While gambling has been a part of human history for centuries, the modern industry is relatively new—especially the online casino market, which is transforming how people experience gambling. However, as revolutionary as internet casinos are, they lack the grandeur and spectacle of iconic Las Vegas megastructures.
Gambling and art have always shared a deep connection. From ancient oral traditions to contemporary portrayals of games like blackjack in film, the gambling world has long inspired creative storytelling. In this article, we’ll dive into some of the most unforgettable scenes in movie history.
The Hangover
Todd Philips’ raunchy comedy about a trip to Las Vegas remains an iconic part of early 2000s popular culture. The film’s success is plain to see, as it not only spawned two sequels, but launched the careers of Bradley Cooper, Zack Galifianakis, and Ken Jeong. Of course, we all remember the premise of the movie as four friends who have a bachelor party in Las Vegas, only to wake up hungover, having forgotten everything that happened the night before, and worst of all, missing the groom.
After a series of hijinks, involving a tiger, a baby, a tattoo artist, and a wedding gone wrong, the group finally locates their missing friend. However, there is one small problem; they owe a mad mob boss some cash. In order to retrieve the money, Zack Galifiankis’ character must win a huge sum, which leads to one of the most iconic scenes in the movie; the blackjack scene.
In an homage to Rain Man, Galifianakis’ character approaches the blackjack table, dressed in a grey suit. He claims to be able to count cards, though his friends doubt that very much. After a scene in which we are led to believe that the character is creating a strategy, he bets it all on a hit, and actually ends up winning the exorbitant sum of cash. Whether he actually counted the cards or simply got lucky, the audience, nor the other characters, never find out.
Rain Man
We brought up Rain Man before, in passing, so it is only fair that we focus on the film that played a part in inspiring The Hangover. A classic of the 90s, Rain Man follows two brothers, played by Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, on their journey to get to know each other, bond, and scam the casinos in order to win a lot of money.
After learning that his father and mother had been keeping his autistic brother a secret, Charlie (Tom Cruise) decides to meet Ray (Dustin Hoffman). While at first he is put off by his brother’s complicated behavior, he soon learns that Ray is a math genius. He convinces his brother to go to Vegas, where they proceed to take the casinos for all they are worth.
Among a slew of iconic scenes is the one where Charlie and Ray first enter the casino. Ray is unwilling to go at first, but Charlie manages to use his suave attitude to convince his brother to play blackjack. By counting cards, Ray manages to win over $80,000. The impeccable performances by both leads is what cements this as the most iconic blackjack scene in cinematic history.
Casino Royale
When discussing iconic film characters, we can’t ignore the impact that James Bond has had on pop culture. The suave, womanizing, and genius superspy has been gracing literature and cinema for decades now, and continues to draw in a massive crowd of fans, whenever a new film comes out. Though different actors and directors have put a unique spin on the character, there is one thing that remains consistent; his love of casinos.
James Bond’s passion for gambling is a reflection of his creator, Ian Fleming. The British writer was a big fan of baccarat, which is why the first novel in the series; “Casino Royale” is set in a fiction mega-casino. Despite the novel being a huge hit, it did not get a film adaptation until 2006, when Daniel Craig took the role of Bond, and traveled to the Casino Royale in order to stop an international arms dealer.
After arriving at the grand casino, Agent 007 sits down at a blackjack table. He confronts the film’s main villain, portrayed spectacularly by Mads Mikkelsen. The scene is tense, dramatic, and incredibly atmospheric, so much so that often people forget that no actual blackjack is being played. That is right, we may have cheated with this one, as there is no game of blackjack anywhere in the movie. When cards are being played, it is usually Texas Hold ‘em. However, one of the most iconic scenes occurs on a blackjack table, and we say that counts.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
For this last entry, we wanted to take a look at something completely different. Thus far, we’ve looked at scenes set in glamorous casinos, with characters who are dressed to impress. So, the last blackjack scene we want to discuss is from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, an incredible movie about the mistreatment of the mentally ill, and their effort to find their place in society.
After committing a litany of crimes, Randy (Jack Nicholson) fakes a mental illness, and is placed in a mental asylum. He manages to organize the other patients, and through his hijinks he instills hope in the otherwise hopeless people. One way in which Randy stimulates the patients is by organizing a game of blackjack, where they play for cigarettes.
The scene may not be the most glamorous or the most iconic aspect of the movie. However, it is rather heart-warming to see people who’ve been having trouble simply existing, suddenly start engaging with a complete stranger, and just having fun. It goes a long way in humanizing the characters in the film, and ultimately making the end all the more tragic.
