Iconic gaming scenes in cinema

The inherent drama of video games makes them a natural fit for the silver screen—a fact demonstrated by the many films that feature iconic gaming scenes.

Showcasing these games has undoubtedly inspired millions of people worldwide to play on the best roulette sites in recent years.

With that in mind, read on as we explore some of the most iconic gaming scenes in cinema, starting with a film starring two of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Steve Martin and Michael Caine made an unlikely comedy pairing in the 1988 film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels directed by Frank Oz.

The film is an excellent remake of the conman movie Bedtime Story and benefits from the superb chemistry between Martin and Caine.

They play a pair of unscrupulous individuals who bid to con their way through life via a succession of elaborate get-rich-quick schemes.

The most iconic scene features Martin displaying his famed creative comedic style to great effect in a wheelchair during a high-stakes gaming moment.

Croupier

It is impossible to pick out a single scene from 1998 movie Croupier, as the film is primarily based on life at the tables.

Directed by Mike Hodges, this superb thriller helped to launch Clive Owen’s subsequently successful acting career in North America.

Owen plays an aspiring writer who takes a job as a croupier in a local gaming hall and ends up embroiled in a series of compellingly dark events.

Croupier initially received a negative response when it was released in the United Kingdom, but was a big hit with audiences across the Atlantic Ocean.

Indecent Proposal

Based on the 1988 novel by Jack Engelhard, Indecent Proposal was the sixth-highest grossing film of the year when it hit the big screen in 1993.

Starring Robert Redford, Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson, the movie’s subject matter attracted widespread criticism for its ‘anti-women’ premise.

One of the most famous scenes features a recently married couple (Moore and Harrison) making a high-stakes decision that could change their lives forever.

We will not ruin things by issuing a spoiler, but it is safe to say that what eventually unfolds is a warning to anyone who thinks money equates to happiness.

Diamonds are Forever

The James Bond series of movies are famed for featuring iconic scenes involving the legendary British secret agent in glamorous settings.

Diamonds are Forever was the last Bond movie to star Sean Connery, who many people believe is the best actor to play the MI6 agent.

The opening credits for the film feature 007 dispatching a villain by forcefully interacting with a gaming table, an unconventional and certainly not recommended way to engage with the game.

Bond also plays craps during Diamonds are Forever – the only film in the series where he tries his hand at the game.

California Split

The 1974 American comedy-drama film California Split starring Elliott Gould and George Segal received rave reviews from several respected film critics.

Roger Ebert said director Robert Altman took viewers ‘into an American nightmare, and all the people we met along the way felt genuine and looked real’.

A key scene provides a realistic depiction of gaming and serves to educate people who may not necessarily be familiar with its nuances.

California Split was nominated for Best Comedy by the Writers Guild of America and is widely recognised as one of the best gaming themed films of all time.

Run Lola Run

Run Lola Run is a 1998 German thriller film which won several accolades including the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

Lola (Franka Potente) has just 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Deutsche Mark to save her boyfriend’s life after a money delivery goes pear-shaped.

The story of Lola’s ‘run’ is told three times – each one with subtle differences which affect the outcome and the fate of the characters.

The third scenario involves Lola making a desperate bid at a gaming table to amass the money she needs to save her boyfriend.

Casablanca

American romantic drama film Casablanca is not necessarily famed for its gaming scenes, but it does play a key role in the storyline.

Filmed and set during the second World War, the movie stars Hollywood icons Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid.

Casbablanca is described by Rotten Tomatoes as ‘an undisputed masterpiece and perhaps Hollywood’s quintessential statement on love and romance’.

The chemistry between Bogart and Bergman in one of the main scenes is palpable. As your grandmother may once have said, ‘they don’t make them like this anymore’.

The editorial unit