Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid
Tonight I had the extreme, extreme pleasure of viewing what is widely considered the greatest film of all time on a big screen thanks to TCM celebrating the film's 70th anniversary. I completed item #12 on my bucket list: see a classic film on the big screen.
PLOT: Do I really have to tell you this? Oh, all right, fine.
In Casablanca, French Morocco in December of 1941, Rick's Café Amèricain is a safe haven for refugees seeking passage to the United States, as well as French and German officials, one of which is Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains), the prefect of police and one of the comic relief actors in the film (who knew Claude Rains was this hilarious? I sure didn't!).
Everything is going terrific at Rick's when all of a sudden, Rick's (Humphrey Bogart) ex-lover, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) walks in with her new hubby Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Rick's pianist Sam (Dooley Wilson) is asked by Ilsa to play "As Time Goes By," thus forcing Rick to bear down on Sam and it is then that he notices Ilsa. The film then flashes back to the love affair that Rick and Ilsa had in Paris (and you can DEFINITELY see Bogie's tongue when he kisses Ilsa the second time).
In the present day, Renault and the French authorities are determined to keep Laszlo in Casablanca because of his history as a Czech Resistance leader and his escape from a Nazi concentration camp. He and Ilsa need letters of transit to get to America so Victor can continue his work. German Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt, who also starred in CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI) joins forces with the French to see to it that he does not succeed.
After a very powerful scene in which "Die Wacht am Rhein" and "La Marseillaise" are sung, Strasser gets butthurt and commands Renault to shut down the club. Later that night, Ilsa confesses that she still loves Rick and he agrees to get Laszlo out of Casablanca and let her stay behind with him. That is, that's what she thinks, but what Rick is really planning to do is get her and Laszlo out of Casablanca so that he [Rick] and Ilsa can both have better lives.
In a confusing scene, Rick holds Renault and Laszlo at gunpoint when Renault tries to arrest Laszlo as planned and forces them to help Laszlo and Ilsa escape. Rick finally convinces Ilsa to go with Laszlo and the film ends with Rick's classic line to Renault, "Louis, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."
REVIEW: There's a reason why this film is widely considered the greatest of all time: classic lines. Seriously, every single word that Bogie utters in this movie is a downright classic. It's one of my favorite films of all time. It has a little something for everyone: action, romance, even a little espionage. There are a few random scenes, such as one of Renault's women asking Rick if Renault keeps his word about a passport to America for her and hubby, and some of the exchanges are a bit dry, but the film shines nonetheless. Also, nice guest appearance by Peter Lorre. What a relief to see him play comic relief. I think he, like Dwight Frye, was typecast as the bald foreign evil guy and never really got a chance to show what he could do. I applaud Michael Curtiz and Hal Wallis for seeing that he could do some comedy and making use of it.
5 out of 5 stars. A classic.
Trailer:
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