager Sam "Ace" Rothstein, who has a rapid rise to fame, only to fall from the sky like a shooting star.

Sharon Stone is at his side as Ginger McKenna; after Basic Instinct in 1992, she was considered the modern Hollywood diva. Stone received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her performance in Casino, but unfortunately she was unable to win the trophy. However, she did win the Golden Globe Awards in the category "Best Actress - Drama".

The film is set in the 1970s, when gambling had a very different image than it does today. Back then, the term "gambling den" was still appropriate for the casinos of Las Vegas; today, they are more accurately described as large-scale entertainment centers and tourist attractions, which are generally viewed favorably by the media.

Well-known hotel chains have now taken them on, in stark contrast to the mobsters who ruled back then. The triumph of the digital gaming world has also contributed to bringing gambling out of the dingy corner. An online casino with a bonus is now a modern matter of course, so it is hardly possible to create exciting crime stories from it.

"Ace" initially earns his living through sports betting, and he has a special instinct for this business. The bookmakers are accordingly unhappy with him, but the mafia bosses view him with great interest.

They hire him as manager for one of their casinos - and the clever guy actually manages to boost business. Profits double, he mercilessly weeds out cheaters and even plans the exact layout of the slot machines down to the last detail.

Everything is going well – until the FBI comes into play. Mafia business is not entirely kosher, with millions in illegal income flowing past the state. Ace himself is not always tactful either, and he regularly gets into trouble.

In anger, he fires an employee who turns out to be a relative of a powerful politician. When the statesman shows up in person, Ace really makes an enemy of him. This leads to serious turmoil, during which he has to officially vacate his managerial position.

Of course, there is also a love story going on, because in Hollywood, hardly anything happens without a strong dose of eroticism. Especially when Sharon Stone comes into play, the hormones boil over.

Ace has chosen showgirl Ginger McKenna as his wife, but she does not fulfill the role assigned to her. Ginger rebels against the boring life of a housewife and begins an affair with her ex-boyfriend Lester Diamond, who earned his laurels as a petty criminal.

Lester and Ginger are discovered, Ace shows no mercy to his rival. Ginger then turns to drugs and Ace can never fully win her back. Everything inevitably leads to chaos, and this is largely due to the arrogance of the ambitious mafia henchman.

Anyone who climbs a high branch can one day fall down again, especially if they don't respect the wind or the weather.

The story is taken from real life and is based on real people and their experiences. The names have of course been changed, but the dark mafia structure behind the casinos of the time is by no means a product of the imagination. The audience is therefore looking into real abysses, and that makes the plot all the more frightening - but at the same time incredibly exciting.

Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro were considered a true dream team at the time. They made nine films together, and almost every one of these works deals with the same theme: the Mafia. "Mean Streets" was the debut of the unbeatable duo; the gangster film was made in 1973 and bears the German title "Hexenkessel" (Witches' Cauldron).

Even back then, critics were full of praise. In 1990, they set new standards with the hit film “Goodfellas”. It is considered an inspiration for many other, similar films.

“The Irishman” hit like a bomb in 2019: Scorsese and De Niro had come together once again, perhaps for their final showdown. The budget was a gigantic $250 million, sponsored by Netflix.

It seems as if the streaming era has finally replaced the great cinema era and taken over the baton into a new era. However, the mafia will continue to be a topic in the future - whether online or on the big screen...

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