10 Best Opening Scenes In Martin Scorsese Films

Following the critical and commercial success of Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese swiftly turned to his next true story, gangster-related film project, Casino.

Once again teaming up with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, as well as '90s A-lister Sharon Stone and numerous other familiar faces, Casino was another gangster hit for the director. Examining the mafia's relationship with Vegas in the decades following the early days of Bugsy Siegel, the film captures the brutal nature of the mob - whether it be business-related violence or trouble in the mafia's troubled personal lives.

Casino opens with a literal bang as Scorsese again uses reverse storytelling to show the picture's main character, Sam Rothstein (De Niro), seemingly being incinerated after his car explodes.

This incident would be revisited later on, but the sequence continues after dramatic and operatic opening titles, with Rothstein and the various cast of characters being introduced in a more professional manner. The narration ends with the stunning visual of Las Vegas at night, shining like a beacon in the middle of a dark and empty desert landscape. Rothstein comments that, "It's in the desert where a lot of the town's problems are solved".

Extravagant and explosive, the sequence sets the tone for the rest of the film.