In many films that have made an enduring mark on the wider culture, the resonance of the plot often comes from the richness of the source material that the movie plunders. The very best movies often attempt to capture a specific and fleeting moment in time, paying tribute to a moment in society and culture that reverberates with the present while simultaneously feeling like a distant eon ago.
This is especially true when it comes to the films of Martin Scorcese, perhaps our most celebrated living filmmaker. Heavily influenced by his own youth and what he sees as the warped essence of the American Dream, Scorcese seeks to capture distinct snapshots of time that best exemplify these excesses and hopes.
Perhaps none of his works do this more successfully than his 1995 box office smash Casino, which stars Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone and remains one of Scorcese's most critically acclaimed works.
The film captures a sleazier Las Vegas of the 1970s, a time where it felt like everything was up for grabs in the original Sin City. But how has the city changed since the events depicted in the film, and how has this classic film aged?
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Casino 'Disneyfication'
In the closing scene of Casino, De Niro's character laments the 'Disneyfication' of the city in his closing monologue, dispersed with shots of classic casinos such as the Stardust being demolished. In its place came billion-dollar mega-casinos such as the gaudy New York New York Hotel and the pirate-themed Treasure Island casino.
The most successful casino resorts on the Strip are no longer dens of vice and debauchery. Rather, they are family-friendly destinations where gambling is only a small part of what is on offer, with casinos often making most of their money from celebrity performances, theme park rides, themed restaurants, and lavish rooms. This is perhaps the most significant way that Vegas has changed.
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Gambling is a Digital Pursuit
One could hardly describe the ways Las Vegas has changed in the past 50 years without looking at the impact that the internet has had on the city. Thanks to the rise in online gambling, people no longer feel the need to fly from all corners of the world to play a few rounds of baccarat or poker. What's more, the traditional Las Vegas experience is now more accessible than ever.
By logging into a popular casino online from somewhere as far afield as Ireland, you can play live-stream casino games such as blackjack and roulette with a real-life casino dealer, experiencing Vegas without even having to leave your living room. It is this development that has forced Las Vegas to diversify its offerings, and perhaps best explains the myriad ways in which the city has changed since Casino. Put simply, people no longer go to Vegas for gambling.
Casino offers a fascinating, if somewhat exaggerated, depiction of a Las Vegas that does not and could not exist in the present day. For better or worse, Sin City has changed. However, we are lucky that records of the Las Vegas of yesterday are still with us today.