3 Ways Casino Is Better Than Goodfellas

There can be no doubt that Martin Scorcese sits in the Pantheon of all-time great movie directors. And there’s little debate about the greatest of his films — most movie buffs will reel off Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and especially Goodfellas as three of the top cinematic masterpieces ever.  

And then there’s the second tier, we’re talking about Mean Streets, The King of Comedy, Cape Fear, The Departed, et al. But here’s an unpopular opinion that needs airing — 1995’s Casino is actually better than the widely accepted tour-de-force Goodfellas. You may scoff, but the films have striking stylistic similarities, overlapping cast members, and the classic rise-and-fall of any great crime movie.

So here are three reasons why Casino outshines Goodfellas.

Casino has more MEAT

OK, if we’re being completely honest, Goodfellas is an easier ride as a movie. It’s funny (don’t tell Joe Pesci), moves quickly, and the performances are pitch-perfect from main players and supporting cast alike. But, it covers a lot of ground in terms of the journey of associate-turned-informant Henry Hill, from childhood right through to his addled arrest and subsequent betrayal of his mob buddies (that’s roughly 1955 - 1980). This leaves some crucial parts of the story frustratingly unexplored - Tommy's growing animosity with the mob, or development of other characters, for example. 

Casino, on the other hand, has a sharper focus. Set between 1973 and 1986, it charts the rise and fall of Sam “Ace” Rothstein, with plenty of time to explore the complexities of the characters and their intertwinings. It also gives us a great chance to marvel at Scorcese’s rendering of the casino itself as an atmospheric backdrop. Casinos are part of our pop culture landscape, and are now massive in the digital realm, with millions of players able to enjoy the classic games alongside other favorites — free spins on slot machines and bingo offers to name just a couple.

Casino is more Stylish

Goodfellas is a super-stylish film. The first scene that springs to my mind is the iconic steadicam tracking shot of Henry Hill leading Karen (wonderfully played by Lorraine Branco), through the back of the Copacabana club, kitchens and all, to the best table right by the band. The voiceovers, quick character summaries (along with mini-set pieces), and fluid camerawork that became synonymous with Scorcese from the 1990s onwards were born with Goodfellas. But, one could argue that Casino, five years down the line, perfected it.

There are a few examples of Ace Rothstein (Robert De Niro) moving through the Tangiers Casino, the camera gliding with him effortlessly as he greets guests and whispers in the ears of workers, but the real money shot is in fact, a money shot — coins run down conveyor belts, notes are tightly rolled and bound, briefcases are loaded, safes opened and shut, and private jets boarded. It says so a lot about the scale of the operation Ace is running, while the Copacabana simply shows us how popular Henry Hill is around town.

Casino has a more nuanced Female Lead

Ultimately, both movies focus on a trio of central characters, with Ray Liotta (Hill) alongside De Niro and Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, and De Niro, Pesci and Sharon Stone forming the core of Casino. While Lorraine Branco puts in a stellar performance as Karen Hill in Goodfellas (and, unusually for a Scorcese flick, gets her own bit of narration), it’s Stone as Ginger McKenna, in what many critics — and the actress herself — called a career-defining performance, that adds a new dimension to Casino.

Karen Hill has been dragged into a life, tempted away from her traditional family by glamor, money, and fast living, whereas McKenna has a dark past that is always lurking in the shadows, and lends an air of menace and tragedy to the character, even at her most glamorous and vivacious. There is also the fact that Ace and Ginger marry knowing full well they will never love one another fully. It’s a bleak and complex arrangement, set against a backdrop of massive wealth and opulence, and one of Scorcese’s finest cinematic dynamics.

For many, Goodfellas represents the absolute peak of Scorcese’s oeuvre. But when you get past the iconic set pieces, quotable lines, and mafia cooking scenes, Casino might just have the house edge.