Scorsese's America

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2001)

There are different levels to appreciate this work of Scorsese. Pileggi and Scorsese could be presenting an accurate social and political study on the manner in which casinos are run in USA. But it is also a study of how money buys power and success, and corrodes one's humility. It is written in the manner Greek tragedies were written showing the climb to power and the inevitable downfall of the powerful following the state of hubris (here the firing of an incompetent employee with the right connection}. Compare Ace (de Niro's character), thoughtful about mundane details such as alerting a stranger about a good pen that he could well lose at the bar and who winces at Nick's subsequent violent actions, to the later Ace, who is insensitive to violent actions he himself orchestrates. Compare Nick (Pesci), who seeks permission from Ace to live in Las Vegas, to the later Nick, who drunk with power refuses to acknowledge he once asked Ace's permission. In many ways 'Casino' is a director/screenplay writers film than an actors' film. Performances, though commendable, take a back seat. Is it a mere gangster film or is the film using the gangster and hustler backdrop to offer the audience another perspective of America beyond the obvious? The social commentary here is somewhat like Altman's films "Nashville" or "A Wedding".
The religious Christian motifs of redemption underlie much of Scorcese's work, unconsciously or consciously, and Casino offers a viewer several perspectives, if you choose to assess his films in that perspective. (Scorsese is an admirer of Terrence Mallick, whose film "The thin red line", which incidentally also was pregnant with religious motifs--e.g., tattoos of Biblical references).
One can also appreciate Casino as an example of good movie craftmanship. Take the sequence of Sharon Stone's introduction in the film, where she is obviously aware that Ace is staring at her. It is so well done that one notices Sharon Stone visage and actions, while the editing and direction are really top notch as well, which contribute to make the sequence superb. Sharon Stone gives a riveting performance, as do De Niro and Pesci. Kudos to Scorsese on the appropriate 70s music at various stages in the film's progress.
While I appreciate Scorcese's choice of Ace's voice over commentary, I was surprised at Nick's commentary intertwining the voice-over of Ace. This method does makes sense if both are alive at the end of the film; not otherwise.