One of the greatest movies ever made

Rating: 10/10 (5 April 2011)

This film is clearly one of the greatest of all time. It's genius lies in the perfectly delivered emotions of the actors. After years of playing gangsters and tough guys, Humphrey Bogart used Casablanca to establish himself as romantic lead, and cemented his place as one of the best actors of all time. He plays Rick Blaine, the bitter saloon keeper with a heart of gold, still madly in love with the one who got away. When she shows up in Casablanca, the passion between them reignites, but he learns that she is married to one of Nazi Germany's greatest enemies.
Ingrid Bergman acts as Ilsa Lund, the wife of Victor Laszlo, an escaped enemy of the Third Reich. She arrives trying to find a way out of Casablanca, but meets Rick, and is torn between the two. In the end, both realize that they must sacrifice each other for the fight against the Nazis.
The writing in Casablanca is superb. Many of the lines, "Here's looking at you, kid" or "We'll always have Paris" have become legendary. Casablanca holds the distinction of having the most quotes on the AFI's top 100 quotes list. The writing perfectly conveys the emotion and tension between these two characters, as well as the supporting actors.
Many of cinema's most famous scenes are in Casablanca, including arguably the greatest scene of all time, the airport scene. In the final scene, Rick, Ilsa, Lazslo and Renault arrive at the fog-covered airport. Rick knows he and Ilsa love each other, but realize that in the end, they can never be together. He convinces her to join her husband and continue the fight. In the end, she agrees, and the two lovers part, assumingly, never to meet again.
Casablanca stands as one of the greatest movies of all time simply because of the raw pure emotion that these actors brilliantly convey, a love that is real and true, but a love that can never be.