a great classic film

Rating: 9/10 (28 April 2004)

Love, passion, corruption, lies and murder are only a few things that are contained in Casablanca's story line. Made in 1942 it remains a great film that people still talk about today. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is a man bitter about love, and doesn't stick his neck out for no one. He lives in the city of Casablanca in Morocco and owns his own American café which is more like a saloon than a good place to sip coffee. A long love Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) revisits Rick unexpectedly and leads to a lengthy flash back to better days in France.
As the Germans are trying to take over the world during WWII people flee to Casablanca to try and get to America for a free and safe life. The plot speeds up as a customer of Rick's asks him to hold on to papers that will lead anyone out of Casablanca and into America with no questions asked. When the man gets killed by the corrupt police, Rick is stuck with something he doesn't want and does not know what to do with it.
Casablanca is one of the most emotional movies the viewer will ever see, from love and lust to murder and deception you're always on the edge for your seat and wanting to know more.
The actors could not have done better. Humphrey Bogart's detached emotion adds a lot of comedy to the film, but when he loosens up sentimentally you can't help but to cheer. Ingrid Bergman is a great actress who can love you one second then pretend to hate you the next. Claude Rains who plays Capt. Louis Renault is a man who gets what he wants when he wants it even if it costs other peoples lives, but some his cold heart unthaws.
The dialog in the film is lengthy and somewhat confusing at points, but normal for those classic films that try to be sophisticated.

Casablanca is a film to watch over and over again without it getting old or boring, and can still connect to its audience 60 years later. So here's looking at you kid.