There are some works of art that are almost impossible to review, not because of their own complexity, but because of their legendary status which prevents the reviewer from saying anything original. One such masterpiece is Casablanca, probably not the best film in the history of the seventh art, but definitely the most popular one. Its popularity can be measured not only in a multitude of more or less disguised remakes made in the more than half a century since its premiere, but also in countless tributes and references that film-makers use in their works to this day. Casablanca is also a film that has the very rare virtue of being both praised by the critics and loved by the general audience.
One of the things that makes this film even more unique is the fact that it was doomed to fail, at least judging by the conventional film-making wisdom of its time. It was based on a Broadway play so mediocre that it had never been produced on stage; the screenplay by three writers—Julius G. Epstein, Philip J. Epstein and Howard Koch—was being written as shooting went along; the main actors were the producers' second choice, and, finally, the man behind the camera, Michael Curtiz, was considered capable, but not a great director. However, the film was commercially successful and earned three Oscars, including the one for Best Picture. To this very day, it is considered the best example of Hollywood film-making in its own Golden Age.
The plot of the film was heavily influenced by the needs of Second World War propaganda, yet it also used the rather complicated and now almost forgotten political circumstances of that global conflict to tell an intriguing story. In December 1941, Casablanca, an exotic port on the Atlantic coast of North Africa, is controlled by the officially neutral, yet Nazi-collaborating French Vichy government. Thousands of refugees from war-torn Europe are stuck there on the way to Lisbon and the safety of America, and are ready to pay any price for precious exit visas. Many shady characters thrive on their misery, including the corrupt police chief, Captain Renault (Claude Rains). His best friend is Rick Blaine (Humprhey Bogart), who used to be an idealistic anti-fascist, and now owns a popular night club in Casablanca and lives by his own cynical philosophy of "sticking his neck out for nobody". However, everything changes when he comes into possession of two precious exit visas. This event coincides with the arrival of two new refugees to Casablanca. One of them is Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), a Czech resistance leader who escaped three times from Nazi concentration camps and became a legend in enslaved Europe. He is accompanied by his beautiful wife Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), with whom Rick had a stormy affair on the eve of the Nazi occupation of Paris. The couple need visas, especially because the Gestapo Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt) is on their trail. Rick is now forced to choose between love, wounded pride, self-preserving interest and his own hatred of fascism.
The casting for this film seems influenced by divine inspiration—Humphrey Bogart, the most legendary actor in the history of cinema, is one of the rare character actors who elevated his persona to star status. Bogart's portrayal of Rick as a complicated man, torn between an idealistic past and a bitter present, was so perfect that his icon would forever be connected with that character. Another icon in his company is Ingrid Bergman, a great actress of Old Hollywood, here in her artistic and visual prime. The cinematic coupling of Bogart and Bergman became one of the main symbols of that era of film-making—some happier times when romance on the screen didn't look childish nor trite, as it does in some more contemporary works. For many people, Casablanca is probably the best romantic film ever made. But the reason for that isn't the romance itself—it's the realistic story of people forced to make tough, and often wrong, choices in their lives.
The casting of Casablanca was right on target not just in the case of the main leads. The supporting actors also did a marvellous job. Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre were here mainly to give a mystic flavour reminiscent of a previous Bogart classic—John Huston's Maltese Falcon; yet both of them managed to portray colourful and original characters. Another shining example of good casting is the now almost forgotten Paul Henreid as the weakest part of the love triangle; the character of Victor Laszlo has believable charisma and looks like somebody who could inspire millions of people to rise against Nazi tyranny. Unfortunately, the charisma that burdens Laszlo leaves little room for difficult choice, making his character forever overshadowed by the Rick/Ilsa coupling. However, Rick and Ilsa actually have serious competition for the most memorable character in Casablanca. Captain Renault, brilliantly portrayed by Claude Rains in the role of a lifetime, was the embodiment of a perfect, almost unmatched balance between ethical corruption and physical charm. Despite being the undoubted villain for almost the entire film, Rains managed to make Renault a sympathetic character, and his final conversion to the side of Good, symbolised in a not-so-subtle gesture at the end of the film, seemed unnecessary. Rains also gave another dimension to the film, making it even more ambiguous; people who like to analyse films to death have discovered hints of homosexuality in Renault's relationship with Rick, and Rick's final words leave room for even more outrageous speculations.
Together with well-drawn characters and an exciting story, the film excelled in creating its own atmosphere. Professional nit-pickers would probably have a field day discovering numerous historical and geographical inaccuracies, but Casablanca is still a shining example of a Hollywood Second World War film that is believable, if not realistic. Anyway, even if we don't see it as a historical document, Casablanca is a film that can be a source of entertainment as well as infinite inspiration.
RATING: 9/10 (++++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on May 22nd 1998)
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