Casablanca

A

So it is mt favourite movie. I don't say that with much enthusiasm because I am aware that I've only barely scratched the surface when it comes into movies. But I know that even if I do find a movie that manages to displace Casablanca off the top spot, I'd still hold it close to my heart.

Regarded as one of the most endearing movies of all time, Casablanca is a love story with the backdrop of World War II. As Germany unleashed its forces over Europe, many flock down a trail across the continent to find a safe haven in America - a trail that ends in Casablanca. In this town of bandits and refugees, everyone goes to Rick's, a saloon ran by Richard Blain (Humphrey Bogart), a heartbroken shell of a man who "sticks [his] neck out for nobody". One night the woman who broke his heart, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) entered his saloon with the leader of French Resistance, Victor Lazlo (Paul Heinreid). With the Nazi's noose tightening on Casablanca, Rick must choose between his happiness and doing what's right.

It's quite obvious how Casablanca can end in most critics' top 10 lists. A story with so much intrigue and ingenuity doesn't come very often. It is a coup for director Michael Curtiz (who is somewhat unfairly uncredited) who is able to tell a simple story an enrich it with so many layers. The apt description is that most things about Casablanca seem to have been divinely constructed.

As much credit that goes to Curtiz, equal ovation must go to screenwriters Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch who managed to pepper the screenplay with the most memorable lines in celluloid; it holds 7 positions in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes. If ever there's a reason for Casablanca to get so much acclaim, the script's it.

Humphrey Bogart was born to play Rick. I can think of several Hollywood actors today who can play Richard Blaine, they will perform well, but none of them would be half as good as Bogart. There's a delicate balancing of cynical temperament with quick wits and intelligence in Rick that he keeps us fascinated by the character right until the very end. Ingrid Bergman received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for her role as Ilsa Lund, a woman torn between her duties and her heart. Paul Heinreid also received a nomination, though I would think Lazlo has become a secondary character and his presence on screen just wasn't natural. I would argue that Lazlo's character is the sole weakness in the movie - he is more like the third-party between Rick and Ilsa than anything else.

That said, I would also point out why inspite of such acclaim, Casablanca seldom receive the top spot in any critic's list. It lacks the grandeur or sophistication. Some can say that Casablanca is story telling at its best since it dwelve into so many elements so well and portraying so many different characters so colourfully. And while I agree with that, Casablanca shows these things as if they are happening in an alternate dimension - or at least not quite close to the earth. The story plays like a dream - a magical one - but distanced from reality.

Watching how the circumstances between Rick, Lazlo and Ilsa unfold, we often miss the bigger picture that so many lives hang in the balance. We are so drawn to Rick that we fail to see the extraordinary predicament that he is in - a saloon keeper with the fate of Europe in his hands. Though touched on, these points are never emphasized, hence it is too soft for its own good. In short, Casablanca doesn't lack a punch, it doesn't have any.

Yet, this is not really a flaw. It's just different. What it lacks in bite, it makes up for in grace. Rick says it best at the end of the movie, "The problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." Maybe someday there will be a remake of Casablanca that can offer the darker side of things, and I'd be in line to see it.
~