Casablanca Essays - English-language Films, Casablanca, Films

Casablanca In choosing the movie Casablanca, I looked forward to re-aquatinting myself with a wonderful old classic Noir film. I wanted to know more about this film for a better understanding of the plot and symbolism, as well as the powerful mystique behind the film that has made Casablanca so enduring. Casablanca (1942), a review by Damian Cannon, movie review UK 1998, provided the following information: Amidst the Second World War the African City of Casablanca becomes the backdrop for Rick's Caf? (where everybody goes), as well as the many dispossessed refugees, black marketers, and a variety of colorful characters, when resistance fighter Victor Laszlo enters the scene. The plot thickens and tension becomes palpable. Accompanied by his beautiful wife Ilsa (Rick Blaines' ex-lover), Laszlo soon finds himself immersed in the seamy underworld of Casablanca, and the constant menace of the Nazi occupation with Rick's Caf? as the only neutral focal point. As the movie draws to a conclusion Rick (Humphrey Bogart) is forced to take a moral stand which leads to an interesting ending, with unexpected twists. Based on the play, ?Everybody Comes to Rick's?, Casablanca was written by Murray Burnett, and directed by Michael Curtiz. Along with Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine, and Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Laszlo; Casablanca boasts a stellar cast among them; Paul Henreid as Victor Laszlo, Claude Rains as Captain Louis Renault, Peter Lorre as Ugarte, and Sydney Greenstreet as Senor' Ferrari. It is noted that the movie classic one-line comments are still somewhat of a mystery, in that its appeal remains so strong more than fifty years later! I found Mr. Cannon's review of Casablanca to be clear and concise. A quick overview of the Casablanca plot is meshed smoothly with interesting and lesser-known information concerning the behind the scenes directing from Mr. Curtiz. Mr. Cannon shows excellent insight into Casablanca's more prominent characters, and a good understanding of the movies plot and symbolism. I agree with Damian Cannon's question and puzzlement as to why Casablanca has remained so appealing through so many decades. No one working on the movie planned on making a classic, and yet Casablanca has endured. Is it the wonderful one-liners, Humphrey Bogart's hard-boiled persona, or maybe the chemistry between Rick and Ilsa? Personally, I enjoyed the continuous ebb and flow of humanity in Rick's Caf? and the wonderful ongoing atmosphere. In conclusion, my understanding of Casablanca has increased, with greater appreciation for the central characters, and the plot that developed around them. ?Here's looking at you ki d? now takes on a whole new meaning! Movies and Cinema Essays