Romance? Yes, But Men Will Like It, Too!

Rating: 8/10 (18 November 2006)

"Here's looking at you, kid."
"This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"I don't stick my neck out for nobody."
"Round up the usual suspects."
"I'm shocked, SHOCKED, to find that gambling is going on in here!"
"Did you abscond with the church funds?"
"We'll always have Paris."
These are just some of the lines from this movie which have made their way into our lexicon. Of course, I did save the most famous one for last: "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."
Welcome to "Casablanca", regarded as one of the most popular movies of all time. I know, I know, everybody says that, but it's true. When people criticize movies today, Casablanca is usually one of the "go-to" films they turn to when they say "They don't make 'em like they used to."
And, they would be correct.
Ask any woman to name her top-five most romantic movies, and "Casablanca" will likely show up on her list. And when it comes to movie romances, men's eyes usually glaze over at the mere mention of them. Well, I am here to tell you there is plenty to keep a man's attention in this film and, in the end, he may actually walk away in a non-catatonic state.
First, you have Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine, owner and proprietor of Rick's Café Americain in the city of Casablanca. An expatriated American, Rick is a cynic whose establishment is just this side of illegal, yet he manages to stay in business and make a good living at it. And besides, it's Bogey!
Then there's Claude Rains as the local chief of police, Louis Renault. Captain Renault is slippery as an eel, especially when it comes to dealing with those in authority above him. He's also inquisitive, intelligent, and hypocritical.
Up next are the Nazis. Morocco was French territory in 1941, and the Germans occupied France during that time. Here, they are presented as ambitious warmongers bent on world domination (and that would be correct). With the Nazis around, there is an inbred conflict from the get-go, as Casablanca is portrayed as a hub for the French Resistance during World War II. I should also point out that this is the earliest American film I know of that not only uses the term "concentration camp" by name, but it also suggests that people have died within them.
Throw in a murder or two, and you have the makings of a good film-noir. Okay, so "film-noir" officially sprang up after World War II, but it still feels like one. The camera angles, shot composition, lighting, use of shadow, a brooding leading man (Bogart), and a tormented femme fatale (Ingrid Bergman) all add up toward the formula.
All of this is capped off with sardonic wit and tight drama, signs of a well-written script (which, interestingly enough, was cobbled together right up to the very end of filming). Also, the timing of this movie is what made it such a hit. It ranks right up there with "On the Waterfront" (1954), "The China Syndrome" (1979), "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967), "In the Heat of the Night" (1967), and "The Deer Hunter" (1978) in terms of topicality within the society of the day.
So, you men out there, when your woman suggests watching "Casablanca", throw some popcorn in the microwave. Trust me, you'll be able to sit through this one!