A film born from the uncertainties of war, Casablanca, Director Michael Curtiz’ 1942 film noir, gives us a glimpse into the refugee town of Casablanca, Morocco and its day to day life that first glance appears to be a laid back town with days filled with drinking, gambling, and entertainment. Upon a closer look at the town however, it becomes apparent that xenophobia and illegal activity run rampant.
Our main character Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, runs a gin joint in Casablanca. While he goes about his daily routine of avoiding sharing drinks with patrons, remaining completely neutral on every matter to come up, and giving people a place to do their drinking and gambling, things get shaken up when his old flame Ilsa Lund, played by Ingrid Bergman, comes walking into his business.
This time period, where Nazi’s reign as the greatest threat, and the resistance within Nazi France is growing, Rick is forced to choose between his heart and his head, with the more details he uncovers the harder that decision gets.
With powerful dialogue, and dramatic styling, Casablanca makes for an interesting watch, if not in a sense dated by the results of war. The director made a good use of shadows to show what the frame doesn’t, and to add more flare to other scenes. While the actors/ actresses themselves did an overall good job of portraying their characters, it seemed to me that they at times lacked apparent emotion the scene could’ve had.
Overall the film was good, and I found it to be worth the watch, but it isn’t one of my favorites to date. I would recommend this movie to others based off its solid plot and technical skills, especially if you’re someone who enjoys a good timepiece as this makes for a fun glimpse into the underground war era type business.
Movie Reviews by Leah 