1943: Casablanca.

Ex-lovers Rick and Ilsa (Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman)
are reunited in a particularly dangerous place.

Release Date: Nov. 26, 1942. Running Time: 102 minutes. Screenplay: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch. Based on the play Everybody Comes to Rick's by: Murray Burnett, Joan Alison. Producer: Hal B. Wallis. Director: Michael Curtiz.


THE PLOT:

In December 1941, the city of Casablanca in French Morocco is still technically free from German occupation.  Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), American expat, runs a nightclub that's open to all: French and German officials; refugees desperate to obtain travel visas to reach the still-neutral United States; and criminals who prey upon that desperation, offering travel papers for exorbitant prices. Rick takes no sides and doesn't interfere. "I stick my neck out for nobody!" he declares proudly.

After two German couriers are murdered, a small-time criminal named Ugarte (Peter Lorre) asks Rick to hold onto two unrestricted visas that he obtained. Ugarte intends to escape with the fortune he will make by selling the visas to Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), a Czech resistance leader who has become famous for his success in evading capture by the Nazis.

Ugarte is arrested before the sale takes place, leaving Rick in possession of the stolen papers. Not that he'll do anything with them. He is neutral and intends to remain that way. Until Laszlo enters the club in the company of his wife, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the woman Rick had loved in Paris before the Germans invaded. Ilsa will do anything to secure her husband's safety, leaving Rick with an opportunity to get his heart's desire - but only if he can successfully play everyone long enough to manage a dangerous escape!

All three sides of the triangle: Rick, Ilsa,
and Ilsa's husband Victor (Paul Henreid).

CHARACTERS:

Rick: Humphrey Bogart earned his first Oscar nomination as the jaded nightclub owner. The role is a perfect fit for his tough, cynical screen persona. He insists he has no interest in politics; when he's questioned by Major Strasser, the Nazi officer who has come to Casablanca to stop Laszlo, Rick identifies his nationality as "drunkard." He prefers his own company to that of others, refusing to drink with customers as a matter of principal... Which makes it all the more surprising when he agrees to join Laszlo and Ilsa for a drink. Ilsa's return to his life initially just leads to him lashing out in bitterness, but gradually signs of compassion appear, notably when he helps a young bride (Joy Page) to reach Lisbon with her husband without having to resort to granting "favors" to the lascivious Capt. Renault (Claude Rains).

Ilsa: Ingrid Bergman was always particularly good with nonverbal reactions, which is ideal here. When she first enters Rick's club in the company of her husband, her eyes sweep the room, reflecting her anxiety. When a drunk Rick scorns her first attempt to explain what had happened in Paris, she is repelled by his hatred and self-pity. At the same time, her feelings for him are still present, complicating her efforts to aid in her husband's escape.

Victor Laszlo: According to Aljean Harmetz's book about the making of Casablanca, Paul Henreid felt that Bogart was a "mediocre actor" - which makes it ironic that Bogart's performance has aged far better than Henreid's has. He actually gets several good moments, notably a scene in which he initiates a singing duel against some German soldiers in Rick's bar, gradually inspiring every French citizen in the bar to drown the Germans out completely. Unfortunately, he mostly comes across as wooden.  He barely seems to react to his co-stars, and he shows little emotion. He does have sufficient screen presence to convince in his role - but given how good the rest of the cast is, he ends up as easily the weakest of the movie's main performers.

Capt. Renault: Claude Rains all but steals the movie as the gleefully corrupt local authority. Renault is a reflection of Rick - what Rick would be if he was as solely motivated by self-interest as he insists. He uses his position to solicit bribes from business owners. He targets pretty young women, dangling the prospect of hard-to-obtain travel visas in return for their affections. Though Casablanca is technically unoccupied territory, he is utterly subservient to Strasser. "I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy," he says with a shrug. By any reasonable measure, he should come across as despicable; but Rains displays charisma, charm, and humor, making it impossible not to like him in spite of (even because of) his faults.

Major Strasser: Casablanca was made as a war propaganda picture, and that is most clear in its villain. Strasser (Conrad Veidt) is the personification of Nazi arrogance. Though he's technically on neutral territory, he is confident that he's really in charge. Renault fully accommodates him in this, and even Rick does to an extent. But much like Hitler, who responded to appeasement by invading further countries, Strasser keeps pushing his unofficial authority further. It's not enough that Laszlo be contained in Casablanca; he wants him arrested, or even killed. It's not enough that he and his soldiers are served and catered to; after observing public disapproval of him at Rick's club, he orders the place closed down. Renault hopes that if he delivers Laszlo, Strasser will go away again; but as the film progresses, it seems clear that Strasser or someone like him will become a permanent presence in this city. The message is clear: Nazis won't go away on their own; they must be repelled by force.

Ugarte: The "cut-rate" criminal who sets the plot in motion. He defends himself from accusations of being a parasite, pointing out that he sells travel visas for half the price demanded by Capt. Renault; he may profit, but his activities allow a lot of people to escape from Casablanca who would be otherwise stuck. He seems to want Rick's approval, or at least his respect. He preens as he boasts of the deal he's made to secure his fortune, asking if this changes Rick's opinion of him. Then he dissolves into desperation when the police come for him. Peter Lorre is wonderful in what is basically a single-scene part, and he makes a stronger impression with his few minutes than Paul Henreid does in the entire rest of the film.

The slimy Ugarte (Peter Lorre) strives for Rick's
respect - and accidentally sets the plot in motion.

THOUGHTS:

Casablanca doesn't really feel like a "great movie." The pace is fast, the story unfolding briskly across a mere 103 minutes. It has the elements of a thriller, complete with a Hitchcock-like MacGuffin in the form of the travel visas. The romantic scenes are sentimental without being saccharine, and they carry an enjoyably carnal undertone that somehow survived changes demanded by the Hays Office. The script is generous with dry humor, particularly when Claude Rains is on-screen. The entire movie is the epitome of old-time Hollywood entertainment at its best.

I think this is why it holds up so well. It was made to be popcorn entertainment. The elements ended up coming together to form something more. But at its core, Casablanca is a good time at the movies. It's fun to watch, which I suspect is one of the reasons new generations of viewers keep finding it while many of its more superficially ambitious contemporaries have ended up forgotten.

The first Act is something of a masterpiece in itself. After a few introductory scenes, almost everything in the first third of the movie occurs entirely in Rick's club, in what amounts to an extended 30-minute sequence. This half hour establishes pretty much everything: the characters, their relationships with each other, and their goals. It's structured masterfully, bringing us into the club almost as if we're new patrons. We first watch the crowd and listen to Sam (Dooley Wilson), the club singer. Rick is mentioned before he is seen, building up his introduction to strong effect. Our first full view of him sees him playing chess: manipulating the pieces on the board much as he'll have to manipulate the other characters at the film's end.

I've already praised Peter Lorre's performance in the scene with Ugarte, but the script sharply focuses not on the exposition but on the dynamic between the characters: Rick disdainful of a man he feels is "cut-rate," Ugarte desperate to impress him. Rick's character remains the focus of the following moments: Ugarte's arrest, with Rick refusing to help, emphasizing his self-interest; his friendliness with his staff, establishing that he has a softer side; and his reaction to seeing Ilsa again, which is the principal focus of Laszlo and Ilsa's introduction. All of this feels dynamic and wonderfully alive; by the thirty-minute mark, we feel like we know Rick, and the process of learning who he is and the tangle of plot elements surrounding him has been absolutely effortless.

The plot and relationship threads are inseparable, each advancing the other. Because Rick holds the documents, Ilsa and Laszlo are forced to deal with him. Because they must go to Rick's club, Laszlo ends up provoking Major Strasser. Because Rick refuses to take money for the visas, Ilsa goes to him to find some other way to help her husband. Each thread supports the others, and every strand comes together for the final Act.

Dialogue is generally excellent, with a script that is awash in great lines. "Play it again, Sam" is never actually uttered in the movie (though variations are), but all of the following are said: "Of all the gin joints in all the world, she had to come into mine," a drunk Rick moans in a fit of self-pity; "I am shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!" Renault declares even as he collects his winnings. Renault also investigates a shooting in his own, inimitable style: "Round up the usual suspects!" Plus Rick's declaration to Ilsa: "We'll always have Paris," with Paris by this point in the film having become a symbol of an idealized time and place - where he and Ilsa were happy for a short time, before the world went mad.

Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt) and Capt. Renault (Claude
Rains) watch Victor Laszlo's arrival at Rick's club.

REMAKES AND RETELLINGS:

Like many popular movies of the time, Casablanca received various radio adaptations. This included a 1943 Screen Actors Guild Theater version with the original stars, as well as a 1944 Lux Radio Theater presentation starring Alan Ladd and Hedy Lamarr (who had been a strong contender for the role of Ilsa on-screen).

There were also two television series adaptations: A 1955 series with Charles McGraw, and a 1983 effort with David Soul; the 1983 version was canceled after only three episodes. Author Michael Walsh penned As Time Goes By, a 1998 sequel novel that met with a fairly middling response. Finally, there have been assorted ripoffs, notably the 1980 Charles Bronson flick Caboblanco, set in Peru, which was reviewed about as well as you would expect an early '80s Bronson film to be.

Ultimately, none of these efforts have succeeded in making lightning strike twice.  It wasn't the plot that made Casablanca special, but instead intangibles such as screen chemistry and individual reactions and line deliveries that gradually added up to a great film. Attempts to remake it or to follow up on it have failed, and of course they have: It's hard enough to replicate successes even when you comprehend why they succeeded.


OVERALL:

Casablanca is every bit as good as its reputation. This is a product of the Hollywood machine, and stands as an example of studio filmmaking at its finest: a great entertainment in which all the elements came together just right to accidentally create art... while at the same time remaining a great entertainment.

If you somehow haven't seen it, do so. And if you've seen it but it's been a while... Well, why not play it again?


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Outstanding Motion Picture - 1942: Mrs. Miniver
Best Motion Picture - 1944: Going My Way

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