American Movie Classic

Rating: 10/10 (29 December 2006)

Casablanca (1942): Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Dooley Wilson, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, S.Z. Sakall, Madeleine LeBeau, Joy Page, Leonid Kinskey, John Qualen, Curt Bois, Louis V. Arco, Oliver Blake, Monte Blue, Gino Corrado, Franco Corsaro, Helmut Dantine, Marcel Dalio, Jean Del Val, William Edmunds, Martin Garralaga, Gregory Gaye, Creighton Hale, Lou Marcelle, Michael Mark, Louis Mercier, Torben Meyer, Alberto Morin, Dan Seymour, Ludwig Stossel, Norma Varden, Wolfgang Zilzer...Director Michael Curtiz, Screenplay Julius J. Epstein, Phillip G. Epstein, Howard Koch.
"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship".."We'll always have Paris"......
Director Michael Curtiz's Casablanca, released in 1942 as World War II raged in Europe, has enjoyed the reputation of the quintessential classic American movie for more than 60 years. It was Curtiz' crowning achievement, despite having made several successful films for Warner Bros. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman attained Hollywood immortality in their roles as American ex-lovers who cross paths in Casablanca, Morocco, North Africa during Nazi-occupied Europe. Rick Blaine (Bogart) is an American ex-patriate who owns a jazz nightclub/cafe frequented by many, including thieves, prostitutes, singers, and of course Nazis and Resistance good guys. One such Resistance activist is Victor Laszlo (Paul Henried) who just happens to be married to Elsa (Ingrid Bergman), Rick's former lover. Their romance was played out in Paris, presumably before the war, but she opted to marry someone else for financial stability. When Rick and Elsa reunite, their old flame is rekindled. Much has been said of how terrific the chemistry between Bogart and Bergman is in this film, and they represent a kind of film noir pair which means despite burning hot for one another, they cannot be together as one of them has to answer to a greater good. In this case, Rick must give up Elsa and allow her to remain married to Victor. The ending, made famous through the lines "Here's looking at you, kid" finds Elsa leaving with her husband to safety in America, as they are fleeing the Nazis who wish to capture them. Character-actor Petter Lorre was popular at this time and despite being a bit of a "foreign guy" stereotype, seems to fit into the cynical, darkly humorous world of Casablanca, which remain not just a love story, but a film noir sample. Warner Bros and Michael Curtiz were strictly old Hollywood studio system but while some films were forgettable during this time, Casablanca is a prime example of the system's success. Great script lifted from a play (Everyone Comes To Rick's), irony, cynicism, humor, comedy, romance- all in the dialogue. Some action including chases and gun fire. The cinematography by Arthur Edeson is typical of film noir - mostly night scenes- but the scenes of Casablanca marketplaces and cafes is exquisite. The prolific film composer Max Steiner, beloved by Hollywood and especially Warner Bros, provides a beautiful score, filled with American themes such as jazz and patriotic songs and French music such as the anthem Marseilles. Claude Rains, in an early film role, plays the stuck-up and somewhat sinister French Captain Renault, who harbors both dislike and envy for Rick. Costumes are by another Hollywood costume designer now forgotten Orry Kelly and provides a look at fashions in the early 40's/WWII Era. This film is worthy of being studied and scrutinized for how to make a great film.