Casablanca: A Boy, A Girl and a Cafe

Plot of Casablanca (1942)

This is the story about Rick (played by Humphrey Bogart), a cafe owner, set in French governed, Nazi ruled Casablanca during World War II.  Casablanca is a layover/half-way point for foreign travelers between German controlled countries and the rest of the world.  The story resolves around the relationship of Rick and the beautiful Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) who walks into the cafe one day after not seeing each other for a long time.

Review of Casablanca

Many, many critics have placed this movie on a pedestal, calling it the greatest movie of all time.  This writer would say that it is perhaps one of the top five or six of all time.  You ask why?  The story character development is superb, with a plot that is intriguing to all viewers.  The move looks at the lives of people on the fringe of society, living in a world that is in the midst of incredible chaos.  The characters themselves have compelling personalities that make you want to hate them, love them or sometimes both at the same time.  There is also a love story that shows what love truly means - without today's love = sex + deception + desperation.  The story itself keeps you glued to your chair, waiting for what will happen to each of the players in the political game that is played out during the movie.  The acting is superb with a chemistry between the cast (especially Bogart and Bergman) that has rarely been captured on film since [can you believe Ronald Reagan almost played the part of Rick?].  The movie has also produced some of the most memorable movie moments and lines of all time.  This is a movie you will watch over and over again.  It is a must for any serious movie collection.

Score: 4

The Cast (Major Roles)

Director

Producer

Humphrey Bogart

Rick Blaine

Michael Curtiz

Hall B. Wallis (producer)

Jack L. Warner (eec. producer)

Ingrid Bergman

Ilsa Laszlo

Paul Henreid

Victor Laszlo

Claude Rains

Captain Louis Renault

Conrad Veidt

Maj. Heinrich Strasser

Dooley Wilson

Sam

Rating

Length

Production Co.

Year

PG

102 min

1942

Awards

Won

Academy Award for Best Picture

Academy Award for Best Director (Michael Curtiz)

Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay (Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch)

Nominated

Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Humphrey Bogart)
Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Claude Rains)
Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (Arthur Edeson)

Academy Award for Best Film Editing (Owen Marks)

Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Max Steiner)

Related Links

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This review was written by Ian Ripley. Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved.