Throughout the decades and countless big-time film projects, we have seen many iconic intersections and portrayals of casinos. Some of these intersections certainly provided more fruitful results than others, capturing a very wide array of movie genres, as well as a big pool of different mini-games chosen as the focus of the casino-related scenes.
While a reader’s first instinct may be to think of classics such as James Bond vs Le Chiffre, or some Poker-centric movies like ‘Rounders’, one of the most popular games very often implemented in films is Roulette.
Interestingly, in most movies, there happens to be some sort of fascination when it comes to showcasing physical casino establishments and in-person roulette sessions. That is, the world of film still has to catch up with the rise of online roulette, which perfectly captures the essence of roulette gambling, with the use of digital elements – be it eye-catching roulette tables, classic symbols, and interactive gameplay. From the most iconic roulette scenes, we can see that movies favor the in-person experience, as they demonstrate the old-school state of roulette gaming, as compared to the current one that’s completely digital.
Truth be told, it is somewhat intuitive for a film though, as despite the online gambling market growing year by year, the glamour and the aura a physical casino, and face-to-face matches can have cannot be replaced, especially when portraying it in films.
We will be going over some of these films, analyzing the casino-centric scenes based on how relevant they are to the overall narrative, and what they manage to accomplish either in service of the characters or the plot as a whole.
Iron Man (2008)
To open up the list we have a short, but highly effective roulette scene in Iron Man (2008). It comes in at the beginning of the first act, serving as a strong introductory point to Tony Starks character, giving a clear picture of his persona pre-imprisonment and pre-Iron Man.
Instead of receiving a supposedly prestigious award for his engineering genius, at a high-profile ceremony, he is spending his night gambling and playing high-stakes roulette, surrounded by dozens of people, being the center of attention.
This quickly gets across relevant information about his character. For starters, whether Tony himself takes it seriously or not, the reward that he receives is a clear indication of his intelligence and ingenuity, something that is going to be extremely relevant for his decade-long run as a character in the MCU.
Secondly, it demonstrates his carefree nature, as well as arrogance, putting himself completely above this reward, and not even considering it worth his time to receive it directly. In addition, the roulette games being extremely high-stakes, as demonstrated by the visuals in the scene, indicates that on top of Tony being rich, he is more than happy to spend that money on whatever it is he may find entertaining.
This playboy persona being clear as day is essential for delivering the intended impact upon his development and the reveal of real Tony Stark, behind this front.
Casablanca (1942)
Continuing with the serious tone of the roulette scenes, though not quite as pessimistic and dark, we have the 1942’s Casablanca. In this one, a nightclub owner named Rick Blaine does a favor for a couple trying to flee to the United States, and attempting to gather enough money for visas.
Seeing as the couple had very unpleasant, alternative ways of gathering the said money, Rick used his authority as the nightclub owner, to encourage the couple to play a roulette game, which he essentially rigged in their favor, leading to the couple making enough to avoid their unpleasant situation.
This scene works well because it highlights Rick’s moral complexity and his willingness to help those in need, even if it requires bending the rules. It also demonstrates Rick’s ability to navigate complex situations and make decisions that benefit others, even at his own risk.
By helping the young couple win at roulette, Rick ensures they have the money they need to escape Casablanca and start a new life, highlighting his compassionate and resourceful nature. This scene contributes to Rick’s character development and his evolving sense of moral responsibility throughout the film.
Rush Hour 2 (2001)
A complete tonal shift, but still a film definitely worth mentioning, is 2001’s Rush Hour 2. Not all memorable roulette scenes have to be dramatic affairs. The buddy cop comedy Rush Hour 2 provided some more light-hearted thrills with an extended comedic roulette set piece set in a Hong Kong casino.
As Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan hilariously disguise themselves as an obnoxious gambler and his equally clueless translator, the laughs come from their over-the-top antics as they bicker, misunderstand roulette’s rules, and inadvertently win big before causing chaos as security catches on to them.
Rush Hour 2 serves as a great contrast to the previous two films on the list, as its one of the comedy classics, and utilizes the casino elements for a much different purpose, yet still equally effectively.
Conclusion
As we hopefully have learned, casinos in films are not always just backdrops or glamourized environments that serve no purpose outside of just existing. Good screenwriters write each scene with a purpose, and often with roulette scenes, as was hopefully demonstrated, we get a good chunk of character work, and sometimes even social commentary regarding heavy, complicated topics.