Why Casino Succeeds

The casino is a place where champagne glasses clink and people mingle as they try their luck at games of skill like poker and slot machines or the thrill of rolling the dice in hopes that lady luck will be on their side. But what makes a casino truly special is the social energy that permeates the space. Even when things don’t go the gamblers’ way, there’s still a buzz that is hard to ignore.

Unlike other movies that are rooted in criminal activities, such as Goodfellas and The Godfather, Casino does not portray its characters as noble and heroic. Instead, every character in the movie is mired in violence, treachery and avarice. Nevertheless, the film succeeds in depicting human tragedy in a realistic fashion, and many viewers find themselves rooting for Sharon Stone’s character to get her comeuppance.

One of the reasons that Casino succeeds is due to its use of two equally dominant narrators: De Niro and Pesci. It is this duality that sets it apart from other crime dramas, and which allows it to transcend the rough edges of wise-guy street life.

Another reason that Casino succeeds is because it provides employment to highly skilled local workers. It is this labor that is most needed to maintain the economic health of a city. As such, casinos are often touted as a way to decrease the unemployment rate in urban areas. In truth, though, this type of labor migration simply replaces one source of unemployment with another.