I actually have a minor confession to make – I hadn’t seen this movie before I watched it for Winter Term. Yeah, I know. But I am finally caught up on the #3 movie on the list, the movie which now, in my opinion, should be #1 (Screw Citizen Kane, this is better). Definitely Humphrey Bogart’s best performance ever, one of the most beautiful films ever shot, and a film that delivers some of the most iconic scenes and lines ever delivered. Ever.
Casablanca tells the story of an American named Rick (Bogart) who runs a club in Casablanca, one of the only ways for refugees to escape Nazi-occupied Europe. Rick’s life is made considerably more awkward by two different events. He ends up in possession of documents allowing any two people free access to the United States, but the government would arrest and probably execute him if they knew he had them. Second, an old flame, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) arrives in Casablanca with her husband, a French resistance fighter and a Jew who desperately needs to get out of Europe before the Nazis can come up with an excuse to arrest and deport him. Rick soon learns that Ilsa was married at the time she was involved with him, which causes him to refuse to give them the passes out of spite. Eventually, though, Rick does come around, and gives them the passes, redeeming himself and learning that what happened in the past should stay there. In addition to Bogart and Bergman, the supporting cast is very strong – the standout would be Claude Rains as the corrupt Police Captain Louis Renault, another man who learns to redeem himself in the end, and that the power of friendship is far more important than any material things.
Visually, Casablanca is absolutely beautiful – I’d give it about 3 Lawrence of Arabias, maybe .9 Citizen Kanes (and about 2,304 Streetcar Named Desires. But we’ll get to that later). Each shot seems like a photograph, as though the director spent hours getting every scene absolutely right before he filmed anything at all. The lighting and contrast in each scene only adds to the overall moodiness and redemption theme of the movie – anytime Rick is being a douche, the world seems a little bit darker, as though he was sucking a little of the life out of it. Then, when Bogart decides to do the right thing, even though he thinks it will end in his death, the movie feels much lighter, softer, and happier. Without a doubt, one of the most visually striking and beautiful movies I’ve seen.
Basically, if you haven’t seen this movie yet, do. I think it should be the #1 movie on the list, and the best movie of all time.
Score: 5/5 (A 5 is a movie I absolutely loved, would see again many times, and would recommend to absolutely everybody. I probably think it should be rated higher on the list than it currently is.)
