Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

If you've seen Martin Scorcese's 1990 film Goodfellas, you might think you're suffering from a severe case of déjà vu when you sit down to watch Casino. Treading most of the same ground, thematically and cinematically, Casino's screenplay was even written by the same author who penned the book and screenplay for Goodfellas.  Casino, however, has the dubious distinction of having its screenplay completed by author Nicholas Pileggi before work on the novel of the same name was done. Pileggi had to rush to finish the book during production of the film, to get it out before the film came to theaters.  

Despite its unusual origins, Casino is still a quality piece of filmmaking from Martin Scorcese. If taken as a companion piece to Goodfellas it can be seen as a worthwhile endeavor that paid off for Scorsese, Pileggi, and the actors involved.

Once again focusing on the mob, but this time on a much grander scale, Casino is set in a Las Vegas of the 1970's, before "Sin City" became the corporate tourist trap it is today; when it was ruled by the vicious corrupting influences of organized crime. Based on real-life characters, the story follows small-time gangsters Sam "Ace" Rothstein (Robert De Niro) and Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), childhood friends from Chicago who make the move to Las Vegas seeking legitimacy doing the things they would otherwise be instantly thrown in jail for elsewhere in the nation. As Sam becomes the behind-the-scenes head of the Tangiers casino, Nicky violently protects the mob's profits and stranglehold on business in Las Vegas.

Things become complicated, however, when the two get involved with the hustling, one-time call girl Ginger McKenna, played convincingly by Sharon Stone in the role that earned her her one and only Oscar nomination. The dysfunctional love-triangle spins out of control into a violent, drug addled mess that brings the to friends to blows and begins to loosen the mafia's control on the workings of Las Vegas.

As previously stated, thematically and cinematically, Casino spins its tale using much of the same techniques previously seen in Goodfellas -- sweeping camera movements, frenetic edits, jarring scene breaks, and, most of all, the voiceovers. This time out, both protagonists handle voice over duty, and there is even one brief voice over by a third character. There's also the classic rock soundtrack that sets an appropriately gritty or glitzy mood, depending upon the scene. So, if there is fault to be found in Casino, it is that it feels like a copy; an attempt at recapturing a previous success. It may very well be that, but it still works and offers an  engaging look at the violent downfall of the mafia-controlled era of Las Vegas and the beginnings of the city we know today.

The Picture

Appearing in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 in a 1080p/24 VC-1 encoding, Casino's sparkling color palette of glittering Las Vegas neon lights and desert pastels is captured here superbly in a transfer that has excellent color saturation with accurate flesh tones. Contrast is somewhat hot and blacks sometimes crush, losing detail in some darker scenes, but the overall aesthetic is still quite pleasing to see.  The biggest flaws with the transfer are just a slight bit of softness pervasive in the transfer causing some background details to be smoother than one would like and some areas where dirt and specs on the source are apparent. Casino definitely could have been cleaned up just a bit more, but it still looks quite good for a film that is 13 years old.

The Sound

Casino comes with a plethora of available audio and subtitle options; so much so that it almost seems like a Sony release, for they are the studio that is typically known for packing their BD releases with a wide array of language selections. This time out, however, Universal has done it and they offer English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless in addition to Castilian Spanish, French Canadian, German, Italian, Japanese, and Latin American Spanish dubbed versions in DTS 5.1.

The English DTS-HD MA soundtrack is subtle but effective. Most lively during the film's numerous casino scenes, the surrounds come alive with various ambient effects of the sounds of the casino -- roulette wheels, slot machines, glasses clinking, chattering patrons. Dialogue is always full and clear and the mix shows good range of dynamics. The film's running musical soundtrack, populated by classic rock of the '50, '60's, '70's, and even some early-'80's numbers, comes alive with solid, but not overdone, use of the LFE and just the right amount of reverberant effects mixed into the surround channels. It's not a mix that is likely to wow a lot of people with bombast, but it serves the material well.

The Extras

This BD release of Casino comes with a negligible amount of supplemental material in relation to the scope of the film itself. Some of it is rather redundant, and the Deleted Scenes, in particular, add no value whatsoever. Still, the two television specials provided do offer some interesting, if not in depth, information on the history of organized crime in Las Vegas and the evolution of the story behind the novel and film Casino.

The extras provided on this release are:

• Deleted Scenes (4:3/standard definition/windowboxed) -- A few very brief deleted scenes that add nothing to the story.
• Vegas and the Mob (4:3/standard definition) -- This is an NBC News "investigative report" that plays more like a promo for the film Casino. It outlines the history of te connections between Las Vegas and organized crime.
• History Alive: True Crime Authors: Casino with Nicholas Pileggi (4:3/standard definition) -- A television program from The History Channel with the author and screenwriter for the film and novel Casino exploring the real-life figures who inspired the story.
• Moments with martin Scorsese, Sharon Stone, Nicholas Pileggi and More -- An audio commentary from various members of the cast and the producers. Rather than one set commentary on the minute details of the production, as most audio commentaries are, this is a series of disconnected audio commentaries of people offering their thoughts on the film, various anecdotes, etc.
• U-Control -- Universal's "U-Control" branded BonusView (Profile 1.1) picture-in-picture content. Much of the commentary herein can be gleaned from the standard audio commentary, which will provide the same information without taking up a huge chunk of the screen and blocking the picture.

Normally, I wouldn't list the subtitles under the supplemental materials, but this release comes with such an overabundance of language options, I feel compelled to list them here.

• The available subtitle tracks are:
  • English SDH
  • French Canadian
  • Italian
  • German
  • Castilian Spanish
  • LA Spanish
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Swedish
  • Danish
  • Finnish
  • Dutch
  • Norwegian
  • Portuguese
  • Traditional Mandarin

Final Thoughts

Casino treads the same ground as Scorsese's previous film's Goodfellas and to some extent Mean Streets, but it doesn't quite attain the same level of quality. Still, as a companion piece to Goodfellas set on a grander scale, it works and is a strong bit of filmmaking from the director as well as the editor and cinematographer. The Blu-ray release is not of the highest reference quality, but it is surely the best this film has ever looked and sounded and should make an excellent addition to anyone's collection, particularly fans of Scorsese and De Niro.  Recommended to rent or to own.

Where to Buy

• Casino on Blu-ray Disc (Amazon.com)

Also available as part of a set:

• Gangster Gift Set (American Gangster, Casino, Eastern Promises)

Product Details

• Actors: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Frank Vincent
• Directors: Martin Scorsese
• Audio/Languages: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French Canadian, Castiliian Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, and Latin American Spanish DTS 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, French Canadian, Italian, German, Castillian Spanish, LA Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Traditional Mandarin
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: R
• Studio: Universal Studios
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: October 14, 2008
• Run Time: 179 minutes
• List Price: $29.98
• Extras:
  • U-Control Picture-in-Picture
  • Moments with Martin Scorsese, Sharon Stone, Nicholas Pileggi and more!
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Vegas and the Mob
  • History Alive: True Crime Authors: Casino with Nicholas Pileggi