They had a date with fate in Casablanca!
Casablanca is a 1942 romantic drama war film directed by Michael Curtiz, written by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based off of Murray Burnett and Joan Alison's unproduced play, Everybody Comes to Rick's. The film stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. It was nominated for and won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay while also being nominated for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score. In 1989, it was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
"Here's lookin' at you, kid." - Rick Blaine
Plot
While managing a night club in Casablanca, Rick Blaine's life becomes incredibly complicated when his former lover, Ilsa Lund, comes to his place with Victor Laszlow, a rebel who is being chased by the Nazis. Now, Rick must balance his own troubles with those of World War II as he has to choose between what is easy and what is right.
My Favorite Part of Casablanca
Casablanca is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, and for good reason. This movie was made in 1942. Films weren't really these complex, layered stories that had rich themes and deep characters. Casablanca is. Throughout the film, it isn't really clear what is right and what is wrong, which just makes for an automatically compelling story with characters that you are invested in. The story has multiple layers, whether you're talking about the main plot about sneaking a rebel past the Nazis or the fantastic love story between Rick and Ilsa. It's so well done. Every moment provokes deep thought and interest within the viewer, which is a very difficult thing for movies to do. It's great.
My Least Favorite Part of Casablanca
I don't really have much to say here. I think some of the story points in this film are confusing. It almost feels like a bit of a spy thriller at times with the amount of secrecy and espionage going on, and that can get confusing. There's a MacGuffin in the movie (if you don't know what a MacGuffin is, it's an object that all the characters are looking for) and that also complicates things. Nothing about this plot is bad, but it can just be slightly confusing at times. However, it doesn't really take away from the movie at all.
Why Casablanca Is Great
Casablanca is filled with drama, intensity, sweeping romance, great performances, fantastic, crackling dialogue, and swift direction. It has everything you could ever want in a Hollywood romance. It's one of the most iconic films of all time. It has some of the most memorable movie quotes ever. Humphrey Bogart gives one of the best performances of all time. Everything is firing on all cylinders. It just works so well.
Final Thoughts and Score
As I said in the beginning of this review, Casablanca is considered one of Hollywood's greatest, and for good reason.
I will go Sweet here. Age range is 12+.
SWEET N' SOUR SCALE
Sweet (Great)
Savory (Good) Sour (Bad) Moldy (Terrible)
"Casablanca"
Fun Factor: 8.5/10
Acting: 9.5/10
Story: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Rated PG for suggestive material, disturbing themes and images, thematic elements
Released on January 23, 1943
1 hour and 42 minutes
Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine
Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund
Paul Henreid as Victor Laszlow
Claude Rains as Captain Louis Renault
Conrad Veidt as Major Heinrich Strasser
Sydney Greenstreet as Signor Ferrari
Peter Lorre as Signor Ugarte
Dooley Wilson as Sam
S.Z. Sakall as Carl
Leonid Kinskey as Sacha
Madeleine Lebeau as Yvonne
Joy Page as Annina Brandel
John Qualen as Berger
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