The Sin City, Las Vegas, has been featured in quite a number of movies, especially involving gambling. This undoubtedly has led to the rapid transformation of the city. Gambling, by default, is all about taking risks. This makes it difficult to think of it as fun – think of seeing someone put their fortune on the line in anticipation of something BIG. However, if such a stake results in winnings, the counting process becomes fun.
Vegas has been painted on the big screen since the early 1940s and a few of the movies that are set in the city are discussed here.
Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
Dailey, a compulsive gambler, discovers the various forms of luck people have, especially at cards and love. The movie is depicted through a simple plot.
In the movie, Cyd Charisse performs at the Sands Hotel, showcasing her modern ballet dancing skills with charming MGM musical. Dailey discovers that taking hold of ballerina Charisse’s hand is all he requires to win at roulette. However, she dislikes holding hands with him. The movie is used to reveal some of the greatest talents of the era. Not only that but it also showcases the glamour of Las Vegas – well-dressed vacationers, dealers, gamblers, smokers, among others – and how much the Vegas crowds appreciate performances.
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California Split (1974)
California Split has been adjudged by New York’s Vulture.com as the greatest movie about gambling ever made. It is a gambling and poker movie that features Charlie (Elliot Gould) and Bill (George Segal), a pair of gamblers – one a professional gambler, and the other, a casual gambler – that developed a deep connection through their mutual love of gambling. They would often embark on a gambling binge such that their stakes keep getting bigger. This sent Bill into debt.
Bill and Charlie had pooled their money, staking Bill in a poker game. Fortunately, Bill wins $18,000 and additional money from blackjack, roulette, and craps. He then decides that he has had enough of continuing with a life of gambling. He shares his win with Charlie and tells him about his decision to quit gambling. To this end, it might be difficult to ascertain whether or not Charlie would gamble his part of the won share.
Ocean’s Eleven is a casino heist movie that gradually moves through a coordinated plan to steal from some casinos in Vegas – the Bellagio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand casinos. With no much suspense, the audience tends to be carried away by the hangout vibe of Rat Pack members, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop, especially when in their stylish attire. The movie combines fun characters and high-stakes thrills.
The 2001 remake has its plot modified to suit the modern audience. Nevertheless, it still revolves around planning a heist of $160 million from the casinos. Danny Ocean, following his release from prison, travels to California to meet a friend, Rusty Ryan, and at the same time propose a heist offer to him. They both recruit eight other colleagues who were experts at different specialties in terms of carrying out criminal acts.
Though the planned robbery attack on the casinos constitutes the major plot of the movie, it is difficult to ignore the gambling undertones as they helped to determine the movie’s outcome. It is also shot in iconic locations along The Strip.
Viva Las Vegas is an American musical movie that features Lucky Jackson (Elvis) who visits Las Vegas to participate in the first annual Grand Prix Race in the city. He raises some money to purchase a new engine for his race car to compete in the event. Unfortunately, he loses the same on pool game at the hotel, forcing him to work as a waiter to pay his hotel bill. He falls in love with Rusty whose affections Mancini, his major competition, also attempt to win.
Through the movie, we could see certain elements that are tied to the city’s image – talent shows, contests, luxurious casinos, and hotels, among others. The atmosphere of the casinos, especially, gives you a clue of emotional feelings aroused by poker, slot, and blackjack games. There is always a thirst for the enthusiasm afforded by almost everything in Vegas.
Ben Sanderson is a screenwriter who arrives in Las Vegas after losing his family and job as a result of alcoholism. His decision to move to Las Vegas is to drink himself to death. Thus, he gets drunk as he drives to Nevada where he develops a romantic relationship with Elisabeth Shue (Sera), a prostitute. Initially, both are happy with each other; however, they become pissed off at each other’s behavior – Ben goes to the casino and returns with another prostitute. Eventually, Sera gets gang-raped by three college students who offered her huge money to have sex with her.
Las Vegas is depicted here as a place where people indulge their darkest and dangerous desires. At the same time, it is a place of self-discovery as people discover their true selves, make and avoid making more mistakes, and satisfy their desires, irrespective of how lustful they may be. The movie is laced with lots of jokes and hilarious situations that make the audience enjoy endless laughter and fun.
Conclusion
These movies are primarily set in Las Vegas, rather than those with scenes that talk about the picture of the iconic city. The fact that some of the movies have scenes of casinos does not imply that they are about gambling. Casinos are an empire that features gambling. These movies combine fun and anticipation as well as project the look and feel of the city that was once a desert town. Beyond the movies highlighted here, there are hundreds of others that are set and filmed in Las Vegas.
