Hands down, Casablanca is the greatest film EVER made. I have probably seen more than a thousand films and I can honestly say; not one has been as moving, as original and as timeless as Casablanca.
Underneath all the memorable quotes and terrific acting, Casablanca is an everyday love story. What makes this love story unique is how it remains the strongest aspect of the film despite all that is going on. Set in Morocco during World War II, Rick(Humphrey Bogart) is a cynical club owner who "sticks his neck out for nobody". When a local black market dealer, Ugarte, played by Peter Lorre ask Rick to hold some papers for him, Rick agrees to do so, despite his pessimistic nature. Little did Rick know, the papers he was holding would be the ones that would seperate him from his true love, Ilsa(Ingrid Bergman).
In a flashback scene, we are shown the love affair that happened between Rick and Ilsa in Paris. Upon Rick's departure, he asked Ilsa to leave with him, Ilsa says yes. What should be the happiest night in Rick's life, turns out to be the worst when Rick is stood up at the train station, with only a note from Isla saying she could not see him anymore
"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine"
When Ilsa walks back into Rick's bar, years later, she comes in with Victor Laszlo, former concentration camp prisoner, and well known activist. With Germany on it's way to invade Casablanca, Laszlo becomes terrified of being arrested and sent back to the concentration camps. His initial plan is to leave for America. The only thing is, Laszlo's only ticket for America is the papers given to Rick by his late friend Ugarte.
Rick now has to choose, either he sends Isla and her husband away and lose the women he loves forever, or he keeps the papers for himself and remains a single, cynical-drunkard.
The outcome will leave you breathless. Casablanca is perfection.
0 comments:
Post a Comment