Casablanca Review

Click here to go to my previous review of 12 Years a Slave

Whilst this film is number 29 on the top 1000 films of all times that's not why I'm viewing it.  As this is my 100th post, I thought that I should do something special.  Considering I've already reviewed three films which are regularly contested for the greatest film of all time: The Shawshank Redemption, the Godfather and Citizen Kane, I thought that I would review another film which is commonly regarded as the best of all time: Casablanca.

Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) wants nothing to do with the Second World War.  He is perfectly content to stay neutral in his bar in Casablanca, Morocco.  He sticks his neck out for nobody. However, when chance brings Victor Laszlo, a leading figure in the Czech resistance, who is now married to Rick Blaine's former girlfriend Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) his way, Blaine finds his loyalties are divided.

Los Angeles Daily News voted this the greatest film by readers in 1997.  Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide regarded it as the best Hollywood film of all time and in 2006 the Writer's Guild of America declared it as the best screenplay of ever time and it is easy to see why.  It can be interpreted as a propaganda film that was supposed to encourage America to join the allies in World War 2.  Rick Blaine serves as an allegory of the isolated America.  Rick is a great character and his characterisation is subtle, but powerful.  From the beginning, it is obvious that he is bitter and resentful, yet he also has glimmers of goodness.  For example, he helps a refugee couple win some much needed money at his casino.

We find out that Rick is so bitter, because Isla Lund left him for Victor Laszlo.  However, it is her reappearance, which goads him into action.  In his iconic role, Humphrey Bogart plays Rick Blaine's transformation brilliantly taking him from a resentful, selfish man to a selfless hero who forfeits his freedom to get Victor and Isla to safety.

Not only is Bogart is iconic in his role, but the film itself has become iconic of a tale of redemption.  It has given us some great lines which seventy-five years on are still constantly quoted: "Of all the gin-joints in all the towns in all the world, she has to walk into mine" and "we'll always have Paris" were voted number 67 and number 43 on AFI's top 100 movie quotations.  This says something about the staying power of the film.

It is not only Bogart who is great in his role, but the other actors are all brilliant in their roles.  Peter Lorre is wonderful as the morally corrupt Captain Renault.  Dooley Wilson is also charming and likeable as the pianist Sam,  His role as pianist contributed a lot to the brilliant music that the film produced.  He also provided a lot of the film's humour.

This film was a triumph in its day, and unlike Citizen Kane, it has withstood the test of time.  Rick Blaine is a far more likeable protagonist than Kane and overall the film is more engaging.  Everything about Casablanca came together masterly from the performances to the music to the visual style.  Until the next review: "here's looking at you, kid."