Famous Roulette Scenes
Russian roulette has been seen regularly in popular culture since first appearing in a 1950 episode of Bugs Bunny. The violent and risky game is naturally cinematic and exudes tension on the big screen. The Deer Hunter most famously used it to create one of the most iconic scenes ever put on film. As the thrilling Russian roulette focused new film ’13’ is released we take a look at the Deer Hunter and the other best uses of it over the years.
Styles even made himself more famous with one video going viral. While at a Roulette table in the Pearl Room Casino in Australia in 2013. The Burberry model, actor, and singer have a “17BLACK” tattoo in honour of an iconic James Bond scene. And Last But Not Least.
THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
Michael Cimino’s Vietnam drama was a smash hit in the late ’70s and rightly deserving of its 5 Academy Awards. The most famous part of the film is the intense Russian roulette scene which sees Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken’s characters forced to play Russian roulette by the Vietcong. The superb acting and claustrophobic nature of the set gave the piece an electric edge which resonated deeply with viewers. It’s an incredibly intense scene. The Deer Hunter was the film to put Russian roulette firmly in the public imagination.
But perhaps the most famous casino-centric James Bond film is the 1971 movie Diamonds are Forever. In this movie, Bond can be seen playing a number of casino games, one of which is roulette. The movie’s roulette scene happens just prior to its famous craps scene, helping to set the atmosphere for one of the most exciting Bond films ever created. 100 Most Iconic Movie Images, Moments or Scenes. In the entire history of cinema, these are 100 of the most iconic or defining moments, scenes, or images. THE DEER HUNTER (1978) Michael Cimino’s Vietnam drama was a smash hit in the late ’70s and rightly deserving of its 5 Academy Awards. The most famous part of the film is the intense Russian roulette scene which sees Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken’s characters forced to play Russian roulette by the Vietcong. But perhaps the most famous casino-centric James Bond film is the 1971 movie Diamonds are Forever. In this movie, Bond can be seen playing a number of casino games, one of which is roulette. The movie’s roulette scene happens just prior to its famous craps scene, helping to set the atmosphere for one of the most exciting Bond films ever created.
LEON (1994)
The Directors cut or ‘Version International’ of the now classic hitman film Leon features a tense Russian roulette piece. Various scenes that developed the relationship between Mathilda and Léon were cut from the original edit after test audiences in LA saw an early version. This particular scene shows Natalie Portman’s Mathilda threatening to shoot herself play playing Russian roulette. She does this to try and persuade Jean Reno’s Léon character to teach her to become a killer. It’s an effective scene and once again shows the dramatic potential of this device in cinema.
LA CONFIDENTIAL (1997)
Curtis Hanson’s masterful crime thriller features a Russian roulette element as a key piece of character development. After Guy Pierce’s sensible detective fails to get information out of three criminals in an interrogation, Russell Crowe’s unhinged character ‘Bud’ White storms into the room. He proceeds to force one key suspect to play a one-sided version of Russian roulette with a loaded gun. White pulls the trigger three times before he is satisfied and the audience learn what a uncompromising and extreme character he is in the process.
THE WAY OF THE GUN (2000)
Christopher McQuarrie followed his triumph of writing The Usual Suspects with the tough as nails and underrated The Way of the Gun. The plot follows a couple of criminal drifters as they get swept into a kidnapping situation that spirals out of control. The Russian roulette scene focuses on a criminal played by talented character actor Geoffrey Lewis. The doomed mercenary decides to play Russian roulette with himself as a method of committing suicide. After a failed first attempt he is about to try again when he finally picks up his ringing phone only to tell the person at the other end he’s “Not at all” busy. It’s a humorous end to another tense use of Russian roulette.
STARSKY AND HUTCH (2004)
The playful Todd Phillips version of Starsky and Hutch features an a Russian roulette element in one of the funniest parts of the film. The scene in question sees the police duo enter Chinatown looking for information on their case. During the conversation Starsky quickly offers Russian roulette as a way to get the leads he needs. “All right, you wanna play games? I got a game for you, Chau!” The idea swiftly backfires on Starsky as he fails to understand the rules of the game. This is perhaps the funniest use of Russian roulette yet seen in the movies.
13 (2012)
13 is a full-throttle new thriller focused on the fictional underground ‘sport’ of Russian roulette. Fiercely organized and ferociously secret, the game attracts depraved gamblers and desperate men. In the film we follow one naïve young player (played by Sam Riley) who mistakenly becomes a numbered participant in this deadly world of violence and chance. This is writer/director Géla Babluani’s white-knuckle American remake of his 13 Tzameti, the film that swept Europe, shocked Sundance and now translates as one of the most edge-of-your-seat thrillers of the year. The film also has an amazing cast including Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, Sam Riley, 50 Cent and Michael Shannon.
13 is out on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday 8th October
Of the numerous gambling games to feature in movies over the years, roulette is the most popular. The pastime has appeared in all genres of movies, from action-packed thrillers to dramas and comedies. Here are just some of the best movies of all time where roulette has a key role to play.
Diamonds Are Forever
Iconic super-spy James Bond is often seeing carousing in casinos in the legendary movie series. Perhaps the most famous of all that heavily featured casino playing, however, is 1971’s Diamonds are Forever. 007 (Sean Connery) is seen here playing numerous casino games, with roulette, of course, being among them. The best roulette scene occurs just before the film’s famous craps scene and helps to establish the atmosphere for one of the more exciting Bond films in the series.
Indecent Proposal
While you can get a rush playing roulette, it can land you in trouble if you’re not careful. This proves to be very much the case in the 1993 classic Indecent Proposal. A newlywed couple (Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson) foolishly gamble their life savings on one game of roulette. A billionaire (Robert Redford) offers the couple $1 million if he can sleep with the man’s wife. The couple agrees, leading to their relationship being tested to the limit.
Casablanca
The 1942 film is widely regarded as being among the greatest-ever movies. One of its most remembered scenes features a game of roulette that takes place in the cafe owned by the film’s main character, Rick (Humphrey Bogart). A woman gambles everything on a single game of roulette in order to help her and her husband escape from a corrupt investigator and make their way to America. Rick ensures that the game goes in their favor, and the couple leaves with the winnings, off to a better life Stateside.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
The Michael Caine and Steve Martin movie from 1988 is one of the great comedy partnerships of the era. The two actors play con men who come together to win tens of thousands of dollars from casinos in France. In one of the movie’s more memorable scenes, the duo plays roulette against each other, as well as others. France is an appropriate setting for a movie featuring roulette, seeing as the game is believed to have been invented there in the 17th century, per Mr Green. The word itself even means “small wheel” in French. Although it’s unlikely the two men had that in mind when they were plotting how to win their fortune.
California Split
Starring George Segal and Elliott Gould, this 1974 movie focuses completely on gambling. So it’s of no surprise that roulette appears on multiple occasions throughout the film. The two main characters in the movie form a bond after being accused of collusion in a poker game. They win more and more together by playing poker, craps, and roulette. Segal’s character eventually tires of the lifestyle, however, and returns to his old way of living, proving that winning isn’t everything.
There are plenty of other casino movies to choose from, such as 21 (2008) and The Gambler (1980), but the above list is definitely the best focusing on the casino’s most popular game.
