Casinos continue to fascinate filmmakers. They have been the backdrop to many of the greatest movies and are still commonly used today. But why do casinos and movies work together so well?
Casinos are places where your luck can change in a moment. In the past, they were also places where huge amounts of money changed hands and mob bosses used to rule. For filmmakers, this gives many opportunities for compelling characters.
Casinos have been consistently used in films. This extends from silent films in the 20s all the way to the modern day. Here you’ll see why these settings can resonate with storytellers and audiences alike.
What Is the Best Casino Based Film?
These days, people don’t need to step into a building to enjoy casino games. Thanks to the internet, we can enjoy the casino from the comfort of our phones. However, playing casino games on our devices probably wouldn’t make a great film. Here are the best examples of films that perfectly utilized classic casinos.
There are films that use casinos as part of the plot and others where it is central to the film. James Bond films have commonly used them as part of the plot. This can be seen in the very first Bond film Dr. No, in 1962. This continued with Licence to Kill (1989) and GoldenEye (1995).
However, it was Casino Royale in 2006 that truly showed how using a casino backdrop can make a film truly iconic. James Bond engaging in a battle of wit and will against Le Chiffre is one of the greatest poker scenes in history.
Away from Bond, there are gritty cult classics such as The Cincinnati Kid (1965) and Rounders (1998). Along with this are more light-hearted films, including Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and The Hangover (1995).
However, it’s hard to look past Casino (1995) as being the best film in this genre. A Martin Scorsese classic including a star-studded cast perfectly showcases all aspects of what can make a casino movie so enthralling.
The Perfect Stage for High Stakes Drama
Now you’ve seen the best films that use a casino setting, what is it about them that holds such an appeal for movies? The most obvious reason is the natural drama they create. Anyone who has been inside a casino will know this.
In any casino you’ll be greeted with a cacophony of noise and drama. There’ll be people constantly on the brink of triumph or disaster. When placed in a film setting, this can immediately create drama with little explanation needed.
They are also versatile settings. There are films out there such as 21 (2008) that focus on trying to win money at a casino. There are others that focus on the huge amounts of money that go through casinos.
Whether it’s a game of blackjack or a huge heist, there is always the chance of things going right, or badly wrong. Instead of coming up with ways of artificially creating conflict, casinos are a place where it naturally happens in many different ways.
Glamour, Style, and Escapism
Whether playing online casino games on our phones or physically rolling the dice, casinos have always offered a way to escape from everyday life. The same could be said for movies, which helps the two go hand-in-hand.
There is also glamour in a casino that can draw people in. Glittering lights, velvet ropes, sharply dressed staff and free-flowing champagne can allow your senses to get truly lost. This glamour can set the perfect stage for storytelling.
These aesthetics can look cinematic already without any cameras rolling. Neon lights, bustling gaming floors and spinning roulette wheels lend themselves to showcasing a sense of energy and excitement.
That style can also come from the characters that directors can create. It could be a mysterious high roller, a smooth-talking hustler or the desperate gambler trying to recoup their losses. Using these archetypes can help to keep audiences hooked. A casino can instantly highlight a character’s personality or quickly show their flaws.
The Future of Casinos and Film
It will be intriguing to see where the future lies with the way casinos are depicted in pop culture. Not only are online casinos on the rise but cash is no longer king. Casinos no longer have the same volume of physical cash going through them, which reduces the opportunity for classic heist films.
Perhaps you’ll see more films reflecting modern trends, such as online poker and sports betting. It will be up to filmmakers to work out how to reflect this drama without relying on the visuals of a classic casino.
Will the next big casino film reflect these modern trends or step back and tell a story from the past? It’s clear that many movies of the past wouldn’t work in a modern setting. While the world may be ever-changing, gambling will always be a tempting way for filmmakers to create drama and tension.