Movie #14: Released in 1942, directed by Michael Curtis, 102 minutes. Seen it before (many times).

LetterBoxd Score: 5 stars

I’ve seen this a ton, and it’s kind of the opposite of Citizen Kane. It’s rollicking fun, the characters all do a kind of bit (they’re all perfectly cast). The cinematography is good, but in a less flashy way. It mostly seems interested in being clear and out of the way. It has a song you can sing. Basically, Casablanca feels like a crowd-pleaser executed perfectly (like Mad Max: Fury Road?), rather than a pinnacle of craft that is self-consciously about something big.

But in fact, Casablanca is about big ideas too: idealism versus survival, love versus duty. But it’s just naturally approachable, clever, and quotable in a way the Kane isn’t. The most emotional part, for me, is Rick’s pivot, when he decides to help the young girl seeking a visa. I like how the import of that decision is reflected in the reaction of his long-time staff.

Watching this time, I was struck by how much Claude Raines steals the show; every scene he’s in is a delight, and every scene he’s absent from is a little bit less fun because of it. I also paid closer attention to the cinematography and editing this time around, and while it’s less memorable than other movies on this list, it quietly gets the job done. I like the introduction of Rick, via his “OK Rick” scrawl, I like the foggy (if, by now, cliche) conclusion, I like the shot of Captain Renault talking to Rick, with Rick in perfect shadow silhouette.

It’s weird to imagine this movie coming out in 1942, less than a year after the entry of the USA into World War II. Kind of like a movie today being made that is entirely set in the Ukrainian war, and adopting a strong “we must all stand against Russia” theme. As Tim (who I watched this with) pointed out, there is a lot of talk about Rick’s passivity that can be read as pointed critiques of US isolationist policy.

Lastly, I think one thing this movie does, which keeps us coming back to it, is that it doesn’t have a neat and tidy love story. I think it’s pretty clear in the movie that Ilsa respects and admires Victor Laszlo, but doesn’t love him. There are several scenes in which he tells her he loves her; I don’t think there are any where the reverse happens. At one point she says she thought she loved him. She does, however, tell Rick she loves him. Ilsa and Victor never kiss passionately; Ilsa and Rick do. And yet; Victor is pretty clearly the better man. That’s just how love is though; it operates on a different axis than inherent virtue. And yet, despite all that – she sets love aside and goes with Victor. And I think we agree with Rick that if she didn’t, she would regret it.

Why would someone think it’s one of the ten greatest movies ever made?

Because it’s a fantastically executed crowd-pleaser with one of the best scripts in the business.

At the same time; perhaps there are one hundred other movies about which you could say the same.

Next week: Meshes of the Afternoon