I've wanted to commit to writing my opinion of Casablanca for quite some time now. I wanted this critique to be as accurate as possible, so I rewatched it to make sure I remembered all the details right. It's a testament to the quality of this film that on my third time viewing it the brilliance of it is still every bit as good as the first time.
It's not just one element in Casablanca that's memorable; like all great films, what makes Casablanca a joy to watch is a seamless combination of excellent factors. The excellent script is paired with excellent leads and a marvelous supporting cast. Anyone who thinks old (specially black and white) movies are boring affairs lacking feeling should definitely watch Casablanca. Not only is the plot intriguing, the dialogue is witty and fun when it needs to be and passionate and soulful when the situation demands it. Many films try to emulate this sort of joy-and-sorrow-it's-all-a-part-of-life kind of script and fail miserably not because the logic is untrue, but because they just don't mantain the neccesary level of quality to pull it off. Even more amazing is the fact that Casablanca manages to do this in a script that focuses on a lot of different aspects of the film at different times (One second you're watching a political melodrama, then comes a romance scene and finally, a quip later we arrive at comedy.). How the script achieved this level of consistency and union using five contributing writers is beyond me.
The first time I saw Casablanca I couldn't see what everyone was talking about when they said Humphrey Bogart was a good actor. To me he just looked plain, lacking any real emotion. It takes a careful eye to notice the awesome subtleties of his performance. It all revolves around his eyes, which transmit such sorrow and bitter heartbreak I kept thinking he would've been perfect for a silent movie role.
Not to be outdone by the Bogart, Ingird Bergman balances his suave Rick with her equally charming Ilsa. She uses her eyes with the same expertise Bogart displays but not once does she look like a stale copy. She manages to look both innocent and joyful in her romantic scenes and bitter and sorrowful for her dramatic ones without ever going over the top.
In any other movie, the supporting cast wouldn't be able to match the presence of leads as strong as the ones here; fading pitifully into the background. Casablanca avoids this pitfall with a very strong supporting cast that matches their leads every step of the way. Specially remarkable is Claude Rain's character, Captain Louis Renault. Renault is often placed opposite Rick in scenes, matching his quips and wit nicely and at times even shows that there is more to him than just an intelligent corrupt officer.
All in all, there's a reason Casablanca consistently ranks at the top of lists of the greatest films ever made. It's a movie that understands that a movie is not defined by the quality of the acting or the lighting or even the script. A great movie is defined by a harmonious combination of all these elements in which all of them raise the bar in some way. It is my great pleasure to wholeheartedly recommend that anyone who hasn't watched Casablanca do so as soon as possible. I usually hate those kinds of lists, but for this occasion I'll go ahead and say this is one of those films you have to watch before you die.
I give it: *****
It's not just one element in Casablanca that's memorable; like all great films, what makes Casablanca a joy to watch is a seamless combination of excellent factors. The excellent script is paired with excellent leads and a marvelous supporting cast. Anyone who thinks old (specially black and white) movies are boring affairs lacking feeling should definitely watch Casablanca. Not only is the plot intriguing, the dialogue is witty and fun when it needs to be and passionate and soulful when the situation demands it. Many films try to emulate this sort of joy-and-sorrow-it's-all-a-part-of-life kind of script and fail miserably not because the logic is untrue, but because they just don't mantain the neccesary level of quality to pull it off. Even more amazing is the fact that Casablanca manages to do this in a script that focuses on a lot of different aspects of the film at different times (One second you're watching a political melodrama, then comes a romance scene and finally, a quip later we arrive at comedy.). How the script achieved this level of consistency and union using five contributing writers is beyond me.
The first time I saw Casablanca I couldn't see what everyone was talking about when they said Humphrey Bogart was a good actor. To me he just looked plain, lacking any real emotion. It takes a careful eye to notice the awesome subtleties of his performance. It all revolves around his eyes, which transmit such sorrow and bitter heartbreak I kept thinking he would've been perfect for a silent movie role.
Not to be outdone by the Bogart, Ingird Bergman balances his suave Rick with her equally charming Ilsa. She uses her eyes with the same expertise Bogart displays but not once does she look like a stale copy. She manages to look both innocent and joyful in her romantic scenes and bitter and sorrowful for her dramatic ones without ever going over the top.
In any other movie, the supporting cast wouldn't be able to match the presence of leads as strong as the ones here; fading pitifully into the background. Casablanca avoids this pitfall with a very strong supporting cast that matches their leads every step of the way. Specially remarkable is Claude Rain's character, Captain Louis Renault. Renault is often placed opposite Rick in scenes, matching his quips and wit nicely and at times even shows that there is more to him than just an intelligent corrupt officer.
All in all, there's a reason Casablanca consistently ranks at the top of lists of the greatest films ever made. It's a movie that understands that a movie is not defined by the quality of the acting or the lighting or even the script. A great movie is defined by a harmonious combination of all these elements in which all of them raise the bar in some way. It is my great pleasure to wholeheartedly recommend that anyone who hasn't watched Casablanca do so as soon as possible. I usually hate those kinds of lists, but for this occasion I'll go ahead and say this is one of those films you have to watch before you die.
I give it: *****
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