How Martin Scorsese Uses Music To Elevate Scenes In Casino

As one of the finest and most widely-acclaimed movie directors of all time, Martin Scorsese knows exactly how to use the audio and visual elements at his disposal to make each scene work perfectly. In the 1995 movie Casino, the music chosen by Scorsese forms a coherent soundtrack that is also used to great effect in the film’s most important scene.

The Soundtrack of Casinos

Smooth, soft jazz or classic pop are often used to set the mood and create a special atmosphere in casinos. Online slots also use music to fit their theme and the gameplay they provide. For example, if you play Fruity Burst by Virtue Fusion you’ll find a colorful game filled with bright symbols and a slightly retro feel. Because of this, it’s no surprise to find an array of simple, cheerful sound effects that add to the game. In the movie, Scorsese has subverted the type of music we find in real casinos and put together a powerful soundtrack.

He uses Bach’s St. Matthew Passion at the start as we get a glimpse of what to expect, with Robert De Niro’s character (Sam Rothstein) explaining the background to the story while the soaring music fits perfectly. The opening sequence was created by Saul Bass and it has been described as representing Sam’s journey like Dante’s Inferno and the descent into hell, while this review by Classical Inquiries compares it to Homer’s epic poems. This varies from the music used in real casinos, where it’s used to relax players and encourage them to stay, while Scorsese is looking to show raw emotions and the turmoil the characters go through.

As the movie progresses, the scenes are set through clever use of songs from each period covered. This means that we hear Muddy Waters, Roxy Music, Cream, and Fleetwood Mac, among others, at different points in the movie. Often, the songs are cleverly used to foreshadow what is about to happen or to reinforce the action we’re seeing on the screen. This story takes us through the history of casinos in Las Vegas and also of popular music from the 1960s onwards.

When Sam meets Ginger (played by Sharon Stone) the raucous Slippin’ and Slidin’ by Little Richard merges into the sweetly romantic Love is Strange by Mickey and Sylvia, but both songs give us a clue about the tumultuous nature of the relationship that’s about to start. In this way, the music continuously adds to the scenes without being overly obtrusive, which is closer to the effect we get from the music played in both land and online casino games.

Scorsese’s Iconic Soundtracks

A look at Scorsese’s most iconic movies brings us many other examples of music being used to create something special. This list by Far Out Magazine of the best musical moments in his films has the likes of Smokestack Lightning by Howlin’ Wolf in The Wolf of Wall Street and Late for the Sky by Jackson Browne in Taxi Driver, which has the added appeal of De Niro’s character Travis Bickley interacting with the music that we hear. He’s particularly fond of using rock and blues but has turned to all types of music to get across the point he wants to make in any particular scene.

Casino is one of the best movies for seeing how a masterful director is able to weave music into the scenes seamlessly. If you love watching exciting films and also enjoying great music, this is a potent combination of the two things that works brilliantly.