Casablanca

An angsty Humphrey Bogart is tasked with helping an ex-lover and her new beau escape the Nazis

Grade: B+ (86/100)

Director: Michael Curtiz
Year Released: 1942

So, this is a movie that nearly everybody has heard of. Along with Citizen Kane it's a movie from Hollywood's Golden Age that apparently transformed cinema and is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time. It's definitely iconic. I found it pretty entertaining that most of the film's famous lines occur one after another after another in the last five minutes of the film; I also appreciated that one minor character's entire role was centered around proclaiming the title over and over again. A character in the restaurant run by Bogey's Rick Blaine will offhandedly mention the weather to the response, "Ahh, it's always hot in- CASABLANCA!" This bit was probably not explicitly humorous but I found it very entertaining.

What I really liked about Casablanca was its dialogue. I thought the script was smart and each line was biting and tough. I appreciated that nobody was a good guy, that everyone had a complicated backstory, that there were no easy distinctions between right and wrong- the gray area that the plot and characters of Casablanca exist in emphasize the confusion I imagine dictated the emotions of so many people during the Nazi regime. While Rick's own personal struggle seems to pale in comparison to the struggles of those around him, including Victor Laszlo, the new husband of Rick's ex-girlfriend, who is fleeing Nazi persecution and has spent time in a concentration camp. Rick's personal dilemma is selfish and insensitive compared to the events surrounding him, but I feel as though that's the point- the fact that even during times in which we know we shouldn't be selfish and recognize the insignificance of our own emotions, it's still possible- nay, unavoidable- to get involved with petty conflicts of love and friendship.

Rick's one weakness

I felt little chemistry between Bogart and Ingrid Bergman; the age difference and paternalistic attitude of Rick to her character of Ilsa did little to suggest a real, powerful romantic connection. I fear that Bogart, while excellent, makes the John Wayne mistake of playing his character too apathetically, not giving enough genuine emotion to the role, even as someone who's supposed to have been hardened by heartbreak. As Ilsa, Bergman is indeed lovely and snarky; I often found myself wondering what her motivation was, if she really loved Rick, if she really loved anyone. Her character is an enigma to me, but that's not a bad thing. In fact, it's her complicated relationship with survival that makes the film so gripping, makes Rick's ethical decision so pressing. It's clear momentarily, in the scene in which Ilsa threatens Rick with a gun, that her primary motivation is to live and to escape, both in the context of the confines of Nazi Europe and in her relationships with older men. She wants desperately to be in charge of her own fate but knows it belongs in the control of a man she let down, and she suffers for it. Rick suffers for it. Laszlo suffers for it.

Of course, Rick is just one of those heroes who can do no wrong. It's clear that he's been significantly damaged by Ilsa's treatment of him- the Paris flashback serves to suggest a time in which he was more carefree, a time in which he believed in good. But he remains true to his values even throughout the heartbreak, doing what is right even when he has the opportunity to be happy with the woman that he loves. Classically altruistic and smart, Casablanca hits the cinematic nail on the head in telling a story about personal sacrifice and the lengths we go for love, about the gray area of good and evil, and about the emotional consequences of the right decision.

I rented Casblanca on Amazon for $3.99. It's also available, I'm sure, at your local video store.