Analysis of Casino in Popular Culture

admin Casino, Culture, Gambling

Hollywood is no stranger to casinos, which is absolutely understandable – considering just how much revenue they bring in every year just in Las Vegas alone, it’s safe to say that they’re a big part of American culture. As a result, many directors like to depict casinos within their motion pictures in an attempt to tap in on the casino market and attract the large casino crowd… Or just because they feel like it’ll enhance the story and make for a more cohesive plot, but that’s insane, isn’t it? However, one has to keep in mind that in many movies things aren’t quite what they seem. A skilled director can use a certain element not just for its face value, but also for its symbolic meaning. When Charles Foster Kane whispered “Rosebud” with his dying breath, he wasn’t just thinking of what a kick-ass sleigh he used to have as a kid, he was admitting that his childhood was the only time in which he was happy, and the director used his “Rosebud” sleigh as a symbol of that childhood happiness. Similarly, a lot of directors like to attach symbolic meaning to something as normal to us as casino, or casino games.

Since there’s so many different directors and creative visions, there’s obviously many different interpretations of what the casino symbolizes to each individual set of characters. However, after watching plenty of movies themed after casinos, or featuring casino games as an element, I think I’ve pretty much managed to separate them into three very neat categories. And, as you’ll find out soon enough, pretty much every single movie that features a casino (or even gambling) in it falls squarely into one of these categories. The first category is “casino as a ray of hope”. In those movies, the casinos is seen as some kind of bright dream or aspiration, or an unexpected win at a casino game brings positive change to the protagonist’s life. In “Ocean’s 11”, while the titular Ocean and his group of thieves are looking to rob a casino and not play it, said casino is still their goal, objective and chance for a better life. In “Run Lola Run” (or at least in one of its timelines – it’s a confusing movie), an unexpected win at the roulette table allows Lola to settle the debt at the core of the story. In the Ashton Kutcher comedy “What Happens in Vegas”, an unexpected jackpot win while playing slots prompts a newly married couple to stay together when they would’ve otherwise broken up, and subsequently they find true love. In “The Hangover”, the group’s unexpected wins at the blackjack table allow them to settle a debt they’d unknowingly accumulated during their drunk bachelor party and eventually fulfill their objective by finding the groom they’d lost. In all of these examples, casinos and casino games are seen as something positive and helpful, something that will make the protagonist’s life better, or already has.

And then there’s the exact opposite. Many directors see the casino as a soul-sucking black hole of despair that will undoubtedly ruin the lives of anyone associated with it. Thus, the second category is “casino as a corrupt force of evil”. When Martin Scorsese, the director of “The Godfather”, decides to direct a movie titled “Casino”, you know it’s not going to be about cartoon slots and funky dealers. In that movie, the casino is nothing more than a front for a criminal empire that very gradually corrupts a low-level Mafioso into a ruthless crime boss. None of the people associated with the casino wants to be part of it, and yet they find that they have no other choice – its evil influence is just too strong. Something similar happens in “Croupier”, where the titular character (played by Clive Owen in his first major role) is turned from an idealistic writer into a nihilistic sadist after being exposed to the roulette table, and the way it drains people of their hopes and dreams. The roulette is represented as something evil which corrupts this young man and his work, with the ultimate revelation that it was all for naught – once again, his job is revealed to have been nothing more but a front for criminal activity. “The Gambler” doesn’t go that far, but it depicts a character struggling with gambling addiction who only manages to find his happy ending by completely denouncing the casino and its influence and learning to instead lead a normal, healthy life.

The third category is sort of a mix between the first two, where the casino is represented as both something good and something evil, or first appears to be one thing and then turns out to be another. A great example is the classic “Casablanca”, the proto casino movie. In it, the casino is clearly portrayed as something evil – it’s a representation of Rick’s stagnation, and his refusal to go on with his life or pay attention to the world around him. It’s his own bubble which he’s built for himself due to previous circumstances, and it’s only by breaking out of it that he can achieve his happy ending. However, the casino is also represented as a force for good, as it helps the Bulgarian couple get their passports and continue their travel to America – if Rick and his casino hadn’t been there, the young wife would’ve been forced to prostitute herself in exchange for the passports. “21” is another great example, because at first the casino seems like an aspiration that the main character is striving towards, making this an example of the first category, but soon enough things go south and it’s revealed that the situation isn’t as peachy as it had originally seemed, and that the casino (or rather, the protagonist’s group that attempted to exploit the casino by counting cards) holds dark secrets. “Casino Royale”, if it can be considered a casino movie, would fall into this category as well. While James Bond needs to play casino games in order to fulfill his first mission and achieve his goal, the mission is perilous and he suffers many attempts on his life over the course of the poker tournament.

While there are plenty of casino-themed movies that I didn’t mention (either because I haven’t seen them or because I didn’t need to bring them up, as this article is long enough), I feel like all of them fall quite neatly into one of these three categories. What do you think? Is there a casino movie that falls into a different category? If you have one for me, please let me know by contacting me!

My Favourite Casino Film, Twice

admin Casino, Culture, Gambling

I open my blog with two of my favourite pieces of cinematography. The French film Bob le Flambeur was released in 1956 and an English-language remake was shot half a century later, The Good Thief starring Hollywood’s favourite bad boy, Nick Nolte. I first saw the American production, then dug out the French original from our college library to see it. Which one did I enjoy more? That is a nice question. Let me think about it.

The French film had all the typical elements of the art standards and period of its making. I love black-and-white cinema, of course, and the fascination of the camera action. Operators and directors were capable of doing wonders with such imperfect technology and props. Most of the subtle nuances of the profession used to be accomplished by hard manual work and pure skill. The effects, as exuberant as they were, were the result of dedicated hours of team-work and close-to-none technology. But: to the plots and let’s see which one is my winner.

In the French film, a middle-aged and nearly broke gangster, Bob, decides to rob the casino in Deauville. He is an ex-convict after an ill-fated attempt at robbing a bank. A gentleman of style, Bob is well-liked in the community of hedonists where he spends his nights. He is such a legend that even cops like him. However, it is hard to maintain expensive ways on nothing a year, so Bob needs one good job in order to secure for himself his usual lifestyle. His plan, however, goes wrong in so many ways, that it would be a great confusion should I start describing all right now.

In brief, he shares his plan with a couple of friends who share it forward, quite unintentionally, thus putting the whole operation at a great risk. The police inspector who is tipped about it owes Bob a favour as he was the one to save his life when a gangster was about to shoot him dead. So, instead of trying to frame him, the police officer goes to Bob’s place to warn him. Bob is not there, and he enters the casino without knowing that the police will come for him. The other major twist forms around Bob’s winning streak of the night. Because his inside man fails to show up, the gambler dances with Lady Luck till 5 a. m. and walks out of the casino after cashing in his winnings only to see the entrance heavily loaded with police waiting to arrest him.

The other Bob, played by Nick Nolte, was born to an American father and a French mother and plans a hit on one of the Nice casinos. He intends to accomplish a double robbery: one fake and one real and hopes to confuse the police with all that. He aims not for the money of the casino, but the beautiful and extremely valuable paintings decorating it. Instead of doing that, he goes on his winning streak over the night, only to find that the casino safe has been emptied when he goes to cash in his honest money. The Bob of Neil Jordan’s piece is somewhat different from the Melville one. Nick Nolte plays a junkie with a wrecked life who is good in his heart but doesn’t show much of the old-fashioned style which distinguishes the character of Roger Duchesne.

So, if you want to know which film I liked better, I must admit I admired the original for its chivalrous spirit and elegant black-and-white edit. The second point is not too valid, I admit, because new films just don’t get shot in that colour scheme which makes the two incomparable in that aspect.

Which version did you like better? What differences did you see in the characters’ representations and the artistic means of conveying the directors’ ideas that played an important role in your evaluation? Do share, please.

Happy Landing on My Blog about Culture and Casino!

admin Casino, Culture, Gambling

I am Dorian (but not Gray), hailing from Manchester. I am 21 and I love several things in life. None of them goes well with the others. That’s why I have many blogs and maintain a number of personae on social media. Thank God for Internet anonymity! Clouding the sky rocks even when not done with style.

You’ve come here to check out what I’m all about. I wish I could tell you. I’ll leave my blog to speak for me. What I definitely need to do is try and keep the posts here within the same chain of topics. Often, I have a hard time doing that and it was the reason I made all the different accounts. Let me make it clear: the Dorian of this space is fascinated with culture and casino, two C’s of controversial character (another two C’s – where do I get all these?). I major Cultural Studies, with Cinema as my second major. That explains my interests to a certain degree. Casino entered my life quite naturally when I travelled to Monte Carlo with my classmates in the summer after our freshman year at college. We wanted to see this world of glamour for grown-ups. It is glamourous for real, and I’m not much of a gambler, so I enjoyed it a lot. For our Cinema classes, I and another student were involved in a project about Representation of Casino in Films where I learned many inside facts and looked behind the scenes of popular European and Hollywood productions. I think this blog will be a nice place to showcase both my work and some personal notes on the subject. You shouldn’t expect to see here the final projects I write for school, but primarily the drafts and process notes or the most curious facts I encounter while researching my various topics.

What else? I plan to update the blog often but make no promises in that respect. You may follow or bookmark the site and come back as often as you like to check my newest articles.