Gambling is a tremendous medium that movies use because it naturally creates some great tension, particularly in the thriller genre. Casino play has been portrayed across almost every genre of movie that you can think of.
It’s entered major franchises like James Bond and has been the focal point of storylines such as with the likes of Ocean’s 11, The Gambler, The Color of Money and the appropriately named Roberto de Niro flick, Casino.
But why are card games so often portrayed on the silver screen? These may not be scenarios that play out in real life at a new UK casino, but here we look at what casino scenes can bring to the big screen.
Character Introduction
The casino scene of the 1995 film GoldenEye, featuring Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, is a good example of the introduction of characters. Casinos are places of social gathering and it’s therefore a great setting for the main protagonist to bump into new characters that become integral to the storyline.
In GoldenEye, it is Xenia Onatopp, a Russian agent. Bond and Onatopp battle at the table, a nod towards the tension that increases between them later in the movie. A casino game is a great way to bring in new characters, plus drop in dialogue and traits like what a character will do in a game to keep their reputation.
Conflict
Conflict is another natural element that casino games put into the mix. A game like poker, for example, pits players against one other. It’s a direct test of skill and ability to work with the cards that have been dealt.
This can create marvellous conflict as some players fold and more often than not, a hand comes down to a two-way duel. Not only is there an element of one-upmanship, but there is money at stake, and in the movies, it’s usually not small pots.
That just adds to the conflict and the pressure of winning. In the film 21, inspired by the famous MIT Blackjack Team, there was a team of card counters working in conjunction with each other. However, throughout the movie, there is conflict between members of the team and their ringleader.
Tension
In blackjack, where a player faces the dealer, major pressure can be created. The brilliant Rain Man movie did this with a blackjack scene in which Raymond and Charlie Babbitt created a huge winning streak.
The tension in the scene came about because of that streak as they turned around $4,000 into more than $85k. The tension was wondering if the streak was going to end and if they were about to get found out and lose everything they had worked for.
The very nature of card games can give scriptwriters and directions such a good vessel for tension, which every good thriller needs.
Casinos Are Appealing
The setting of a casino is pretty unique. They can have an air of exclusivity and glamour about them and are naturally dynamic settings.
The wider angle is of random people milling around and looking for slots to play, while somewhere off in a backroom there is an exclusive, invite-only game of poker going on for high rollers.
But a blend can come into play as well among the lights and noises. Sometimes it is characters who do their best to blend in, like the spotters and card counters from 21. So a casino setting gives a bit of everything.
Public Knowledge
Many people’s first exposure to anything casino-related comes from movies. Visiting land-based casinos may not be a thing for a lot of people, due to restrictions like not living near one, or a lack of time in between work and daily life.
But movies deliver the world of casinos right into your living room. Rain Man for example, probably raised the awareness of blackjack, while the antics of super-spy James Bond did the same for Texas Hold ‘Em in Casino Royale and Baccarat in both Dr No and Thunderball.
Gamblers
There is also another aspect of using casinos in movies and that is how the practice of gambling is relatable. The number of people who gamble in one form or another has grown exponentially in the last couple of decades.
That has coincided with more and more regulated online casinos coming online and giving people easy, convenient access to gaming.
Online slots and roulette are never going to have the same movie appeal as a land-based casino. But there may come a time in the future as the world gets more digital, when casino scenes will be met with a tinge of sentimentality.