Casablanca (1942)

Rick Blaine is a fugitive, lost in the fugue of expiatory purification, an isolated man whose glacial heart still burns for his one true love. He finds himself cast adrift in Casablanca, the last place on earth he expects to find salvation, and he wants only to live life by his own rules. Blaine is a lonely man who tries desperately to forget his past and disregard his morality: he was once ethical, a supporter of the disenfranchised and repressed. Into this web of intrigue stumbles Ilsa Lund and as time goes by he must make a fatal decision to do what is right for her, the greater cause…or himself.

Michael Curtiz has directed one of the most memorable films of all time, one of the great romantic tragedies, but it is not without flaws. Though Bogart and Bergman’s smoldering emotional conflict burns onscreen, the premise of the film about stolen transit papers and the unlikely coincidence of Ilsa and her husband, the fugitive patriot Laszlo, threatens to sink the film into absurd melodrama.

The local French Captain expertly portrayed by Claude Raines seethes with politically incestuous ethics whose hands are soaked with the blood of innocents yet he reveals a kind heart. Laszlo is rigid and one dimensional, a plot device to create friction between the scorned Rick and Ilsa, and its difficult to see why she loves him so much…and why we should feel empathy for him. These elements implode when examined on their own but together form a cohesive and suspenseful narrative. CASABLANCA is like any other film…only more so. This leads us to a bitterly romantic climax that is swallowed by the fog. Final Grade: (B+)

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     I say this without hesitation; "Casablanca" is the greatest movie of all time. Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains, "Casablanca" is the quintessential movie.
 
     "Casablanca" is both a World War II drama and a simultaneously tragic and happy love story. Set in unoccupied French Morocco during the early days of World war II, shortly after the Nazi Invasion of France, "Casablanca" is about an American, Rick Blane, a stoic, mysterious figure who owns and runs Rick's Café Américain, (The inspiration for the title of this blog) a popular night spot in Casablanca. "Everybody comes to Rick's," including Rick's ex lover, Ilsa, accompanied by fleeing resistance leader Victor Laszlo. From there, there is a murder mystery, complex webs of relationships between the three afore mentioned main characters, and, in the end, love lost, love found, redemption, and "the start of a beautiful friendship."
 
     The acting, as well as the actors, are all top notch. The directing is superb. The characters are all fully developed, three dimensional individuals, each with complex sets of motivations who grow and change throughout the course of the movie.
 
     Bogart plays Rick Blaine, the owner and proprietor of Rick's Café Américain in Casablanca during the early days of World War II. Rick is a strong character; Absolute master of his domain. He's also a character who is hiding in Casablanca. Running away both from his native America and from his broken heart, Rick is a character who has tired of fighting the good fight and had found a safe haven from the war and romance in Casablanca.
 
     Bergman plays Ilsa Lund, a young, naive girl who traveled from her home in Oslo to Paris where she and Rick enjoy a time of carefree romance and no questions.
 
     Henreid plays Victor Laszlo, a leader in the resistance, who is being perused by the Nazis. He arrives in Casablanca with Ilsa, and the intricately woven back stories and complex interactions of these characters begin there. I'm not going to ruin this movie with too many details after that, but each of these characters has a past haunting them, and all of them being pulled by multiple sets of loyalties.
 
     Claude Rains quite expertly plays the almost comical Captain Louis Renault, Perfect of Police in Casablanca. While he is the least developed main character, He, like all the other main characters, has his motivations and ends up changing, for the better, in the end.
 
     Over sixty-five years old, "Casablanca" has withstood the test of time. Most films that old feel dated or quaint. "Casablanca" can stand next to any modern World War II film and hold its own. It is truly a masterpiece and I can, without hesitation, recommend watching this film.

Brian
Ciné Critique Américain

This is one of film’s all time greatest love stories. It even has a place on a few of AFI’s top 100 lists. Everytime I view this film, I never doubt that ranking, other than to say it should be higher.
Humphrey Bogart has some of the most memorable (and quotable) lines in the film. This is the only film of his that I’ve seen to date, but he appears to fit right in as the neutral turned patriotic bar owner, Rick
The beautiful Ingrid Bergman is nothing short of breathtaking. Her beauty lights up the screen, while her talent captivates the audience. She and Bogart have great chemistry. The only couple that may have stronger sparks would Be Ginger Roger and Fred Astaire.
I just watched Claude Rains yesterday in The Invisible Man. Here he is totally visible and a much more likable, but still questionable character. He plays an integral part in the running of Casablanca, and is, as he says, “a corrupt politician.”
The supporting characters in this film are just as important as the major players because they each have play an integral part in moving the story along.
When this film was made, having a multi-cultural cast was something of a taboo, yet they did it, and it works.
There really isn’t much criticism that I have for this picture. Actually, there is none. It is the perfect film, although a few more scenes with Ingrid Bergman would have been nice and maybe some more music by Sam and the band.
They don’t make film like this anymore. With all the violent, gory, dark pictures that come out today, its good to go back and watch a classic that has withstood the test of time and is still revered as one of the greatest, though I know in the back of my head some douche is thinking how they can remake it. Quick, before that happens, check out this perfect film!

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