In Casino, Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro) runs the Tangiers hotel-casino in Las Vegas with mob backing, and he’s aided by streetwise chip hustler Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone). But gambling is a business; odds are that over the long haul the house will win. As the film progresses, we see just how dicey and volatile this world of crime and money can be.

It’s worth noting that the opening sequence of Casino is presented as a documentary, with fast cuts and a style that feels more like a behind-the-scenes look than a movie about gangsters. This is a device that Scorsese uses sparingly in the rest of the film. The story evolves away from almost entirely narration to something more conventional, but the film’s visual style never really loses its energy.

As is customary with Scorsese movies, the acting is terrific, especially from De Niro and Pesci. The chemistry between them is great, and their characters’ downfalls are all the more tragic because of the poor choices they make. Also notable is that, unlike in Goodfellas, the narrative flows from one event to another rather than just a series of random events. This gives the movie a more cause-and-effect structure that makes it more dramatic when the characters meet their demise. It’s also the reason why Casino works better than its predecessor; the events are more active and the characters all play their part. This is a real powerhouse of a film that should be seen by every fan of American cinema.