The opulent decor in many casinos creates an air of grandeur that’s visually captivating and mesmerizing. Opulent details include marble floors, elaborate architectural designs, and intricate chandeliers that add to the overall ambiance. They also feature gourmet restaurants that showcase the culinary talents of world-renowned chefs.

Casino features the kind of top-tier performances that are typical of Scorsese’s films. Sharon Stone delivers what is likely her best performance, and Joe Pesci gives one of the most memorable performances of his career. In addition, the editing is taut and crisp, and the score is a perfect complement to the film’s themes of destruction and betrayal.

Unlike other Mafia movies such as Raging Bull and Goodfellas, which were on the ground level, examining the lives of blue-collar mobster types, Casino focuses on the guys who controlled them. It’s a fascinating study of how they ran Las Vegas, controlled the flow of money and then fell from their heights of power due to greed and hubris.

The movie is a reminder of how fucked up this life was, and it doesn’t shy away from violence, either. Scenes such as the torture of a high-priced call girl, the explosion that kills De Niro, and the death by overdose of Sharon Stone’s character are disturbing in their own way. It also lays bare the corrupt web that was centered in Las Vegas, with tendrils reaching into politics, Teamsters unions, the Chicago mob, and a Midwest mafia based out of Kansas City.