casino: intro to movie
Casino (1995) is a classic film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is considered one of the best movies that depict the world of gambling, the flow of money within it, and the influence that sustains this world, whether through authority or crime gangs. It reveals what happens behind the scenes, all presented within a compelling and unique framework, where these elements are intertwined through a complex plot. This immersion draws you deeper into the details and shows how personal interests can conflict with the system itself.
Casino Robert De Niro: The name of the movie Casino is linked with Robert De Niro, due to his outstanding performance in this masterpiece that is unlikely to be repeated.
The events of the movie are set in Las Vegas during the seventies, a time when poker games were widespread and drew everyone in. Huge sums of money flowed into these games, with some businessmen benefiting from them. This money needed special protection and oversight to prevent theft. It had to be legalized and trusted to avoid attracting police or government scrutiny.
The intertwined events in this movie and the main characters create a unique mythical landscape that makes you eagerly anticipate how it will end, making this film one of the greatest works in history.
Description of the main characters
The movie introduces us to its main characters first and shows us each of their qualities, goals, strengths, and weaknesses.
There is Sam, who has a strong ambition and knows how to achieve it by relying on his sharp intelligence, unique vision in the world of betting, and reading the characters around him. Although he uses his intellect to evaluate all his affairs, he let his heart drive one decision that greatly impacted his life and led to a significant predicament, which we will reveal when the time comes.
The second character is Nicky, Sam's close friend, who is known for his reckless violence. He rarely thinks before acting, relying instead on force, aggression, and intimidating others with his anger. He also has a strong desire to make a large amount of money, willing to use any illegal methods to do so. These reckless choices will eventually lead him to serious consequences, which will be revealed later.
The third character is Ginger, a professional cheater known for her stunning beauty and vitality. She uses these traits to earn the most money possible through gambling and men, as she can easily win people's hearts and manipulate them to her desires. Despite this, she has a significant weakness for a man named Lester. She is also known for her rebellious nature, even when it goes against her own interests. We will see later how this will impact her life.
There is also Lester, who is in a relationship with Ginger and exploits her to make money without any effort on his part. He controls her in a strange way, which changed many things in her life and led to a very bad ending.
The beginning and significant events
The events start in Las Vegas, where Sam's exceptional skills in gambling and betting are used to run a large casino for a group of businessmen. Their profits from the casino are regularly traded and transferred to them. Sam is entirely responsible for everything that happens inside the casino, so all his attention is on his duties. The group of businessmen realizes that Sam needs very special protection because he was the reason for doubling the profits since he took over the casino's management. They decide to bring his friend Nicky into this world to protect him and their interests, but their decision was poorly thought out, leading to many problems that will be discussed later.
Sam cares about the small details inside the casino and is always eager to see things firsthand. This made him notice Ginger fooling around and having fun with others, so he started watching her closely because he liked her very much. He knew that his relationship with her would cost him a lot of money, but he was captivated by her, which caused him to ignore his own judgment. As their relationship deepened, she was interested in making money from him and others. She controlled everyone except Lester, who was completely controlling her.
Nicky arrived in Las Vegas and met Sam, suggesting the idea of moving there. Sam warned him that the city is different and advised him not to draw attention to himself. However, Nicky saw the city as nothing but a river of money that would definitely flow into his pocket.
Nicky and his family started to become part of the Las Vegas community, and he began his work of intimidating anyone who dared to threaten Sam's work at the club. They were con artists and part of many gangs who both knew him and feared him. This was very helpful for Sam's operations, as he focused on uncovering how some people profited in strange ways from the club. He exposed their frauds cleverly, then dismantled them and sent warnings through them to all the fraudsters who tried to steal the club. Because of this, profits grew significantly, and Sam started to relax a little. He also took an important step in his personal life by planning to propose to Ginger.
On their wedding night, Ginger called Lester and cried. Her marriage was a financial guarantee for the rest of her life, while for Sam it was about love for the girl he liked and stability for his own life. But he saw her crying while talking to Lester, and she tried to convince him at the time that she was saying goodbye to him, so he told her it was okay, but that part of her life was over, and she was now with him, so she agreed to that immediately.
Sam deposited a large sum of money in a bank as his insurance in case he was arrested for any reason, and the control of spending this money was entrusted to Ginger, who he began to trust with his life and money since she was his loyal wife. He also deposited money and gold in her name for her future security, which made her very happy. Meanwhile, Nicky and his gang tried to make money by any means, especially through gambling and cheating inside the club. This greatly annoyed Sam because he knew that gambling oversight agents were monitoring all of it. He tried to warn Nicky about this, but Nicky only believed in power and others’ fear of him, so he didn't care and kept trying to make money.
Sam came up with new ways to attract more gamblers and bettors, so he opened betting offices inside the club, brought in some famous show bands, and kept emphasizing his ideas that all gambling clubs tried to copy. At the same time, Nicky protected Sam and the interests of the businessmen inside the club, making it the best gambling spot in the area, and he was celebrated at a big party for that achievement.
Nicky was banned from entering gambling clubs in Las Vegas, and any club that violated that rule was fined. It even reached a point where simply seeing Sam with him anywhere could jeopardize Sam as well, which was exactly what Sam had warned him about beforehand. Nicky didn't care about that at the time. This led Nicky to form his own gang, inviting some criminals along with his brother to join him in Las Vegas. They were there to start illegal activities, such as theft and extortion, to make money. He also set up a network of informants from all walks of life in Las Vegas to help continue collecting money by any means necessary. Later, he began laundering his money through legitimate businesses like jewelry stores, restaurants, and other ventures. Over time, he became a major criminal and financial power in the city.
Things continued in the same way for a while, with Sam showing interest in all casino matters and its development in various ways, while Nicky was focused on asserting his dominance over everything, committing crimes of all kinds with his gang to make more money. He sent a share of the profits to businessmen. Until one day, Ginger did something foolish—she tried to take some money from their bank account to Lester. Nicky was watching her, so he informed Sam, who then went to them and caught them sitting in a restaurant. He kicked Lester out, and Sam's men beat him badly. Afterward, Nicky watched as he and Ginger left.
After that, Nicky met Ginger in a private place, where she was complaining and trying to explain the situation to Nicky. He told her that Sam was jealous of her because he was infatuated with her, but she was completely drunk. She then tried to justify herself by saying that Lester was a friend and that Sam knew that from the beginning of their marriage. She also tried to get close to Nicky, who was a bit embarrassed, but he ended the situation by comforting her and saying he would try to talk to Sam about what happened.
the tension of events
First, there was an issue with some of the money leaking to certain workers in the counting room. It was logical that some might steal a very small amount of the winnings, and this would satisfy him so he wouldn't pursue anything larger or even allow a bigger theft to occur. However, this did not sit well with the businessmen, who received all the profits, so they hired someone to prevent it. Unfortunately, he was neither effective nor intelligent, and we will see why in a moment.
Second, and this is the most important and difficult part, the person named Green, who is the president of the gambling club in name only, got involved in a partnership with a woman who financed him with money. When she demanded her profits, he stalled her, so she filed a lawsuit against him. She almost won if it were not for the intervention of Nicky, who killed her based on the instructions of his businessman bosses. The matter was not mainly about money but about integrity and the good reputation he should have.
In an effort to clear things up, Sam gave several press interviews to reassure everyone about the integrity of the casino management. During these interviews, he revealed some details about how he managed the casino in Green's absence. The gambling control board saw this as a violation because he didn't have a license to perform that role, which put him in a very awkward position and increased his connections with gang leader Nicky.
Nicky's ongoing recklessness, the number of people killed because of him, and his confrontation with Sam, in which he called him a coward and arrogant. Sam accused him of recklessness, raising suspicions, and not caring about the public interest. The heated exchange even extended to Sam's wife Ginger, who went to Nicky to complain. Sam was surprised by this and his request for Nicky not to interfere in his personal life. All of this turned the situation into a disaster, with each of them facing threats—Sam losing his job and his dreams, and Nicky being convicted and imprisoned for his crimes.
Also, the person who was brought by the businessmen to stop the money leakage in the counting room made a huge mistake that worsened the problems. He was gossiping about everything happening inside the gambling club, which was monitored by the FBI by chance. All of this information was recorded, and it's enough to bring everything crashing down.
There was a session to determine Sam's eligibility for his license, but it did not go well. They refused to give him the license without hearing any arguments or statements, as if the decision was already ready to be announced. This made Sam very upset and he responded with harsh words toward the session members. However, his outburst achieved nothing. When his bosses learned what happened, they felt things were starting to slip out of his control. They sent a representative to convince him to retire and leave the field permanently. This was very shocking and completely unexpected for him. Importantly, he refused to leave, blamed Nicky and his actions, and continued to run the club under a new job title. He also continued to attack those who prevented him from getting his license, by staging a small demonstration inside the club. Many people saw his overreaction to the situation.
Then came the day when Sam met Nicky. It was a more heated encounter than the previous ones, and Nicky sharply criticized what Sam said to the delegate sent by the presidents regarding blaming Nicky. The delegate demanded that Nicky disappear for a while until things calmed down completely and Sam regained control over everyone. This only fueled Nicky’s anger, as he saw that Sam was still involved because of him and that he prevented many in the crime world from helping Sam or his club. He was partly right. Conversely, Sam believed he was the one who allowed Nicky to stay in the city and opened all the doors that led him to his current position. He was somewhat right as well. The dialogue ultimately failed to reach a resolution and ended with Nicky threatening Sam not to cross his boundaries again.
There is no doubt that things began to escalate into a more complicated and dangerous situation for both of them. Their relationship started to cool down but had not yet turned fully hostile, which was clear in several situations afterward. Meanwhile, Ginger tried to divorce Sam. Despite all the money and wealth around them and the child she had from their marriage, she could never love Sam. She attempted to run away with Lester, who benefited from her, prompting Sam to contact his bosses for help.
He completely ignored Nicky, who usually turned to him in such situations. When he reached their location and made contact, Lester tried to persuade Ginger to go to Europe, taking their child with her as a way to ask for more money from Sam. Sam would inevitably try to get her back, but Ginger was aware of her husband’s influence. She knew he would find them and take revenge, even if they were in the farthest place on Earth. So, she didn’t listen to Lester this time and quickly called Nicky to tell him what had happened. He told her to stay where she was until he sorted things out with Sam and tried to bring her back with the least possible harm to her.
Nicky immediately went to Sam to tell him that his wife called him, blaming him for calling the presidents and not going to him directly. She also said they should get the child back first and temporarily overlook what Ginger did. Sam then called Ginger, who begged him to forgive her and to bring their daughter home. Sam agreed and arranged for a plane to take them back immediately.
Ginger and the child came back, and one night Sam caught her talking on the phone with someone, asking if he could help her get rid of Sam, which made him throw her out immediately. Sam was in a very bad psychological state after what happened while she was gone, but he was surprised when she returned again. Strangely, he allowed her to do so because of the love that still remained in his heart for her.
The start of the end
Ginger only returned to manipulate Sam again to get her jewelry and money, and her meetings with Nicky continued without Sam knowing. Their relationship developed further, leading to complete betrayal. Of course, she was hoping Nicky would help her recover her jewelry and money. At that time, federal agents were watching them and recorded everything. Sam found out about this too and was afraid because her relationship with Nicky was enough to ruin everyone, especially when it involved the presidents.
Things were getting worse for Nicky, as the money he sent to the bosses kept decreasing each time, and he and his gang were gradually losing control due to their recklessness and their habit of committing crimes without thinking. This extended to killing some policemen, and things were no longer simple or easy wherever they went, as the feds had placed listening devices in all the places the gang frequented. Meanwhile, Nicky was busy wondering what Sam would do in revenge for his relationship with Ginger. Ginger had told him she needed to confess to Sam about their relationship, and Nicky expected that Sam would wage war on him or at least inform the bosses about what happened. So, he was monitoring him and tracking his movements through his informants.
When Ginger was with Nicky at his restaurant, Sam called his house but didn't get an answer, so he went straight home to confirm his suspicions, only to find his daughter tied up on the bed and Ginger as the culprit. Then he received a call from Nicky and was surprised to hear she was with him at the restaurant, so he went there immediately, his anger boiling inside. Nicky tried to calm him down, but he scolded Ginger harshly and forcibly took her home. When he started talking to her, she became very upset and shouted at him, then quickly left the house to go back to Nicky at the restaurant.
Sam called one of his assistants at the club and asked him to bring a gun. Meanwhile, Ginger went to Nicky and, screaming, demanded he kill Sam. She had completely lost her temper and was no longer in a normal state. Nicky severely scolded her and threw her out of the restaurant. He then sat down, confessing his grave mistake to his closest assistant—having a relationship with her. He realized that too late.
Ginger returned the next morning with the police and asked to enter the house to collect her belongings, but she also intended to steal the keys to the bank safe, which held the money that Sam kept in case he was arrested. The safe was in both their names, so when she went to the bank and withdrew the money, no one objected. Sam tried to catch up with her when he realized she had taken the keys, but he was ultimately unable to stop her from taking the money.
A series of arrests began. Ginger was arrested right after she left the bank, followed by Nicky's gang, then many members of the gambling club. The crackdown extended to the club's actual leaders. In short, everyone started falling one by one. Nicky had already managed to escape by then.
A lot of evidence had been uncovered about what was happening inside the club, and a trial session was held for the actual owners, who sat alone during the court break to decide whether to remove many individuals who could incriminate them or who had caused the very embarrassing situation they had reached.
At the top of the list were Nicky and his brother, along with some workers inside the gambling club who knew a lot. There were also those trying to get rid of Sam, but he escaped. Nicky, his brother, and many others with them were actually killed, and the club was permanently closed, leading to stability afterward.
As for Sam, things went back to normal, and he continued to generate profits for the presidents, this time from the gambling game he is skilled at and still plays. Thus, the situation returned to where it started.
Message from the Casino (1995 film)
The 1995 movie 'Casino' is one of the films that truly influenced cinema because it shed light on the gambling world of the seventies. It revealed how much money was being invested, who the biggest beneficiaries were, and how many people were drawn into this attractive and tempting world. People enter with full wallets and leave drained, like a squeezed tomato. The lure of money is irresistible, especially when combined with adventure, women, alcohol, and all kinds of entertainment that many seek.
The movie shows us different types of characters trying to make money. There is Sam, who is very smart and uses his intelligence well without breaking the law openly. He knows his limits when dealing with others and plans his moves carefully. Then there is Nicky, the gangster who fears nothing and does everything illegal to get the most money. He rarely thinks about the consequences of his actions. We could describe him as reckless or impulsive. Ginger is another character who charms everyone with her beauty and makes them willing to do whatever it takes to be with her. This is her way of making money. Lester, the pimp, takes chances and unexpectedly controls Ginger, who brings him money. Lastly, there are the businessmen who have invested large sums of money in the gambling club so they can earn monthly profit shares easily, only needing to give orders and oversee operations.
The 1995 movie Casino carries an important message: prioritizing reason is our best safeguard as humans. The film warns us that the temptation of money can lead to risky or illegal actions, like breaking the law or gambling everything we have. It shows that following desires and the heart can lead us astray without us realizing it. Sometimes, we need to let our minds guide our hearts to avoid regret later. An example is Sam, who tried to seduce Ginger with money and gold to marry him, thinking his intelligence or generosity would win her love. But her rebellious nature refused to be trapped in a golden cage. She only saw Sam as a bag of money, not as a man who loved her deeply. Naturally, this led to the failure of their marriage.
The dream of getting rich is common to almost everyone, but the way we each seek wealth varies from person to person. That's why Nicky's violent, reckless, and even criminal behavior led him to become wealthy, surpassing all reasonable limits. His end was fitting for his nature and the actions he took. Likewise, Ginger, driven by greed, ended up back where she started, and Sam, despite being a victim of his friend's recklessness and his wife's betrayal, ended up at the same place where he began his pursuit of wealth. This shows us an important lesson: there is a toll you will inevitably pay on the way to achieving your dreams of riches, whether your path is legal or illegal.
Despite its long duration, the movie is very enjoyable, with dazzling performances from its stars. It presents interesting models of people, their ambitions, and their fluctuations, and shows that power and authority are not necessarily permanent—especially when misused in ways similar to the reckless behavior seen in the movie Casino.
Additionally, the directing is very distinctive in highlighting the characters. Since they are the narrators of the events, it shows their point of view and helps you get to know them closely, as if you were sitting with them.
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