When Martin Scorsese teamed with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci forGoodfellas, they made movie magic, but their underrated follow-up film deserves more attention than it gets. Though he has made movies in a myriad of genres in his lengthy career, Martin Scorsese’s gangster films are truly his lasting cinematic legacy. From his humble beginnings withMean Streetsto sprawling epics likeThe Irishman, Scorsese has found ways to reinvent the tropes of the gangster film while embracing the fundamentally flawed characters they produce. All along the way, Robert De Niro has been his most consistent creative partner.
Starting with the aforementionedMean Streetsin 1973,De Niro would return again and again to work with Scorsese, and he was occasionally joined by Joe Pesci. The latter actor didn’t work nearly as many times with Scorsese, but films likeRaging BullandGoodfellasshowed that the director/actor partnership could be just as fruitful. Following the success ofGoodfellas, De Niro and Scorsese would reunite forCape Fear, but the trio wouldn’t get back together until a few years later. Scorsese, De Niro, and Pesci came together for another amazing gangster epic in 1995, but it’s largely forgotten.
Casino Was A Worthy Follow-Up To Goodfellas
It’s not hyperbolic to say thatGoodfellasis one ofthe greatest gangster moviesof all time. It deftly balances a huge roster of intricate characters, and earns its epic length by telling a compelling story of one man’s rise and eventual collapse. 1995’sCasinowas Scorsese, De Niro, and Pesci’s next stab at the genre, and it manages to be a worthy successor toGoodfellas. Trading out one mafia haven for another,Casinoshifts focus to Las Vegas and tells just one of the many interesting crime stories that built the city of sin in the early ’70s.
Casinoalso features a massive ensemble and epic running time, and follows a similar plot structure about the rise and fall of one man and how it impacts the lives of those around him. There were a ton of excellentgangster movies in the 1990s, butCasinohad the added benefit of Scorsese’s deft direction and strong acting from De Niro and Pesci, among many others.Casinodoesn’t try to break the mold, and hits many of the same beats as its predecessor. That is perhaps why the film failed to gain the same attention and recognition asGoodfellas.
Casinowas a box office smash that grossed over $100 million (viaBox Office Mojo).
Why Does Casino Get Less Praise Than Goodfellas?
The 1995 Film Is Too Much Like Goodfellas For Its Own Good
A magic trick performed twice in a row suddenly becomes a lot less interesting, and that is likely what doomedCasinoto always play second fiddle toGoodfellas. While both films are some of the best that the genre has to offer,Casinosuffers because it was made afterGoodfellas, and was therefore relegated to cinematic obscurity. If the movies were swapped in the timeline,Casinowould probably be better remembered, though it would still be overshadowed byGoodfellas. The 1995 follow-up is a great film on its own, but it falls just short ofGoodfellasin overall quality.
Goodfellasfeels something like the closing remarks for the entire corner of cinema
Scorsese had honed the gangster genre down to a fine point by 1990, andGoodfellasfeels something like the closing remarks for the entire corner of cinema. Earlier gangster films likePublic Enemyput their stamp on the genre, and later movies likeThe Godfatherelevated things.Goodfellascame along later and built upon all the ideas that had evolved the gangster movie in the past, andCasinowas left with nothing new to say about its own subject.
Harold Hill’s demise inGoodfellasis the archetypal rise and fall of a criminal, but Sam Rothstein’s implosion inCasinois just a little bit less interesting.Casinois just as well-made as its predecessor, if not better, but it does get somewhat tangled up in its own narrative. Both films are sprawling in their scope, butGoodfellasis more focused when compared toCasino. The script’s reach was greater than its grasp in the case ofCasino, and it stumbled ever so slightly. On the flip side,Goodfellasis airtight and not a single moment is superfluous.
After This, Scorsese, De Niro & Pesci Wouldn’t Make A Movie Together Until 2019
The Trio Returned For Yet Another Movie Many Years Later
AfterCasino, the careers of Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci would diverge. Scorsese would shift focus to other subjects, De Niro would branch out to new roles, and Pesci would soon partially retire from acting altogether. However, they did reunite for 2019’sThe Irishman, and essentially capped off their trilogy of epic gangster films that started withGoodfellasnearly 30 years earlier.The Netflix original film was the first time that Scorsese worked with Al Pacino, and the gangster movie legend fit right in with the director’s usual actors.
1990
94%
$47 million
1995
79%
$116 million
2019
95%
$968 thousand (limited theatrical release)
The Irishmanwas a critical darling and a welcome return to the genre for those involved, but it clearly falls short of bothGoodfellasandCasino.It has all the same parts and pieces as its two predecessors, but suffers from the same problemsas the 1995 film. WhileThe Irishmanis a great film on its own, it falters in comparison toGoodfellasand even the underratedCasino.
