Simply amazing.

Rating: 10/10 (8 January 2008)

Possibly the most iconic picture in cinematic history. It's a film that doesn't rely on subtext and deep symbolism in order to impress the audience. This one is all about the story, and it's a magnificent one at that. Another picture that focuses on the lives of people who are indirectly involved in the war and how it changes them. Rick and Ilsa are two of the most complex and beautiful characters ever brought to film, in my opinion. Their romance is beautiful and the effect that leaving one another has on them is utterly tragic. Watching Rick brood while throwing back shot after shot the night after his first encounter with Ilsa in years is one of the most brutal and well acted scenes I've ever witnessed. He pours his heart and soul into the performance, as does Bergman, and everything about watching them is just sensational. You just know that you're watching magic. Their final moments together are some of the most shattering I've ever seen. It truly ripped my heart into a thousand pieces. Bergman delivers one of the greatest female performances I've ever seen, and Bogart is simply phenomenal as well.