A classic of classics

Rating: 9/10 (5 June 2011)

Well, after sitting on my shelf for years, I finally watched Casablanca. As a young movie viewer, I have little experience with black-and-white films, so I was a little unprepared for what would happen next.
Casablanca is a Rom-dram set in Africa during World War II. It was also made during World War II, during a period of heavy fighting. Nowadays, it's like a time capsule from the most violent period in modern history. But enough with the history, and on with the film.
The first half hour was very faced paced, plot wise. Lots happened quickly, demanding your full attention. A viewer has to pay very close attention to figure out what's happening. However, it does slow down into a more gently paced movie. I'm not sure if that happens with all old movies, but very rarely nowadays will so much happen at the beginning of a film.
The acting is great. Rick's presence on screen is felt by all, Humphrey Bogart did an unrepeatable job as the stern yet sentimental hero. Everyone else plays their roles well, but it was hard for me to really tell what is and isn't good because acting has changed over the years. It seems that old movies have very dialogue-based acting, whereas new movies have action-based acting.
Speaking of dialogue, it becomes very apparent that Casablanca's is special. There's a reason it has the most number of famous lines on AFI's 100 lines list. But that's all I can say about that.
Lastly, the plot. *No spoilers* After the first 25 minutes, the plot becomes coherent and the story is very enjoyable. The pacing is very good, so the film never drags. The ending is very nice, and the buildup to it has several twists, some you will see coming, others you won't.
Ultimately, Casablanca is a classic film any cinema aficionado should see. 8.8/10