Casablanca (1943)
Parental Guidance Recommended for Younger viewers.
| Director: | Michael Curtiz |
| Actors: | Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet |
Casablanca: easy to enter, but much harder to leave, especially if your name is on the Nazis' most-wanted list. Atop that list is Czech Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), whose only hope is Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American who sticks his neck out for no one...especially Victor's wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the ex-lover who broke his heart. So when Ilsa offers herself in exchange for Laszlo's safe transport out of the country, the bitter Rick must decide what's more important - his own happiness or the countless lives that hang in the balance. Winner of three Academy Awards including Best Picture, Casablanca is ""America's most popular and beloved movie - and rightly so"" (The Motion Picture Guide)!!
Casablanca
by Jess Lomas, 28/02/2012 3:44:00 PM
“Play it once, Sam. For old times’ sake.” This is one of cinema’s most misquoted lines, and provided the name for this regular feature. The film in question, 1942’s Casablanca, is undoubtedly a Hollywood classic that falls in the “never should be remade” category alongside Gone With the Wind. Directed by Michael Curtiz (Mildred Pierce), Humphrey Bogart stars as the weary American expatriate Rick Blaine, living in Casablanca during the early stages of the Second World War. He runs a nightclub that provides access for refugees seeking illicit letters of transit to escape to America, attracting the unwanted attention of Captain Renault (Claude Rains). When Victor Laslo (Paul Henried), a famed rebel, seeks his help to acquire papers for himself and his wife, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), Rick ...
“Play it once, Sam. For old times’ sake.” This is one of cinema’s most misquoted lines, and provided the name for this regular feature. The film in question, 1942’s Casablanca, is undoubtedly a Hollywood classic that falls in the “never should be remade” category alongside Gone With the Wind.
Directed by Michael Curtiz (Mildred Pierce), Humphrey Bogart stars as the weary American expatriate Rick Blaine, living in Casablanca during the early stages of the Second World War. He runs a nightclub that provides access for refugees seeking illicit letters of transit to escape to America, attracting the unwanted attention of Captain Renault (Claude Rains).
When Victor Laslo (Paul Henried), a famed rebel, seeks his help to acquire papers for himself and his wife, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), Rick is reunited with his once true love - Ilsa. Despite fleeing him when the Nazis invaded Paris, Ilsa now wants to stay with Rick in Casablanca, however the film’s honest depiction of the way the heart makes one act sees Rick discover love and virtue are one and the same.
Despite the film’s popularity now, at the time of its release those involved were not aware they were creating something so unique. Written by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch, the film went on to win Best Picture, Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay at the Academy Awards. It also earned nominations for Best Leading and Supporting Actor, and Best Cinematography, Black and White, amongst others.
Interestingly, the film was shot in sequence as the script pages were still being written during production, resulting in a surprise ending not only for those involved in the film, but for the audience too. The film’s famous closing lines were recorded several weeks after shooting had concluded.
For a film that is written about countless times, what is it that makes Casablanca such an endearing story? It gives its audience a perfect balance of drama, romance, political tension and even laughs, and despite some wooden characters and some weak dialogue, the romance portrayed by Bogart and Bergman makes the film a true Old Hollywood classic.
4/5
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