The last word in movies.

Rating: 10/10 (29 April 1999)

Few films have ever been made with more class than 'Casablanca.' And no film yet made has ever been more solid and well acted. Yet for all its great dialogue and wonderful characterization, the script to 'Casablanca' was only half finished when production started! The final thirty minutes were being written an hour before they were shot.
But 'Casablanca' comes off looking anything but rushed. The acting shines from start to finish. The camera work progresses from normal shots in the beginning, to close-ups that fill the screen near the end. And let's not forget symbolism; A Free-French soldier being shot down in front of DeGaul's poster; and the characters, who mirror the European half of World War II.
'Casablanca' is not artistic. There are no fancy angles, weird-beard lighting effects, or enigmatic scenes. 'Casablanca' is not artistic because it does not need to be. At the end, good has triumphed over evil, the good guy walks off a hero, and his fate is simply left to the viewer to imagine. But beware of the dreaded colorized version.