Mostly very good but the romance robs the intrigue...

Rating: 7/10 (7 October 2018)

While the love story between Rick/Ilsa is rather well done I feel that the amount of space it takes up is too much. Specifically there are two scenes early on that allow Rick to get the letters of travel and Victor to know of their location. Both scenes have to hang a lantern on the character motivations to make them believable. Unfortunately in retrospect it is rather obvious what the screenwriters ended up doing to get the plot to work. It makes the entire film feel a bit off.
Similarly, while the love story is engaging, and this might be a consequence of the film's influence, it is no where near as engaging as the political intrigue. The film is at its best when the political context is at the forefront, such as the dueling national songs scenes. I was far more interested in how Rick and Renault navigate the German demands. The spy stuff is just better polished.
It could be because I think Renault is easily the best part of this film. Rains is a delightfully self-aware cynic and there is a dark joy to that character. I wish the screenplay spent more time on him.
Nonetheless this is a fine film and a classic of Hollywood.