A good film, although I struggle to understand why it's regarded quite so highly

Rating: 6/10 (10 September 2014)

This wartime romance is one that seems to consistently be referred to as a classic and one of the best Hollywood films ever. Whenever I watch it though, I can never really work out why. It's a good film, no doubt, but I can never truly get to grips with why it is so beloved. Whereas, the previous year's Citizen Kane is one whose excellence is very obvious, Casablanca seems more like a very well made yet conventional bit of cinema. Not that this is a bad thing of course.
It does have a pretty impressive cast though, that is one thing for sure. Humphrey Bogart as the cynical Rick and Ingrid Bergman as the woman, Ilsa, who changes him make for a memorable screen couple; while the support cast is even better, with Claude Rains, Peter Lorre and Conrad Veidt all at the top of their games in this one. The North African setting provides a nice exotic feel, while the World War II backdrop ensures that there is a definite menace underpinning everything. But this film is probably most famous for its romance, with a final few scenes that have become incredibly famous, with lines of dialogue that have been repeated and misquoted ever since.
A good film but I still don't really get the unadulterated love.