The Criminal Mind

Character development is a major part of film making. If the main character of a film is not seen as interesting to the audience, no one will want to watch the movie. There are many different characters throughout Scorsese’s films that are devious and mischievous. This, I believe, is what attracts the common movie-goer to these characters. These individuals act in ways and participate in behavior that most of society would not. It is the viewer being able to see the things that they wish they could do that makes the character appeal to them.

In Casino, Martin Scorsese sets up a Las Vegas casino that is run by Sam Rothstein, a man sent by the mob to oversee operations in the Tangiers Casino. Sam is running the show with no problems until the mob sends his friend from home, Nicky; to protect Sam and make sure that no one tries to give him any trouble. It is not long before Nicky is notorious in Las Vegas and not permitted to enter any casinos. Things get so bad for Nicky and Sam that they must go out of their way to not be seen meeting each other. They must avoid tapped phones, switch cars so they are not followed, and meet in the middle of the dessert if they need to talk to each other.

Sam informs Nicky of how bad things have gotten and explains that he has been put in the �black book.’ With this, Nicky decides to run his own operation. He recruits his younger brother and a friend to start his ring of jewelry theft. Nicky’s ambition is so overwhelming that he ends up sleeping with Sam’s wife when she comes to him for marital advice. Now Nicky must hide the fact that he is involved with Ginger while he is convincing Sam to forgive her and let her back into his home. Soon Nicky get in way over his head and cannot handle the things the mob is asking him to do while he is attempting to keep his jewelry smuggling ring intact. Before you know it the mob gets fed up with him and decides to have his own crew brutally beat and murder Nicky and his brother.

Nicky in Casino is similar to Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle in a way that they both get themselves involved in activities that most people would try to avoid. In Taxi Driver, Travis Bickle is a sociopath who does not come close in contact with many people on a daily basis. He drives a taxi cab around bad neighborhoods