A Great Drama and Love Story

Rating: 10/10 (17 May 2015)

The story opens on December 2, 1941. The progress of Axis forces has stalled outside Stalingrad. Rommel's Afrika Korps were just defeated in Egypt. On the other side of Africa, Casablanca, Morroco is the crossroads of politics--""unoccupied France"--where everyone has an angle or a desperate dream. Local police share their powers with Vichy and Nazi forces. And at the center of Casablanca is a bar where everyone goes. It is owned by Richard Blaine (Humphrey Bogart)--an American who is above the fray, indifferent to politics. Business is his religion and his mistress.
The death of two German couriers triggers a shakedown of the "usual suspects" and a general alert goes out for the murderer and for a dissident who has escaped from Europe.
On this night a foreign couple arrives, upsetting the delicate equilibrium of Casablanca and Rick's world. Rick insists "I stick my neck out for nobody", but the police captain Renault (Claude Rains) suspects that Rick is "At heart a sentimentalist".
The story of "Casablanca" is multi-layered. While it is a product of its time and place, it is also universal and timeless. Every time I watch this film, I discover more details and I appreciate more how well constructed it is.
Filmed during WWII, "Casablanca" is an acknowledged classic and winner of the Oscar for Best Film. There are many reasons for its reputation, including a stellar cast, excellent writing, its music, and a stylish presentation that might be called international noir. It is a tremendous love story within a political drama. No doubt it will remain a favorite of film fans...as time goes by.