* Note: This film is part of the 365 film guide I’m completing – the full list is on the tab bar above.

Casablanca is a monumental achievement, a spectacle, a man the moon. A film the truly stands the tests of time and is, magnificent. By in large classics don’t age well; either the acting is too offbeat or the sheer narrative doesn’t take with modern day audiences. However Michael Curtiz’s 1942 masterpiece is one picture that eludes such sayings. Humphrey Bogart plays Rick Blaine, an exiled American and former freedom fighter, whose stuck in Casablanca as a café owner until he can go back to New York.

The film is interwoven with the intricate and tender latter relationship between Rick and Isla (Ingrid Bergman). The two were together before the Germans invaded Paris, evidently Isla ran out on Rick the morning before the two were about to start their new lives together. Years past, time goes on, and somehow, someway Isla, along with her husband, end up in Casablanca. At first site it’s evident that some resentment and bittersweet feelings are between the two past lovers. Rick, still emotionally devastated from Isla’s departure, tries to reason, understand why she bailed on him all those years ago.

As the film transcends into its beautiful and glorious third and fourth act, the two finally lay everything out on the table and have some genuine conversations. Casablanca is more than a story about forbidden love or human interaction, it’s about being selfless, doing what you know is right, and making decisions not on desires, but impulses, and real, genuine feelings. Bogart and Bergman are superb, from the chemistry between the two, to the believability of their relationship; it’s all there. With “As Time Goes By” adding some ambiance and emotional despair to each scene, I’ll always remember Casablanca as a larger than life film, with sublime performances, and a truly unforgettable and lovable romance at its core. Here’s looking at you, kid.

Rating:

Casablanca (1942)

Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid

Director: Michael Curtiz

Writer: Casey Robinson, Howard Koch

Runtime: 102 minutes

Genre: drama

Trailer Casablanca

by CinemaRx