Casablanca (1942)

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Introduction

Casablanca is an Academy Award winning film directed by Michael Curtiz. It is based on the unproduced stage play, “Everybody Comes to Rick’s.” When it was first released in 1942, it served as an anti-Nazi movie, but later became known as one of the best drama/ romances of all time. It has influenced countless works, and will continue to do so in the future.

If you haven’t seen the movie before then I urge you to do so. It is a wonderful experience that a simple plot synopsis cannot give justice. If you do not feel as if you want to see this movie, then continue reading, but I hope you change your mind in the future. I will not cover everything in the plot, as I want to leave some things for people who want to watch the movie to find.

Plot

The film starts with a voiceover explaining that During World War 2, many Europeans wanted to escape to America. They would try to escape via Lisbon and Portugal. Getting to these places was not easy, and many refugees would go to Casablanca to try to find an exit visa so that they could escape to Portugal. Once the narrator finishes, the camera pans over the Casablanca marketplace.

Over the radio, the French police say that two German officers have been murdered on a train and the murderer is on his way to Casablanca. When a German officer, Major Strasser, arrives at the airport, her is greeted by the local French commander, Captain Louis Renault. Strasser inquires about the couriers, and Louis claims that the murderer will be at Rick’s that evening.

The next scene takes place at Rick’s Café Americain, a nightclub and casino. A man named Ugarte asks the owner, Rick Blaine (played by Humphrey Bogart), if he will hold some letters of transit for him. Rick tells him that the murdered German couriers had letters of transit on them, but accepts the letters and hides them on a piano played by his musician, Sam. Signor Ferrari, a rival bar owner, offers to buy Rick’s bar from him, but Rick denies him. Yvonne, Rick’s lover, tries to arrange for them to spend some time together, but Rick says no and sends her home. He runs into Louis, who tells him that they will arrest the murderer in his bar and tells him not to protect him. Rick claims, “I stick my neck out for nobody.” Louis also tells Rick that a man named Victor Laszlo, a famous Czech nationalist, will be coming to Casablanca, and advises Rick not to assist him either. As the conversation continues, it is said that Rick was involved in several anti-fascist wars in the 1930s. The conversation stops when Strasser arrives. Now that the German officer is there, Louis arrests the murderer of the couriers, Ugarte. Ugarte asks Rick for help, but Rick denies him.

Once things calm down, Victor Laszlo enters the bar with a woman named Ilsa (played by Ingrid Bergman). Strasser is hostile towards Laszlo, but Louis asks that Laszlo report to his office the next morning. Sam, the musician, recognizes Ilsa, and begins to talk to her. Ilsa requests that Sam play “As Time Goes By,” and Sam originally declines, but eventually plays it. Rick goes to Sam and tells him. “I thought I told you never to play-“, but is cut short when he notices Ilsa. Laszlo and Louis join them and have some drinks, which violates Rick’s rule of never drinking with customers. When Ilsa and Laszlo leave, Rick picks up the check, which violates another of his rules.

Later that evening, Rick is seen drinking alone in the closed bar. Sam starts playing for Rick, and Rick begins reminiscing. During a flashback, we see Rick in Paris with Ilsa by him. They are clearly in love, but do not question each other’s past. Hearing word that the German army is approaching Paris, they decide to escape via train later that day. At the train station, Rick waits, but doesn’t see Ilsa. Sam arrieves and gives Rick a note that is from Ilsa and says that she can never see him again. The flashback ends, and Ilsa is shown entering the bar. She wants to talk about what happened in Paris, but Rick is drunk and angry, so she just leaves.

The next day, Ilsa and Laszlo a shown going to Louis’s office, where Strasser tells Laszlo that he will never leave Casablanca alive. They go to another bar named The Blue Parrot, owned by Signor Ferrari, where they run into Rick. As Laszlo talks with Ferrari, Ilsa tells Rick that Laszlo is her husband and has been for several years, even when they were in Paris. Ferrari tells Laszlo he can get a visa for Ilsa, but not him. They decide to decline this offer. Ferrari suggests they speak to Rick, who Ferrari thinks has Ugarte’s letters of Transit.

That evening at Rick’s, Rick is seen violating another of his rules. He helps a Bulgarian woman who is trying to get an exit visa by helping her husband cheat at roulette. Later, Laszlo offers to buy the letters of transit from Rick, but Rick claims they aren’t for sale. When Laszlo asks why, Rick says, “Ask your wife.”

A group of German soldiers gathered around Sam’s piano, and are singing the German national anthem. Laszlo tells the band to play the French national anthem, which leads the other people at the bar to drowning out the German’s voices with their song. Strasser demands that Louis shuts down Rick’s. Louis closes Rick’s claiming that there is gambling taking place, even after he accepts his night’s winnings.

At their hotel, Laszlo asks Ilsa if there is anything she wants to tell him about Paris, and she says no. They reaffirm their love for each other, and then both leave. Victor goes to an underground resistance meeting, while Ilsa goes to Rick’s apartment to try to get the letters of transit. She asks that he put his personal feelings aside, but he still declines. Ilsa pulls a gun on Rick, but Rick dares her to shoot, but Ilsa cannot. She breaks down into tears and claims that she still loves Rick.

Ilsa explains what happened in Paris. After she had married Laszlo, he was put in a concentration camp. Months later, she heard that he was killed while escaping. She met Rick, and found out that Laszlo was alive just before she and Rick were going to leave Paris. She decided to stay, but didn’t tell rick because she knew that Rick would stay and get arrested. After her story, Ilsa claims she can’t leave Rick a second time, but asks that he help Laszlo escape. She cannot decide who she will go with, and tells Rick that he will have to decide for her.

Later, Laszlo asks Rick once again for the letters of transit, for Ilsa’s sake. Before Rick can answer, German soldiers burst in and arrest Laszlo. The next morning, Rick asks Louis to release Laszlo, claiming he will help him arrest Laszlo on a more serious charge, possession of the stolen letters of transit. Louis agrees, and they part ways. Rick sells his club to Ferrari, as he plans on leaving with Ilsa once Laszlo is arrested. During the evening, at Rick’s, Rick gives Laszlo the letters, and Louis attempts to arrest him. Rick pulls out a gun and points it to Louis. He tells Louis to call the airport and make sure that the flight will take off as planned. Louis obliges, but calls Strasser instead.

Once at the airport, Louis fills out the letters of transit for Mr. and Mrs. Victor Laszlo. Ilsa objects to this, but Rick claims that he decided that Laszlo should keep doing his work with Ilsa.

Laszlo and Ilsa board the plane. Strasser arrives and tries to phone the radio tower to stop the plane from taking off, but Rick shoots him. When the police arrive, Louis tells them to “Round up the usual suspects.” Louis praises Rick for becoming a patriot, and decides to become a patriot himself. They decide to escape to Brazzaville, a French colony in Africa. The movie closes with Rick proclaiming, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

My Opinion

I thought this movie was absolutely wonderful. It had enough happening so that I was interested, but not so much happening that I didn’t know what was going on. It is a brilliant piece of cinematography, and it’s one that I wouldn’t mind watching in the future.

One of the things that I loved about this movie was all its memorable quotes. It has such amazing lines as, “Here’s looking at you kid,” and “We’ll always have Paris.” There is also my personal favorite, “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.” This lines have been referenced in numerous other works, and will continue to do so for many years.

Even though the film was shot in black and white, as all films back then were, you can still tell that the cinematographer had and eye for detail. The way the camera is positioned so that Bergman’s face seems to light up makes the movie seem magical. This is something you just can’t talk about in a review. It is something you have to experience for yourself.

Conclusion

In retrospect, I am really glad that I saw this movie. Not only have I seen one of the most famous and influential movies of all time, but it lets me understand a lot of current media. Whenever a work makes a reference to this movie, I will now understand. It’s also great movie by itself. If you have not seen it, I urge you to spend the one hour and forty five minutes that it takes to watch this movie. You won’t regret it.

P.S. I’m so sorry for the delay guys! I have decided that I will only be posting 1 review a week, instead of 2. This is because I just simply don’t have the time for 2 reviews. If I do, I’ll try to post 2, but otherwise expect only one.