Reasons Why Gambling Makes for a Popular Theme to be Explored on the Silver Screen
Casinos and gambling, no matter what the idea associated with these two entities is, have a certain charm and allure about themselves. They have a siren call that most people might not be able to ignore. It is like a whole different world inside a casino, one where time itself is suspended, and minds float in limbo. Once you step foot within the four walls, there is very little hold that you can have on yourself. The glitz, the music, the food and drinks, plus the risk factor that comes along with trying your hand at these casino games, transport you to a trance-like state, and you just give yourself away to the requirements of your adrenaline. Gambling and casinos, thus, is a domain that has a lot of excitement to offer and is, therefore, also seen as a theme that the silver screen explores and exploits optimally. The movies have a massive draw to themselves, because of the glitz and glam that they provide. And when you add the motifs of casinos and gambling to them, the screen lights up like nothing else. This is why casinos make for an amazing theme for filmmakers to infuse their screenplays with. In this article, we shall look into a few reasons why casinos and gambling are such popular themes in movies, and also shed light on a few movies that have used this theme to the best of their effects.
Commercial Movies Love Exploring the Factor of Risk:
Commercial movies that are generally made to appeal to the sense of the masses center upon the idea of risks. They have a quintessential formula that they like to adhere to, like finding oneself in some sort of danger or a risky situation and then making one’s way out of the same victoriously. Gambling offers the factor of risk, and that is why it makes for such an interesting motif to be used in movies. It works towards the aim of building suspense and keeps the audience at the edge of their seats. An entire movie can revolve around this very one motif, plus, it could also act as a catalyst that would propel the plot and the main cause that the movie is centered in and around. Take the movie Casino Royale for instance. James Bond is a spy who is set on a mission to bring the criminals to book. But his indulgences at the casino games only act as a sub-plot that takes the main plot forward. There are many such movies that revolve around the various forms of gambling, like betting and lotteries, and if nothing else, you could always pick up a few tricks to be used later when you indulge in gambling or online sports betting.
Gambling Adds Comedy to the Plot:
Besides adding the factor of risk, some screenplays use the theme of gambling to add a comedic effect to the movie and break the tension. Things could go utterly wrong in a casino house and filmmakers like finding humor out of this chaos. This cuts through the built-up tension in the movie and sometimes acts as an element that helps a movie become a comedic success. There is so much fun that the audience can elicit out of a chaotic situation in a casino house, and this could act as a fantastic plot for the genre of comedy. Also, filmmakers like Martin Scorsese like using the casino and themes of gambling to bring in dark humor to their movies, and the argument can be corroborated by his movie Casino that released in 1995. Dark humor appeals to a niche audience, and filmmakers love to include casinos and gambling to bring that effect.
The Bottom-line:
The takeaway from the discussion should be that when it comes to movies, especially the commercial ones (except maybe a few parallel movies), nothing draws the crowd in flocks to the theatres than the portrayal of gambling and casinos on the screen. They are enough to take a plot forward and offer the audience all that they expect from a mainstream flick to provide them with. Gambling has been used as a theme in the cinema since several decades now, and the kind of popularity the domain witnesses, it can be safely asserted that it shall continue to rule the silver screens for a long, long time to come.
