Caasablanca, 1942, is a critically acclaimed film by Michael Curtiz. The film is set during the World War 2 and tells a tale of a man named Rick. Rick, played by Humphrey Bogart, is the owner of a club named Casablanca. He is a sophisticated and rational human being that does not let emotions get in the way. The scenario of the film is that majority Europe is under the Nazi control; US has not intervened in the war yet. The refugees from the destroyed nations are scattering throughout Morocco in search of a visa; an unquestionable guarantee of getting out of warzone and into USA. Victor, and his wife Ilsa, played by Ingrid Bergman, are also in search of these visas. Their journey brings them to Casablanca. The twist of the plot is that Ilsa, and Rick, had a short fling in France, and right when they were on a verge of starting their lives together, Ilsa left Rick hanging; also the reason behind Rick’s emotionless behavior. Now the question is, will Rick swallow his pride and help the couple, or will he try to get even? Well, one must watch the film to find out.
The film won three academy awards for best director, picture, and screenplay. The film is also 3rd on AFI’s list of best film of all time. The themes of the film are lost love, honor, self-sacrifice in war, and romance within a chaotic world.
Article
Casablanca: No 2 best romantic film of all time David Thomson, The Guardian, Friday 15 October 2010
The unspoken tremor in most wartime movie romances is that the picture needs to address the feelings of couples separated by war. It's not just whether they will both survive, but whether love and desire can overcome the temptations that come with separate lives. There's another element at work (vital to romance and the age of censorship in the movies) which is that desire may mean the most when it cannot be consummated: the wish for intimacy is so intense because the act is forbidden or impossible.
In Casablanca, we assume that Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) had a good deal of sex in Paris, but in their awkward reunion in north Africa, sex is not renewed. Rather, the triangle of Rick-Ilsa-Victor (Paul Henreid) must contemplate the ultimate selection of just two of them to go forward. And we know now what Rick's decision is, even if in our enlightened time we may ask whether Ilsa shouldn't have been doing some of the deciding. But the romantic or erotic energy is sublimated in the most impeccable cause of all – the war effort. Rick forsakes Ilsa as part of his new commitment to the fight against fascism.
Casablanca stands for movie romance in great part because it is hardly true to life. It won the best picture Oscar and seemed to be history coming to life – it opened just after the allies had occupied the real Casablanca. In fact, divorce and infidelity rates increased rapidly during the war. But Casablanca reassured us all; it promised that honour was intact.
Summary
When war strikes, chances of loosing your love ones is heightened. Same was the case with Rick and Ilsa. The writer of the article has come to a conclusion; Rick and Ilsa had tons of sex while they were in Paris. This is what probably caused them to be awkward around each other especially when Ilsa, Victor and Rick were together. The writer believes that the actors did a great job of creating an erotic tension towards each other.
He believes that Rick, as a character lost his self-interest when it came to do the right thing. He knew that Victor’s life meant more to the world than his love. The writer also believes that this could also be due to the fact that the film had come just a few weeks after US had intervened in the war; showing that the lead character is a patriot and and anti-fascist.
Relation of the Article to the Screening.
More than anything in this film, it is Rick’s and Ilsa’s relationship that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seats. People want to know if by the end of the movie if the two will once again unite or will the hero have to put his pride behind him and do the right thing. The writer of the article realizes this and commends the actors for doing a brilliant job of portraying such feelings. The writer in fact, for their performance, calls the movie 2nd best romantic film of all time.
Critique of the Film
Now, for someone who enjoys fast paced films, Casablanca was definitely not film that caught my attention right of the bat. But, once I gave this film a chance, all the negativity that I had exited the room. The performance of the actors was just amazing. Rick is my idealistic hero; cool, calculated, rational, a little cold hearted in appearance but still caring, all these characteristics are appealing to me. I must say, however, that this was definitely not the film that blew my mind away; compared to the other films screened in the course. The direction was not very innovative either, but, the story and acting was just fantastic and Rick’s and Ilsa’s love story is now one of my favorites. It would be easy to say that any filmmaker, interested in making a romantic film, would take a keen interest in Casablanca.
