Casablanca

Rating: 8/10 (28 July 2007)

Here is looking at you kid, these words are written by my current boss Bernhard Drumel in his skype. I never knew that they are from Casablanca, until I saw the movie.
This is a love story during the world war second based in Casablanca, Morocco, North West Africa  a port where refugee Europeans came to depart for USA. Old time lovers - Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Lisa (Ingrid Bergman), meet after many years in Casablanca and remember their love in France. Lisa was and is wife of Victor (Paul Henreid) and the couple is planning to run away to America through Casablanca. Rick - now the owner of the most popular club in Casablanca is well connected among corrupt military and government machinery - sacrifices his love and helps the couple duo to go to America.
It is the not the story in itself, but the way it is told that makes it a very interesting viewing. The pace is fast and engrossing. The story slowly unfolds and never lets the viewers guess the next till the very end. There is a sense of mystery and suspense. The backbone of the movie is a love story that has gone wrong. It connects with every audience. The misery and cynicism of Rick is so real that every man may feel a close resemblance to the feeling Rick is having. Though many, there are well itched characters that define the intent and purpose of their words and actions. The characters  mostly representing different European countries  and give an universal appeal to western audiences, and so I understand its relevance in people's mind and popularity.
The character of Rick is brilliantly played by the chain smoking king Bogart. This was my first movie of Bogart and he impressed me the most. Like all olden days actors who  each one of them  had their unique style and so delight to watch; Bogart has his own. Ingrid looks and acts beautifully to say and hide her secrets with her eyes and body language. Paul Henreid was good, but not brilliant. Special mention of the local French Captain Renault, played by Claude Rains  who plays the most engrossing characters with black and white, shrewd and sober shades  a delight to watch him.
Each and every dialogue of the movie is perfect and catchy. The lines are worth repeating even today and written with so conviction that they are ever-green. The one that I personally liked the most was when the German commander asks Rick which nationality he belongs to; and Rick with his usual cynicism replies  I am a drunkard. There are so many such quotable lines almost unforgettable in the movie.
This was Director Martin Curtiz's 132 movie production as director. It took him almost 20 years of making movie to come out with this gem. Martin kept on making movies till the last year 1961; he died in 1962. Great music, fantastic choreography of people, and definite acting by most crew! The only thing I disliked about the movie was that most of it was shot indoors on the sets, and that in itself did not give the movie the epic proportions that normally one would expect from such classics.
There are many hate reviews about this movie, and I read a few of them. I found this movie to be very good  made in 1942, it was much ahead of its time in terms of scripting, dialogue, pace and screenplay. Now a days we see so many movies  but to think of the rave Casablanca would have created during world war second times, would have been enormous.
My salute to Martin Curtiz and Humphrey Bogart! Now I know and understand what does my boss mean when he writes and says  Here is looking at you kid! (Stars 8 out of 10)