10 Most Brutal Movie Beatings

9. Casino

Keeping with De Niro and his weapon of choice, Martin Scorsese's cut-throat crime drama sees the rise of Sam 'Ace' Rothstein, a Mob casino boss headed to the top. The only trouble is, his 'protection', Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), is drawing unwanted attention with his quick, violent temper. As time goes on,their relationship grows increasingly frayed- to the point where, following an attempt on his life, Ace instantly suspects Nicky. Having had enough of this live-wire liability, Sam's bosses are quick to step in... They strike a deal with Nicky's men, promising them mercy if they turn in their leader. And so they arrange for Nicky and his brother Dominick (Philip Suriano) to meet them in a remote cornfield, which should surely ring alarm bells in any mobster's mind. Nicky is knocked to the ground by his former associate Frankie (Frank Marino), and forced to watch as the men set upon his brother with metal baseball bats. After beating him senseless, they turn their attention to Nicky, before throwing both men into shallow graves and burying them alive. Scorsese certainly isn't one to shy away from violence; with the bloodied bats raining down on Dominick's body, a metallic clang echoing from every blow. Yet what lends this shocking scene a clever twist is the realisation that the attack had interrupted Nicky from providing the film's narration; the bat to the legs cutting him off mid-sentence.