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CASABLANCA ***** out of *****
 Genres
1942
Directed by Michael Curtiz Written by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison (play Everybody Comes to Rick's) Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch Cast Humphrey Bogart .... Rick Blaine Ingrid Bergman .... Ilsa Paul Henreid .... Victor Laszlo Claude Rains .... Capt. Renault Conrad Veidt .... Maj. Strasser Sydney Greenstreet .... Signor Ferrari Peter Lorre .... Ugarte S.Z. Sakall .... Carl (as S.K. Sakall) Madeleine LeBeau .... Yvonne Dooley Wilson .... Sam
Casablanca is a story set during World War II, although the backdrop for this film takes place at Cafe American, run by American expatriate Rick (Humphrey Bogart). During this troubled time many people have been fleeing Europe, most notably France, and making their way through Casablanca en-route to the United States. But in order to do that they must attain an exit visa, which in Casablanca is no easy feat. When two Nazis are killed and the documents they carry were stolen by Guillermo Ugarte (Peter Lorre), a regular at Rick's cafe, asks Rick to hide them in order to keep the documents safe so that he can eventually sell them. Rick, not one to do any favours for anyone, reluctantly accepts as Ugarte is arrested for the killing of the Nazi soldiers.
 | An ensemble cast not matched until
Revenge of the Nerds. | The Chief of Police, Captain Renault (Claude Rains), knowing that Rick's cafe is a hotbed of activity, tells Rick that a major resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) is currently in Casablanca and is looking for an exit visa quickly. However, Renault orders Rick to keep Laszlo in Casablanca. Laszlo eventually shows up at Rick's cafe looking for Ugarte to buy an exit visa, only to find out Ugarte arrested and himself now stuck in Casablanca.
Unfortunately for Rick, Laszlo brings with him someone from Rick’s past, Ilsa whom Rick shared a romantic interlude with in Paris years earlier that left him heartbroken. Having learned that Rick is in possession of the visas and refuses to sell them, we find that Rick and Ilsa have a lot of old memories that need to be mended, all while the Nazi's are after her current love, Laszlo.
 | Shooters on Lambton Quay before
the tacky redesign. | Roger Ebert explains in his DVD commentary for this film that to most people film history starts with Star Wars. But, he says, even if you’re not a cinephile, even if you hate black and white movies, you will still love Casablanca. He is absolutely right.
Great films are a rarity, especially in the factory system of Hollywood. It takes synchronicity between storytelling, direction, casting and even historic events to make a truly great film. The Casablanca double DVD is dedicated to the preciousness of movie greatness. Consider all the things that could have gone wrong: the fact that Warner Brothers announced Ronald Reagan in the part of Rick, or that not a single actor knew what was really going on with the story. Ingrid Bergman couldn’t wait to get off the Casablanca set so she could work on a real film, For Whom the Bell Tolls, with Gary Cooper.
 | Note to PDAing couples: you do not
look this good when pashing on the
bus. | [Spoilers ahead! –ed.] Also, consider if Casablanca had been under the helm of a less technically accomplished and restrained director than Michael Curtiz. And what could have been made of the end, because more than any other film Casablanca is made its ending. When Humphrey Bogart, who sticks his neck out for nobody, looks into Bergman’s grateful and heartbreaking eyes it’s nothing less than tear-jerking brilliance. But the end wavered in the balance throughout production as Warners production executive Hal B. Wallis and the Epstein twins (Julius and Philip) tossed around whether Bogey and Bergman should get together and leave Laszlo flying away on his plane. If they’d filmed that ending Casablanca would have been just one more competently made film of the 50 Warners made that year. Finger_Of_DOOM's reviews also appear on DVD Compare, where they include details of the DVD release. For this review click here. Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts) |
