Casablanca (1942)

Alright, here's how it is. Main review takes up a huge chunk of the blog. However, if you're looking for a quick synopsis of what I think, the bottom paragraph and mark out of 5 should suffice. Enjoy the review, or better yet: go see the film and enjoy that!

Casablanca: a city full of criminals and shady dealings, home only to those who wish to find transport to America, something made increasingly difficult by the raging World War II. So when Rick (Humphrey Bogart) finds that a long-lost love of his Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) and her legendary husband Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid) have walked into his bar, his world is turned upside down.

Casablanca is one of those films that just opens, for lack of a better word, grandly. The music roars, the visuals are sharp and pristine and when the narration kicks in there is an aura of confidence which just cannot be matched by any contemporary film.
Immediately the mood is tense and although the film has aged, it still has the ability to manipulate the audience’s emotions.

One of Casablanca’s first lines says the most about the film and the setting: “Perhaps tomorrow we’ll be on a plane.” From the beginning there is no mistaking among the audience that nobody is sure of anything. And with that we move to Rick’s saloon, the specific are within the mystical town of Casablanca where most of the plot is laid out. Rick’s is a jostling borough of happiness and excitement, but also as is soon made evident the subject of many shady doings and the like. Immediately, it’s apparent that 1942 was the golden age of cinema; the women are beautiful and seductive, the men are fast talking and hard boiled and everyone knows their place.

In a film where there are endless amounts of quotes, it’s remarkable to think that just about every line and every moment is helping to move the plot along. For instance, one line that succeeds in humouring and making a point is spoken by a key character Ugarte (played to perfection by the ever wonderful Peter Lorre): “I have many friends who like me but somehow because you despise me, you’re the only one I trust.” Not only does this make just about everyone smile but it goes to show us one thing about Rick. He’s the kind of guy everybody trusts.

As well as Casablanca can build up tension, it manages to switch moods even better. Whether jumping between threats and jokes or tears and kisses it never fails to inspire some emotion. When it gets down to business there is a really strong feeling of romanticism throughout which appears to be fuelled by the way everything seems so fantastical. Whether it’s the look, the dialogue or the plot, every thing feels as if it’s in a league just slightly more elegant than that of out own world, regardless of the seedy setting.

It seems that after spending 35 minutes in Rick’s and having much of the plot laid out over one evening, everything should start to feel a little long, but there are two things that really keep everything interesting. Firstly, there is the atmosphere of the bar. Rather than feeling like somebody standing outside looking through the window and seeing what’s going on, you feel much more like a customer of Rick’s and as such everything seems much more enjoyable. Second is the idea that everything keeps moving the plot forwards, wasting no time and as such it feels at times like a thriller in the way that you’re literally on the edge of your seat wondering how things are going to turn out next. It’s a simple plot element, but it’s one that really works in a way that is usually forgotten today.

When watching Casablanca, it’s pretty much impossible to pick out an actor who isn’t really up to much. It’s often considered that acting has improved through the years, but when watching Casablanca and seeing the real emotion translated through the actors it’s impossible to deny that the performances aren’t stunning even today. As such, there is also great chemistry between Bogart and Bergman.

Throughout, Casablanca frequently has scenes which just tug at the heartstrings. It’s difficult not to feel sorry for characters as they realise that the ideas of relationships that they had planned out just aren’t going to work, or have been scattered to the winds. It really sets the standard for all romance films, which is ironic because it really is a standard which doesn’t seem like it’s particularly easy or even possible to meet or improve upon.

There’s very little to be said about Casablanca that can really take away any of it’s greatness. Every film has faults but Casablanca has so few, it almost seems trivial mentioning them. Considering that the title town is frequently referred to in disgust, presumably because of the lack of morals surrounding the city and the petty criminals within, there is little but a couple of broad establishing shots with a few shady deals to emphasise the negativity. At times, Casablanca actually seems like a rather nice place to live and set up a business, which although only slightly, does hinder the poor appearance of such a hated city.

In the end, one of the strange things about Casablanca is that it is a rather simple love story surrounded by a very intricately woven plot that is as much to do with the Second World War as anything else. It shows how Rick is affected by his love returning to him and how when she’s near she lights a fuse of hatred within him for what she did but also makes him more compassionate as well.

Despite a few little issues with the setting of the city, there really is nothing that can stop Casablanca from being the greatest romance film ever. Strong performances all around and a great plot which has forever since been honoured, this really is a classic.

5/5