I'll tell you what this film is about.

Rating: 10/10 (5 July 2005)

What is this film about? All sorts of explanations have been put forward. It's a romance, a melodrama - even the intriguing explanation that it was the representation of a love triangle involving the director, a notion which falls flat, because the director did not write the script. In fact, it is a good old fashioned war propaganda film. Why should the Americans enter the Second World War?
Although the film is set in North Africa, all the principal characters are either American or from somewhere in Europe. The Americans are from a country that is "neutral." Most of the others, the French, the Czech with the Hungarian name etc, are embroiled in the war somewhere.
Among all the turmoil in Casablanca Rick Blaine has built himself a little neutral island. It's cosy, with his chess set in his little office, with Dooley Wilson at the piano, and Sasha the Russian barman. The turmoil can go on but Rick Blaine, like the USA, is strictly neutral.
But Rick cannot remain neutral for long, and sooner or later, the second world war - in the shape of Ilsa and her boyfriend - turn up at his door. Rick must now take an active part in the war, just as the USA have to join the fighting.
The final scene show the beginning of a beautiful friendship between the reluctant collaborator of a Frenchman and his American ally.
The film may have been a message to the people of America or even a message to the President (casablanca is Spanish for white house). But the message is there. It's 1942, and it's off to war for the USA; because it is inevitable that the USA are going to get embroiled in this one way or another.
Those who have read some of my other reviews know that I am quite capable of slitting the throats of sacred cows. In this case I am quite happy to give it 10 out of 10, because it IS a good film; and it is not the pseudo-intellectuals who will tell you it is a good film; it is the ordinary filmgoing public who will tell you. It is heavily layered, well acted, competently directed, and Orson Welles is nowhere to be seen!
There are some reviewers who say that the acting in this is bad. When did Bogart, Bergman, Claude Rains or Conrad Veidt ever act badly? They couldn't if they tried.
No other director but Curtiz could have directed this. Interesting is the scene where two factions sing against one another, a device he has used in at least one other of his films. For this film, Curtiz won an about-time-too Oscar for best director.
Another great thing about this film is that it is so rich in content that you can play it again, Sam, as often as you like.