Movie Never Loses Tension

Rating: 10/10 (2 April 2018)

A classic. Terrific actors, without exception (I wished Peter Lorre's part were longer). Great production. Incredible direction (look out for the head profile shots at the end, at the airport - that still remains striking). Unsurpassed screenplay. I could have taken a star off though because plot developments are glossed over too quickly. Bogart holds it all together and was never better. Movie captures the tension, desperation, romance and sacrifice of wartime magnificently. Only other criticism is over-use of music to manipulate viewer's response. Too noticeable.
SPOILER ALERT. As examples of rushed developments: Rick's change of conviction and Ilsa's acceptance of Rick's decision that he is staying and she has to leave with Laszlo. Hard to believe she would be comfortable leaving it up to Rick to tell her husband she was leaving him. And her decision not to meet him at the train station in Paris (after she learns Laszlo is still alive) because she thought Rick wouldn't leave Paris without her - well, to be kind to her I guess she believed that Rick would get over her in time and didn't need to know she was married (I realise Laszlo wanted to keep their marriage a secret to protect her but I think in the circumstances Rick could have been told). Because the movie never loses tension any of its shortfalls are masterfully hidden. It all passes in a whirl and the movie is over before you know it!
Trivia: Hitler is never mentioned. Only a portrait in Strasser's office.
An interesting approach to the film is to look at it as Rick's ultimate revenge on Ilsa for deserting him in Paris. He really deserts her at the end. She has no choice but to go with Laszlo. Rick could have got a letter of transit from Ferrari at the Blue Parrott. Ferrari had offered one to Laszlo and Ilsa but they had turned it down because they wanted to leave together. It seems incredible looking back that Ilsa was willing to leave her husband behind in Casablanca to fly off to Lisbon with Rick. It was really only Rick who forced her hand to leave with her husband.