Idealism behind cynicism

Rating: 8/10 (26 May 2008)

When I first saw this as a young film snob, I liked it, and said it was important, but I didn't really know as much about human emotions, or the topics depicted as I thought. I found some scenes (the ones I was too young to understand) to slow it down; the "morning after" dialog at the bazaar, the sale of the club to Greenstreet. All I really knew was that the surprise ending was regarded as a sentimental powerhouse.
Now I find its storytelling structure to be so sleek and on-track that I seriously doubt the lore that says that pages of the script only arrived minutes before they had to be shot. It is a speedy, singular-minded machine that doesn't have an ounce of fat, that manages to be Bogart's best role and performance to boot.
Fans attend viewings to hear iconic lines within a context that ingeniously frames its well-known, pithy phrases in relation to selflessness, patriotism and sentiment. The electrifying smack-down of the Nazis delivered to 'Le Marseilles' is one of the most rousing moments ever put on film. And it's kept in good company by boatloads of other famous scenes.
It portrays patriotism in terms of idealism (not narrow-mindedness, victimization and/or hate) so even a liberal (the more idealistic of the two political viewpoints) can love it. This movie is a classic because it's an ennobling pleasure.