Casablanca
Caption: Set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War II: An American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.
Director: Michael Curtiz
Writers: Philip G. Epstein (screenplay), Julius J. Epstein (screenplay), Murray Burnett (play), Joan Allison (play)
Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Dooley Wilson, Peter Lorre
Release Date: 23 January 1943
Budget: 964,000
Gross: 3.7 million
Runtime: 102 minutes
Production Company: Warner Brothers
Synopsis:
The movie begins with a map of the world and an explanation of the current world affairs. From then it moves to the city of Casablanca, with the explanation of how it has become a city full of refugees and the unscrupulous people that prey on them. The film itself begins when a french police officer is reporting the murder of two German couriers over the radio. Suspects are rounded up, a man who tries to escape is shot and then a plane arrives carrying Gestapo Major Heinrich Strasser(Conrad Veidt), who is coming to assist with the investigation of the couriers death. The french police commander, Captain Louis Renault(Claude Rains) greets the Major and informs him that they already know who committed the crime and that he will be arrested that night at Rick's Café Américain, an elegant nightclub owned by American expatriate Rick Blaine(Humphrey Bogart). Though we learn later that Rick once harbored enough idealism to put himself at risk to run guns to Ethiopia and fight on the loyalist side of the Spanish civil war, he's now embittered and cynical, professing to be neutral and detached: "I stick my neck out for nobody.”
Later on that night a man named Ugarte comes to the nightclub to speak with Rick. He tells Rick that he has come into possession of two letters of transit and that he plans to sell them to the highest bidder, which will arrived at the club later on the night. Rick tells Ugarte that there was a rumor that the German couriers had two letters of transit with them and that he still detested Ugarte but he was slightly impressed with him. Ugarte then leaves the letters with Rick for safekeeping until the buyer shows up later, because "...somehow, just because you despise me, you're the only one I trust." However, before the exchange can take place, Ugarte is arrested by the police and he later dies in police custody without revealing that he had left the letters with Rick.
At this point, the reason for Rick's bitterness—his former lover, Norwegian Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman)—walks into his establishment. Upon spotting Rick's friend and house pianist, Sam (Dooley Wilson), Ilsa asks him to play “As Time Goes By”. Rick storms over, furious that Sam has disobeyed his order never to perform that song, and is stunned to see Ilsa. She is accompanied by her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), a renowned fugitive Czech resistance leader. They need the letters to escape to America, where he can continue his work. German Major Strasser has come to Casablanca to see that Laszlo does not succeed. As Rick talks to the couple Captain Renault introduces himself to them and Laszlo asks Rick to join them for a drink, which for the first time ever Rick drinks with a customer.
After the club closes, Rick gets drunk and orders Sam to play “As Time Goes By” and in a flashback scene we see the previous relationship between Ilsa and Rick had been like. At the time Ilsa first met and fell in love with Rick in Paris, she believed her husband had been killed. As the Germans neared Paris, they were going to flee together and were supposed to meet at the train station, but she never showed up leaving Rick feeling wounded and betrayed. After the flashback, Ilsa shows up at the club and tries to explain to Rick what had occurred, but he never gives her a chance and she leaves.
When Laszlo makes inquiries, Ferrari (Sydney Greenstreet), a major underworld figure and Rick's friendly business rival, divulges his suspicion that Rick has the letters. Lazlo visits Rick and ask to talk to him in private. Lazlo ask Rick for the letters offering him up to 200,00 francs but Rick refuses to sell them at any price, telling Laszlo to ask his wife the reason. They are interrupted when Major Strasser leads a group of officers in singing the German patriotic anthem “Die Wacht am Rhein”. Laszlo leaves Rick’s office, walks downstairs and orders the house band to play the French national anthem “La Marseillaise”. When the band looks to Rick, he nods his head. Laszlo starts singing, alone at first, then patriotic fervor grips the crowd and everyone joins in, drowning out the Germans. In retaliation, Strasser has Renault close the club indefinitely.
Later that night, Ilsa confronts Rick in the deserted cafe. He refuses to give her the documents, even when threatened with a gun. She is unable to shoot, confessing that she still loves him. Rick decides to help Laszlo, leading her to believe that she will stay behind when Laszlo leaves. Laszlo is jailed on a minor charge. Rick convinces Renault to release Laszlo, promising to set him up for a much more serious crime: possession of the letters of transit. He convinces him of this, because he say he will use the letters for himself and for Ilsa. He then goes to Ferrari and sells him the club.
Renault and Rick arrive at the club together, with Renault waiting in hiding for Laszlo. When Laszlo and Ilsa arrive Rick hands the letters to Laszlo and Renault comes out of hiding placing him under arrest for the murder of the couriers. However, Rick double crosses Renault, forcing him at gunpoint to assist in the escape. Rick forces Renault to call the airfield, but instead he calls Major Strasser who gets into a car and drives over. At the last moment, Rick makes Ilsa get on the plane to Lisbon with her husband, telling her that she would regret it if she stayed: "Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life."
Major Strasser arrives at the airfile and he tries to call the radio tower, but Rick shoots him as he was pulling his own gun out. When his men arrive, Renault informs them that Strasser is dead and covers for Rick by sharply ordering them to "round up the usual suspects." He then recommends that they both leave Casablanca. Renault, suggesting they join the Resistance, walks into the fog with Rick who says "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Comments:
I had seen this movie before, but it had been a long time since the last time I saw it. This movie was always on basic cable back in the eighties and much like how it happen on “When Harry met Sally”, I caught it a few times late at night. This is not your straight boy meet girl love story, since the beginning of the movie shows you a character that doesn’t care about anything around him except his club. At times this film feels like a drama and that is understandable since the backdrop of this movie is WWII. Another reason for the dramatic turn of this movie, is the incorporation of many realistic elements into it, such as the Gestapo officers, the corrupt Vichy French officers and the refugees from all over europe. But at heart this film is a love story, since soon after the story begins we discover why was Rick so bitter and uncaring. It is also a story of redemption and about what true love should really be: self sacrifice and putting your loved ones needs ahead of your own.
The acting was good as Rick was a good example of a tortured soul, Laszlo personified the aloof freedom fighter more interested in the defeating the Nazis than anything else and Renault personified the image of a slimy, corrupt government official. Also the German officers all oozed the proper amount of arrogance and evilness commonly associated with members of the Gestapo. The one character that at times made me bewildered was Ilsa. She was too hot and cold for me, more of pretty face that was stiff sometimes and passionate at others. This made me wonder if it was the writing or the acting, but perhaps this was done to show that Rick was not the only tortured soul in the movie.
The accents were extremely believable, but that was expected since there were only three Americans amongst the actors. This was Humphrey Bogart’s first romantic lead and Ingrid Bergman’s breakout hit. Paul Henreid almost didn’t participate in the film, because he correctly guessed that the part would typecast him as a stiff, boring man. Dooley Wilson was originally a drummer who could not play the piano and his role was almost recast for either Hazel Scott or Ella Fitzgerald.
In the end this a romantic film about the power of true love and that love can conquer all, but it also shows that love is not perfect and at times you must let go. It is also about the redemption of a good man, that finds his way back to the right path in life. Also the classic motif of good defeating evil is seen in this film
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