The game of roulette means many things to many people and many of the associations come from the movies. Only a few of us have seen an actual, physical roulette wheel, but most of us, thanks to motion pictures, can conjure up the image of a roulette table with ease. From James Bond to Humphrey Bogart, from "Diamonds are Forever" to "Casablanca," nothing says elegance, class, exclusivity and glamour like roulette and no scene is as gripping, dramatic, and exciting as a scene in which roulette is the star and where everything "rides" on the spin of the wheel.

Recent flicks, as well as older, classic movies, feature roulette in various and sundry ways. In a 1998 German movie, "Run, Lola, Run", the main character must win at the roulette wheel for a happy ending. (Lola's boyfriend "misplaced" a big sum of money and Lola is trying to help him by replacing it before his carelessness costs him his life.) In a key scene that features roulette, Lola, desperate to win, arrives at the casino in street clothes and makes her way to the roulette table surrounded by people dressed in - what else? - fancy evening attire.

In the 1993 film, "Indecent Proposal," two young newlyweds (Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore) lose everything at the roulette wheel (though some would say otherwise, since a subsequent arrangement was made with none other than Robert Redford). The whole movie was about gambling and greed and the roulette wheel was an integral part of the metaphor.

Roulette takes a darker turn in the movie "The Deer Hunter" (1978), because we are talking about Russian roulette (and not casino roulette). Nonetheless, the Russian roulette scene in this classic movie is one of the most famous roulette scenes ever; it is harrowing and horrifying, but unforgettable, nonetheless.

The scene shows three American POWs during the Vietnam War who are forced to play Russian roulette while their captors gamble on the results. (Russian roulette is a "game" in which participants put a single round in the chamber of a revolver and spin the cylinder so that the location of the bullet is unknown. They then take turns putting the weapon to their temples and pulling the trigger until the weapon discharges, killing the user.)

Another scene in the movie shows Vietnamese prisoners being forced to play the same game; at the end of the scene one participant blows his brains out. So much for the "glamorous" side of roulette.

But to get back to the appealing side of the game and to its allure, let's consider "Casablanca," which features roulette (French roulette) as a critical game of chance. In one important scene a young newlywed who desperately wants to escape to America has been offered a chance to leave in exchange for sexual favors (shades of "Indecent Proposal"). She comes to Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart, in one of his greatest roles ever) for advice. At the same time, her husband (who is unaware of the indecent proposal made to his wife) believes that the only hope of escaping Casablanca is by winning big at the roulette table. Rick, ever the soft-hearted idealist, arranges for the young man to win (by fixing the wheel) and the couple remains pure. Love - and roulette - triumph again. A kiss is just a kiss but roulette is always special.