Hollywood at its absolute best

Rating: Null/10 (8 February 2003)

I just watched Casablanca last night, and it's one of the greatest films I have ever seen in my life. Everything about it is great. For one, it is one of the most gripping love stories ever to hit the screens, and its romantic drama has rarely been matched since it was made. Same goes for the acting, which is some of the finest in film history. All of this and more will put together one of the greatest movies you will ever see. Period.
Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is an ex-freedom fighter who now runs a nightclub in Casablanca, a place filled entirely with French refugees seeking unauthorized transit passes so they can escape to America. Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), who is at the top of the Nazi most wanted list, comes to Casablanca with his wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), a former lover of Blaine who departed him when the Nazis overtook Paris. She wants her husband to escape, but her love for Rick re-ignites, and she wants to stay in Casablanca. However, things become more dangerous for the Laszlos, and despite their revived love for each other, Rick convinces Ilsa that she must leave with her husband. He then sees her off on a plane on a fog-enshrouded runway in one of the greatest movie conclusions of all time.

There are so many moments, many of which will forever be unforgotten, in Casablanca that stand out even when compared to greater or bigger films. Every scene is gripping, like when Rick has a flashback to his romantic times with Ilsa in Paris while piano player Sam (Dooley Wilson) plays "As Time Goes By", or when Rick walks out onto the runway and tells Capt. Renault (Claude Rains), "Louis, I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship". But these invincible moments obviously don't need retelling, for almost everyone knows of them. As for the timeless cast, Humphrey Bogart is simply stunning as the leading man. The class, drama, and brilliance in his performance are impossible to match, although there have been countless attempts to try to surpass it. Ingrid Bergman is simply gorgeous, and contributes a performance that's worth cheering for. In fact, all of the performances in this movie will have you cheering.

This is the kind of film that many other Hollywood movies have followed the footsteps of, yet probably very few have rivaled or suprassed. In a nutshell, Casablanca is a sweeping classic that will leave you breathless. From Humphrey Bogart's classy acting to the great ending, there is not a flaw to speak of. In the battle of the ultimate classics, it's not as good as Citizen Kane (despite a higher star rating, but star ratings don't speak all of the volumes in my book). But it's still a fantastic movie. Watch it and enjoy it.
`Here's looking at you kid!'
***** out of *****