Of all the films in all the world...

Rating: 8/10 (14 April 2007)

... this must be the one where the romance of everything appeals to me the most. You have the passionate but doomed re-acquaintance, set against a time when to even look a day into the future was uncertain. Best of all, the guy I'm supposed to relate to from this couple is the boozing, sarcastic incarnation of Humphrey Bogart! Part of me feels like you haven't suffered unless you're someone who's destined for the gutter and bitter at how the world has turned out. An attitude that comes from reading too much pre-18th century poetry, no doubt... (Further insight may also be found in my review of "The Libertine".)
Anyway, all of the most important details within the story seem to have been collected especially for my benefit, although I guess I'm not the only one, since the film continues to be popular right up to the present day. Truth is, this is a movie for anyone who inwardly looks upon themselves as a cynic with a heart of gold.
The question I ask myself though is: Would I be brave and selfless enough to give up my one true love for the sake of humanity in general? I don't think so, although I still cling to memories of a faded love, I have no pretensions of being so noble about it. That is why we have indelible movie-stars and characters, though - Heroes who do the things we wish we could do, and are strong enough to take the consequences of the hardest choices. Rick Blaine and "Casablanca" are monuments to the notion of 'doing the decent thing', and it is this quality that makes the script and performances come alive. Watching it should be a magical experience.