Decades have gone by, but this one remains a classic!

Rating: 10/10 (3 August 2007)

I first became aware of this film's existence back when I was around nine years old, but never actually saw it. At the time, I highly doubt that was a great loss for me, as if I did see "Casablanca" when I was that young, there probably wouldn't have been many words for me to use to describe what I thought of it, other than "boring." However, I finally watched it for the first time about eleven years later, earlier this year, and was very impressed, even though I wouldn't have given it a 10/10 at the time. Since then, for me, it has improved with more viewings!
The film is set during World War II in Casablanca, Morocco, where many European refugees, fleeing from the Nazis, had to come in order to have any hope of getting to Lisbon, then to America. Rick Blaine is an American in exile who runs a nightclub in the Moroccan city. He is very cynical and "sticks his neck out for nobody." After it is announced that two German couriers have been murdered, Ugarte, the murderer, comes to Rick's club and asks him to hold on to two letters of transit for a while. Shortly afterwards, Ugarte is arrested, so Rick is stuck with these letters. The nightclub owner is then informed that Victor Laszlo, the European Resistance leader, is coming to Casablanca, and Major Strasser of the Gestapo tells him to make sure Victor doesn't escape from the city. Victor comes to Casablanca with Ilsa Lund, Rick's former love who left him in Paris! At first, Rick is not pleased to see Ilsa again. Ilsa and Victor have come for the two letters, but convincing Rick to give them to the couple won't be easy!
It has been 65 years since "Casablanca" was first shown to the public, and since then, many people from generation after generation have seen it and have been blown away! With its poignancy, suspense, strong dialogue, romance, etc., this 1942 motion picture is a work of genius, and there's nothing surprising about its wide appeal! So, if you want to see a stunning love story, set and made during WWII, and movies don't require a whole ton of action to impress you, I would say "Casablanca" is a must-see! If you don't love it right away, maybe you never will, or maybe it will grow on you with a second or third viewing!