Tags
As Time Goes By, Casablanca, Casablanca Movie Review, Classic Movie Reviews, Germany, Herman Hupfeld, Humphrey Bogart, Ilsa, Ingrid Berman, Michael Curtiz, Movie Reviews, Noir, Noir Movies, Paul Henreid, Rick, Victor Laszlo, Warner Bros., WB, WWII
This week I’m starting a new series of reviews that will go along with my podcast, “The Film Slate Podcast.” I want to review and discuss old classic movies. Today I’m going to review what is considered one of the greatest films of all time…Casablanca, which turns 75 this year. It also happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time, so I will try to keep it as short as possible.
Before I dive into the full review I want to add some context with a brief history of the film. Casablanca was directed by Michael Curtiz, who was born in Hungary and moved to Austria because of civil unrest. He later went on to make 64 films in Europe. In 1926 Warner Brothers asked him to move to Hollywood to make movies. There he helped Warner Brothers become the fastest growing studio.
Casablanca went on to be successful and won many awards, but it ironically had colossal production problems. It was filmed in less than 3 months and its leading actors, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman didn’t like each other. They didn’t even want to be in the film. Ingrid Bergman wanted to be cast in, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and Bogart was already filming several movies that year. Casablanca was at the bottom of the barrel for him.
Also the script went through many rewrites, some on the day of shooting. Also Warner Brothers didn’t invest a whole lot of money into the film. They didn’t think it would be that big of a hit. Adding to the mess, composter Max Steiner didn’t like the film’s main theme, “As Time Goes By” which was written in 1931 by Herman Hupfeld for the Broadway musical, “Everybody’s Welcome.” and Steiner wanted to replace the song but they couldn’t reshoot it because Bergman had moved onto her next film, “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Casablanca was set to be a disaster, but Casablanca released in the United States on January 23, 1943 and managed to become a beloved classic, despite its many production problems.
Now that you’re up to date on the history of the film I will discuss its story, characters, cinematography, and music. There will be unavoidable spoilers, but it shouldn’t hinder your viewing experience.
Story: Casablanca takes place during WWII and follows Rick (Humphrey Bogart) a night club owner in Casablanca, a place now occupied by the Germans. One night he runs into his old love, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) and her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Victor is a rebel and a freedom fighter and the Germans are after them. They, along with many refugees are looking to escape to America. Ilsa comes to Rick begging for help and now they are both torn between duty and love.
The story of Casablanca is a simple story, but a timeless story of two old lovers split by war and later re-united. They are both forced to deal with past hurts while trying to escape the threat of Nazi Germany. Rick has now become a bitter drunk who sticks his neck out for nobody. Ilsa has moved on and married the freedom fighter Victor and they are now on the run. Rick could easily be selfish and use his resources to escape with Ilsa while leaving Victor behind. Ilsa is also torn because she’s still in love with Rick. She was suppose to run off with him when the Germans moved into France. It’s later revealed that when she fell in love with Rick she thought her husband was dead, but one day she found out her husband was alive and left Rick at the train station.
What I love about the story is that war, tragedy, and heartache is met with hope and redemption. The timing of this movie and what Americans were going through at the time was unintentionally perfect, with many refugees trying to escape the clutches of Nazi Germany. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when the Germans are singing their fights songs and the occupied french stand up in defiance and sing their own fight song louder. It’s powerful to see them rise and sing against the tyranny of the Nazis. It gets me every time.
The ending is equally powerful when Rick, the drunk who sticks his neck out for nobody, helps the woman who left him and her husband escape from the Germans. He does this knowing all to well that he might end up in a Nazi prison camp…or dead. I love stories where the hero grows and learns from there flaws and takes the fall for someone who wronged them.
Characters: The Characters are what make this film shine. Bogart does a phenomenal job at playing a selfish person who goes through a journey to become selfless. Bogart is so convincing when his character goes through his depressed spirals that I actually think he was drunk during the filming of the scene. He also manages to bring a suave and witty tone to his character.
As for Rick’s old lover, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) she plays someone who is conflicted. She thought her husband was dead and moved on, just to find out that her husband Lazlo is still alive. She’s torn between her old fling and her first love, Lazlo and his fight against Nazi Germany. In the end Rick knows that it is best for Ilsa to escape to America with her husband. Casablanca also has a stellar supporting cast that helps add touching heartfelt moments and levity to the Nazi occupied situation.
Cinematography: Not only is Casablanca a war torn love story, but it is also a classic noir with stunning cinematography for its time. I love the way it uses shadows and light to make the screen pop, portraying the internal struggle within Rick. Also the camera work in Casablanca is superb. There are some rather impressive tracking shots and camera movements. It’s hard to appreciate those elements now days, but when you take into consideration that this film was shot in the 40s. It’s pretty impressive.
Music: Despite composer Max Steiner not being a fan of the song, “As Time Goes By,” the song has equally gone on to be a beloved classic.
Despite Casablanca’s many production woes, it has managed to become a classic in cinema history, earning a spot in my Top 10 Greatest Films of All Time. I really can’t find anything that I don’t like about Casablanca. It truly is in my opinion a perfect movie that will always hold a place in my heart. I wish Hollywood would make more movies like this. Not only has Casablanca taught me that black and white movies can be timeless and relevant, it has also taught me to never judge a movie that is going through production problems, because it could very well become the next big unintentional classic.
Score: 10/10
For more check out our podcast, “The Film Slate Podcast.”