The 1995 movie Casino from Martin Scorsese remains one of the most classic movies about the gambling industry, as well as one of the most authentic looks at how Las Vegas changed through the 1970s and 80s. How did the fashion designers who worked on the outfits help to make it look so real?
The Way the Casino Industry Has Changed Since Then
It’s worth remembering that this film was made at a time before online casino play was introduced. Looking at it now, some viewers may not realize that it’s based on real, historical characters and the story of the astonishing growth of Las Vegas. Some of the fashion undoubtedly looks extravagant to us now, but it helps to set the scene effectively.
These days, many people choose gambling options such as online blackjack at Paddy Power. In this case, the same gameplay and rules are typically used, but the game is presented by a live-streamed human dealer from a studio setting. It’s an approach that has helped these games reach more people and has also meant that the fashion used by players is now more relaxed.
Sharon Stone’s Flashy Outfits
Sharon Stone played Ginger McKenna in one of the best roles of her acting career. The actress confirmed in 2020 that she came across her old research binder for Casino just in time for the 25th anniversary of Casino. This binder revealed how hard she had worked to get into character by finding out everything she possibly could about Geri McGee, who was the real-life inspiration that Ginger was based on.
Costume design was a massive part of her transformation into Ginger, with a million-dollar budget handed to designers Rita Ryack and John Dunn to get Sharon looking the part. This led to them sourcing original outfits and painstakingly creating replicas for her wardrobe. As well as being accurate for the period covered in the movie, the outfits also perfectly matched Ginger’s rise and fall in terms of both her financial situation and her emotional state.
Robert De Niro and the Importance of Ties
Robert De Niro famously paid close attention to the clothes he wore in his role as Ace Rothstein in Casino, with designer Dunn explaining in interviews how the legendary actor told him about the importance of choosing the perfect tie for a particular scene. Director Scorsese comes from a family steeped in the clothing industry and he made sure that his lead actor looked the part in Casino by playing an active part in choosing clothes that a real-life casino manager would have worn.
Their attention to detail is revealed in the opening scene, where Ace is seen falling victim to a car bomb in a flash-forward reveal. While this happens, he’s wearing an outrageously bright pink jacket. The reason given for this is that the jacket is a metaphor for how he’s gone too far in his ambition and is now too conspicuous and too attention-drawing to be allowed to continue.
The role of fashion in the movies shouldn’t be underestimated, and the masterful costume design in Casino is one of the best examples of using clothes to immerse us in a specific time and place.
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