Netflix Movie Review: Casablanca

10/08/2015

Kevin Burke
Content Editor

“Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful movie review.”

Here it is: The greatest movie of all time.

Don’t try to argue with me. I’m right, and you’re wrong.

Casablanca (1942) is an American treasure that was set in and released during World War II, and stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

One of the things that makes Casablanca such a classic is the fact that it seemingly has a little bit of everything: romance, comedy, action, adventure, drama—which is, in part, what makes it such a well-rounded film.

Humphrey Bogart plays American Rick Blaine, who owns and operates a bar in Casablanca, Morocco, and “sticks his neck out for nobody.”

At least until a former lover, Ilsa Lund (Bergman), walks into his bar one day, and back into his life. However, Lund has a new husband now, Victor Laszlo, who has been fighting against the Nazis ever since escaping a concentration camp.

So now Rick has a decision to make: Should he help Laszlo and Lund escape to America, or should he try to repair his relationship with his one-time lover, Ilsa, by endangering Laszlo’s life in the process.

Casablanca’s overall theme is staying loyal to the American war effort despite adversity—in essence: undying patriotism. This, of course, was an extremely popular American ideal during World War II.

Everything from this movie’s characters, to its theme song, to its many famous quotes, are all now iconic facets of American culture. In fact, there are so many well-known quotes in Casablanca, that you’ll find a lot of the movie feeling familiar, even if you’ve never seen it before.

At the 16^th annual Academy Awards, Casablanca won three Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, in case you need any more proof of its awesomeness.

The Comment officially gives Casablanca (1942) five stars out of five, and recommends it to all the people in all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world.

Kevin Burke is the Content Editor of The Comment. Follow him on Twitter @Ke7inBurke.