A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.
The lore surrounding the making of “Casablanca” are legion, from the actors who turned down the leading part to the multiple endings considered before a final decision was made. Although two of Humphrey Bogart’s most iconic roles from the films “High Sierra” and “The Maltese Falcon” were first offered to George Raft, “Casablanca” apparently was not, despite rumors to the contrary. Probably just as well either way. Only Humphrey Bogart could genuinely do justice to the character of Rick Blaine.
Part of the film’s appeal stems from its relevance to global events in the mid-twentieth century. With the world mired in World War II, the picture was shot in real-time from May to August 1942. In fact, the Allied invasion of North Africa had occurred just weeks before the movie’s release later that year.
The plot is straightforward enough. Rick Blaine runs the most popular club in Casablanca. He is a mysterious fellow everyone seems to want to figure out. His love interest Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), is equally mysterious, mainly because she is married to underground leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Blaine is paired against Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains), a poor corrupt official by his own admission, balancing his need to manage the German occupation of Casablanca with his innate loyalty to France. The German officer in charge of eliciting information from Laszlo, Major Heinrich Strasser (Conrad Veidt), oversees all Nazi activities in Casablanca. Lots of moving parts and the mix of intrigue and disparate motivations set the stage for an entertaining thriller.
The fine supporting cast includes the owner of the Blue Parrot, Signor Ferrari (Sydney Greenstreet), an oleaginous competitor of Rick’s American Café, Peter Lorre as Ugarte, Dooley Wilson as Sam the piano player, S.Z. Sakall as Carl, Madeleine Lebeau as Yvonne, and an uncredited Marcel Dalio as Emil, the croupier. It’s hard to imagine a better ensemble.
Trivia surrounding “Casablanca” abounds. For instance, ironically, many of the actors who played Nazis in the film were actually German Jews who had fled their country. Further, when Victor prompts the band at the café to play “La Marseillaise” to drown out the German song “Die Wacht am Rhein” (The Watch on the Rhine), many of the extras who were Nazi refugees had actual tears in their eyes. Such is the immediacy of the period and place in history with “Casablanca.”
The amateurish special effects by today’s standards – such as the small cardboard cutout airplanes – matter not at all to the production. Instead, the film’s strength lies in the relevance of the subject matter, the ubiquitous and sly humor, and, most importantly, the depth of the characters and their individual plights.
Directed by Michael Curtiz, who won the Academy Award for Best Director, the motion picture contains visual symbols often associated with art-house films. As but one example, when Ilsa goes to Rick’s upstairs’ apartment over his club, both her actual image as well as her reflection in a mirror appear in the same shot to serve as a metaphor for her conflicted situation – that she intends to leave her husband to save him from the Nazis and simultaneously stay with the man she truly loves.
Alternate endings to the film included Ilsa ditching Laszlo to be with Rick, of course, or Rick getting killed while saving Victor and Ilsa, or Victor getting killed, thus paving the way for Rick and Ilsa to reunite. Happily, the decision for Rick and Louis to embark on a beautiful friendship won the day. It ensured a place in movie history, showcasing one of the most celebrated concluding scenes of all time.
The debate regarding the greatest American film ever made rages on even today. While “Citizen Kane” regularly tops most lists, along with – more recently – “The Godfather,” for my money, “Casablanca” wins the prize hands down – now available on 4K Ultra HD™ and Blu-ray. The myriad of story elements offers compelling entertainment for the entire 102-minute runtime, coming together as flawless as a diamond when the closing credits roll.
Now available on 4K Ultra HD™ Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and Digital For The First Time
