Casablanca - The Oscar Project Part XVI

“Casablanca” is the first movie on my list that I had already had the pleasure of viewing. In fact when I sat down to watch it as part of this project; it was my third time watching it. I loved it the first time I saw it, and immediately watched it again to make sure I understood everything that was going on in this fantastic film. But that was almost 10 years ago. Now that I had watched other Oscar films and become even more critical would I still love it? Well yes of course I would. It’s “Casablanca.”

Released in 1943, the movie could have easily slipped into an overly patriotic film like “Mrs. Miniver” did. However, the focus of the film rested squarely on the characters and the world that the film created. The fact that there is a war going on seemed almost like an afterthought. The movie is set in Casablanca, Morocco, one of the gateways to get out from the influence of the Germans and over to America. A French revolutionary leader is trying to escape from Casablanca to the United States but is in need of a pair of exit visas to get out of Morocco. This is the basic premise of the film, but does not begin to describe what is actually going on. The film focuses on characters instead of plot. The audience is engaged in the relationship that Rick has and once had with Ilsa. This relationship moves the movie along. Throw in the characters of Renault, Sam and Laszlo and the movie begins to show so many sides of the war and of human beings themselves that it can be overwhelming and fantastic at the same time.

From a direction standpoint the film doesn’t miss a beat. Michael Curtiz is able to capture a million memorable shots into the film. It is a movie that leaves images in your mind once you’ve watched it. He pulls from the actors fantastic portrayals of characters that are simply timeless. Curtiz shows that he was a master of the black and white era. Comparing this movie to other movies released during this time period isn’t fair. There is enough contrast between the light and the dark, that it can easily be compared to the black and white films that are released today. The script is equally wonderful, filled with so many memorable lines that the film has more entries in AFI’s top 100 movie quotes than any other. All of them were delivered perfectly by a cast led by the amazing Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Finally pulling it all together is the soundtrack featuring the timeless classic “As Time Goes By.”

I could continue gushing over this movie forever. It is one of the best movies ever put to film. If you haven’t seen it, give it a try and if you haven’t watched it recently, dust it off and watch it again. You won’t regret it. “Casablanca” gets 5 out of 5 stars.