The Role of Casinos in Elevating Movies

The 2023 Oscars saw the aptly named Everything Everywhere All at Once make an almost complete sweep of the major prizes. The comedy-drama multiverse film about a Chinese immigrant was expected to do better than the big-budget pictures. Tom Cruise and James Cameron not turning up was also telling and added to the expectation.
Before the gongs were handed out in the glitzy auditorium, Sharon Stone made her presence felt on the photograph and interview blitz. She got an Oscar nomination in 1996 for her role in Casino.

The Use of Casinos in Films

Along with Ocean’s Eleven, Casino is probably one of the best films of its kind in its graphic close-ups of slots and poker tables. This kind of ambience is delivered in the modern iGaming industry to players who want a friendly and comfortable interactive environment from the comfort of their own home, whether that be slots, table games or bingo. Titles such as Rainbow Riches Bingo at Paddy’s have a range of features to add interactivity and various aspects that tie in with the Irish theme of the slot. They aim to deliver the same type of immersive environment that can be experienced at physical casinos.

As highlighted by Vulture, casino scenes in movies have always been a snapshot of the rich tapestry of what makes the world go round. They offer a compelling backdrop to the moves people make in terms of the rocks and stones of relationships and roadblocks that obstruct solutions. What goes around in terms of drama, competing characters at tables, the highs and lows, and the people who control the whole operation is an excellent recipe for a compelling film.

There have been many famous movies that have included casinos as a front-facing way of connecting with the audience. The early poker scenes in Daniel Craig’s debut as 007, Casino Royale, as summarised by Film Stories, draw the audience into the mind games with the villain Le Chiffre. They serve as a portent for the high drama to follow. The sheen of professionalism and poker-faced calm on the table soon translates to a rush of physical danger elsewhere.

At the poker table in Casino Royale, Bond drinks poisoned Martini which has been shaken and stirred by Le Chiffre. Bond begins to vomit and shake, excusing himself from the table to get back to his Aston Martin for an injection and then a self-defibrillator to restart his heart.

It’s more jarring than the scene in Scorsese’s movie where the cowboy is thrown outside by Robert De Niro’s heavies for putting his feet on the blackjack table. Both of these casino scenes draw out the power plays of life in a microcosm. There’s always movement in the story when the cards and chips are laid out in a game.

Casinos and Oscar nights have a similar visceral thrill in terms of lights, camera and action. There will always be a place for the poker table in a movie and on the red carpet.