Given that Casablanca is such an iconic film---and one which I have assumed nearly everyone has seen or at least knows about---I have never reviewed it on here. (In the same way, I've never written about Gone with the Wind, as it is so famous it needs no introduction.) However, I've come to realize that everyone has NOT seen Casablanca. While it may be a "famous" film, that doesn't mean it's been seen by all. Just as there are several "famous" films I've not yet seen (Citizen Kane, The Quiet Man, and Vertigo to name just a few), Casablanca may be one of those films on any number of people's "gotta watch it" list. With that in mind, I decided that a brief review of this beloved movie is in order.
With the Nazi army conquering Europe, terrified people are fleeing from their countries, and a stopping point for many is Casablanca, French Morocco, where they wait endlessly for exit visas so as to travel further. With so many visas in demand and so few given, naturally, corruption follows, with those who can pay the highest price receiving the coveted "freedom ticket." One man with riches on his mind is Ugarte (Peter Lorre), who intends to sell two stolen visas, pocket the money, and hightail it out of Casablanca.
Knowing the Nazi officials are hot on his trail, however, he pleads with American expatriate and cafe owner, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), to safeguard the in-demand documents. Shortly after entrusting them to Rick, Ugarte is apprehended by Nazi officials and never seen again.
In Casablanca with hopes of acquiring an exit visa for himself and his lady companion is Nazi resistance fighter, Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid).
_01.jpg)
A thorn in the side of the Nazis, Lazlo had long been imprisoned in a concentration camp, and now that he is free and is continuing his resistance work, he desperately needs to obtain the transit papers Ugarte has entrusted to Rick. Rick, who has said he "sticks his neck out for nobody" isn't keen on providing the documents to Lazlo, especially when he discovers that Victor's companion is none other than Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman, who is beyond gorgeous in this film), a woman with whom he has some sort of troubled history. (I won't disclose the nature of relationships, as I don't want to give too much away.)
All the while Mr. Lazlo is seeking to obtain the necessary exit papers from Casablanca, Nazi officials (one of which is wonderfully played by Conrad Veidt) are determined to keep him there. Knowing Lazlo would continue his resistance efforts if he is able to make his way to parts West, they seek to detain him and get him back into captivity...or to gather from him the names of other resistance members. Ilsa, meanwhile, calling upon her former relationship with Rick, hopes to obtain the papers as well; in the midst of it all, the local Prefecture of Police (fabulously played by Claude Rains), is loyal to neither side. How it all works out is the balance of the film.
Casablanca, which won the Academy Awards for best picture, best director, and best writing, is a totally brilliant film in every aspect. Michael Curtiz's direction was sensational, the casting was completely perfect, and the acting was beyond wonderful. Next to Treasure of the Sierra Madre, a film for which Humphrey Bogart did not even receive an Academy Award nomination, I think Casablanca is his absolute finest hour! He is totally fantastic in the role of Rick Blaine---definitely Oscar worthy!! I need to do a re-watch of Watch on the Rhine to see how in the world Paul Lukas snagged the win that year. Ingrid Bergman was more beautiful than I've ever seen her, and she was perfect in her role as well. Already nominated that year for her role in For Whom the Bell Tolls, she did not receive any Academy recognition for her work in Casablanca. Paul Henreid was wonderful as well. He was the perfect Victor Lazlo; especially because he hailed from Europe and spoke with a beautiful European accent, he was completely believeable in the role. Claude Rains did receive a Best Supporting Actor nomination, but he lost out to Charles Coburn for his work in The More the Merrier. (I do think Coburn was terrific in that role, but Mr. Rains was also completely stellar in his, so he was definitely win-worthy.)
Several famous movie quotes were given to us by Casablanca. Here are just a few:
"Play it, Sam." (Ingrid Bergman to Dooley Wilson, as she asks him to play "As Time Goes By" on the piano.)
"Here's looking at you, kid." (Humphrey Bogart to Ingrid Bergman)
"We'll always have Paris." (Humphrey Bogart to Ingrid Bergman...one of my favorite movie quotes)
"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine." (Humphrey Bogart about Ingrid Bergman)
I first saw Casablanca when I was 19 years old (way back in the early 1980's). At that time, I hated the film...and I hated the ending. Now, as a more mature adult, I completely love it and count it as my #2 movie of all time. Add to that, I love the ending...I think it's the right ending. Seeing this beloved film on the big screen has only increased my love for it. It was an experience I will long remember...and one which I could enjoy on a regular basis. (HINT: Let's bring a beloved classic to the big screen every single month!!)
There is one aspect of the big-screen showing which I was hoping for which did not pan out, however. I was hoping for a real stepping back in time. I was hoping that the attire of the movie-goers would reflect a 1940's flair. I am a dress-up person, and I love seeing people dressed up…men included. People of the 1940′s would no more have gone to the theatre in jeans and a flannel shirt than they would have flown to the moon. The men would have been in suits and ties, the women in dresses. Alas, I was the only woman (at least that I saw) wearing a dress…and I saw no men in suits. To me, dressing the part was an essential part of the experience, so in that aspect, I was disappointed. (However, the magic of the film itself far outweighed that disappointment!)
While my review of this incredible film and its 70th anniversary celebration really doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of it beauty, I hope that for anyone who has not yet seen this film, you have been intrigued enough to seek it out. Casablanca is, without question, a must-see film!
Happy viewing!!