I think it’s the fact that everything went together perfectly. Bogart plays a loosely based version of himself, and the dialogue is amazing. Also the fact that Curtiz’s direction is amazing.
@Nino
I’m genuinely interested in hearing what makes the direction so good in this film. I can be pretty clueless when it comes to filmmaking (editing, camera work, composition, etc.).
Because it’s perfect.
Yeah yeah Malik but why is perfect? Why? WHY!?!?
…
I have to say I haven’t seen this. I’ll watch it soon (high expectations)
@M
Get on it! :)
And come back and tell us what you think! It’d be interesting to hear comments from someone who has just seen for the first time.
Thanks for harassing, Malik and being the bad guy. :)
I’m not an expert on Casablanca, Jazz….
But all I can do is point out a few things.
1.) The black and white cinematography is beautiful. Arthur Edeson (who shot The Maltese Falcon and Frankenstien) took on this.
2.) Bogart is the essential American hero, and everyone wants him to win.
3.) Chemistry….. All of the characters had it. Ingrid Bergman is beautiful, and Bogart is a pure badass. Don’t forget the excellent supporting cast. Claude Rains was also in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and Lawrence of Arabia as well. Peter Lorre is extremely underrated, and is one of the best actors to ever come out of Germany. Conrad Veidt was also one of the best actors of the silent expressionist era, along with Emil Jannings and Alfred Abel.
4.) The Score by Max Steiner is awesome, and the key song “As Time Goes By” goes perfect with the movie.
The truth of the matter, is that when you have great cinematography, actors, music, direction, and a great story…. everything comes together.
I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that didn’t like Bogart’s character in this film. It’s one of those few films that can only arise once in a lifetime.
^ plus…
Casablanca’s ending is perfect, if we want to think about perfection. There is an ambiguity/uncertainty which leaves an eternal puzzle and unrequitedness with the experiencer of the film. What exactly do Ilsa and Rick feel, each for the other, is unclear…Bergman apparently complained or commented with some comedic ire that she wasn’t sure who she was supposed to be in love with when some of the scenes were shot, as the narrative was not quite clear to the actors either .
She does declare her love for Rick, but there’s the suspicion hanging that maybe she went to him that night for ulterior motives, that higher ideals were driving her (the ongoing fight against the Nazis, and/or an actual devotion to Laszlo, the man and his work) – their motives in certain things they say and do are open to question and interpretation.
It seems on the face of it, a straightforward sacrifice thing on Rick’s part, but because things are not quite clear one can speculate eg Rick might not have gotten over his abandonment, was he being perverse, once he heard her say she loved him, by putting her into the same “do without me” situation he had been put in painfully, by her, has he found out he’s actually healed gotten over the past and can let her go now he’s heard her say I love you… is he internally transformed & softened from embittered cynic to some sort of idealism again just from having that brush with his once great love, is he wise enough to know it can never be recaptured, or does he simply see Laszlo and his work as more significant than self….whatever.
But the Casablanca ending just feels right, it could not have ended any other way (quite apart from the requirements of “the code”) as it is generally themed on idealism and sacrifice.
The film is full of “life” and what happens in life, and the pathos of the loss of how things used to be, and can never be again. Which is part of EVERY life.
..even my cat’s! I had to move and couldn’t take both my cats I had to do the Sophie’s Choice thing and my cat looked for his little mate for ages. It was horrid.
What strikes me the most is the perfectionism of the dialog. They obviously put a lot more work into the script than they tend to in modern films, and that work made a very simple, emotionally based premise into something memorable.
Because it is a Crypto-Noir. People who dont like (or claim not to like) Noir can get their Noir kicks vicariously by watching it.
Kind of like the softcore version of Noir.
@Nino
I totally agree about the supporting cast. Thanks for mentioning that. I like the way the film takes time to establish Bogart’s character, using many of these supporting characters. We see his hard-heartedness, cynicism, but also his sentimentality. Has anyone ever did the tough guy with a soft heart better than Bogie in Casablanca. This seems to be the definitive performance.
@Megg
Nice analysis on the ending. I’ve always felt convinced that Ilsa loves Rick. Her desperation when she learns that Rick is not getting on the plane seems utterly genuine. I like your take on the possible evolution of Rick’s feelings.
@Jirin
Coming to this film in the 90s, I was obviously coming to the film late and I had heard many of the lines before. So I wonder if the lines were really great or were they iconic and therefore great? You know what I’m saying? Sometimes they don’t see that great. Like in some other films, Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity, for example, the greatness of the dialogue is clear to me. Part of the reason for my uncertainty about the quality fo the dialogue is that I suspect the greatness stems in Bogart’s delivery. Would they be great if another actor read those lines? I really wonder about that.
I just wanted to chime in an connect this with your thread about favorites/best.
Why people love this film doesn’t necessarily explain why, or if, it’s great.
@Mike
Good point—but it may also open up another can of worms. Are you going to be here to eat your share? :)
@Jazz
When I saw the film about two years ago, I knew the following lines:
-Here’s looking at you kid.
-Of all the gin joints…
-This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
I had never heard the line: I am SHOCKED. SHOCKED that there is gambling going on here.
And I thought that line was fantastic.
Casablanca is one of those films that’s been spoiled by pop culture, but it’s not the same as the way Citizen Kane or Thelma & Louise have. You know she’s going to leave at the end and you know some of the best lines, but that doesn’t ruin his transition from self pitied apathy to determined resistance.
—
Edit: Why did most of my post disappear when I put those lines in quotes?
(Mubi is messed up, so beware. I’ve had really long posts that were essentially deleted.)
The “shocked line” is funny, and there’s another tiny line when Rick is looking at a write up about him (I think from the Germans) and he says, “Are my eyes really blue?” It’s just not a great line, but it makes me smile.
Edit: Why did most of my post disappear when I put those lines in quotes?
Don’t get me started on this. I lost the edit function a year ago. This is worse. I’ve lost huge posts due to this. We’ll never get to MUBI alpha this way!
Oh wow…Why is Casablanca so great? Man, I don’t even know why. I just know it is. I love that movie…
It’s just one of those movies you can’t explain (or atleast I can’t) why you love it so much you just DO. I’ll agree though that the best thing I can come up with is that everything just fits so perfectly together. That’s the closest I think I’ll come to explaining why it’s so great without saying things everyone else has said a million times (acting, dialogue, etc)
A friend once asked me my favorite movie I must watch once a year at least, and I answered simply “casablanca”
The dialogue between Bogart and Rains…." Make it ten, I’m only a poor corrupt official!"
Rains :“why in heavens name did you ever come to Casablanca?”
Bogart : “Why, I came for my health. I came for the waters”
Rains : “water? what water? We’re in the desert!”
Bogart : " i was misinformed"
Classic!~
@Ry
Yeah, that’s a great scene, but can you imagine anyone else doing those lines besides Rains and Bogart (especially the, “I was misinformed” line).
Here’s where I stand so far about the greatness of the film.
1. The filmmaking—as in the use of the camera, composition, cinematography and editing—is not necesarily great. It’s competant and good, but stylistically I’d call it “invisible.” No one really has contradicted this, so this is where I stand as of now.
2. My guess is that the greatness lies both in the character of Rick Blaine and his story. Imo, the heart of the story (or close to the heart) involves giving sacrificing something we cherish for a higher cause. I think this theme resonates deeply with a lot of people—so much so that we can say it’s a vital theme. We see the same thing in the Gospel story—God sends His son who sacrifices Himself for the mankind. In Casablanca, Rick sacrifices the love of his life (one that he recently got back) for a higher cause (defeating the Nazis).
3. Bogart’s ability to be cynical and hard-hearted—while deep down being compassionate and principled—is also what makes this film great. His persona and his ability to deliver the lines seem to resonate with a lot of people as well. Finally, I think the way the secondary characters interact with and reveal Rick’s character is a credit to the film (the script, direction and acting).
Essentially, I’m sort of making the case on the fact that the story, the character and the dialogue resonate with so many people over a long period of time. I know people in their twenties and thirties who don’t like older films, but love this, too.
In a way, the reasons for Casablanca’s greatness are the same ones for a film like Sunrise: a Song of Two Humans. Both have really good performances; both have stories that resonate deeply with a lot of people over a long time. (I’d say the visual aspects of Sunrise are a lot better; but Casablanca has better dialogue…well better than Sunrise’s sight cards anyway. :)
I don’t know….Casablanca is far from the best picture of all times, far from even being the best American picture of all time and certainly I’ve seen better dialogue in Winchester ‘73 or Adventures of Robin Hood (speaking of Curtiz) but it’s jolly good Hollywood glitz, a partial “exoticism” of studios’ policy back then, to somehow…soften the hearts of couples and families when watching a “foreign” land like Morocco (oh, look, Arabia + WWII, evil Nazis!) and not the misconstrued one as is the case with the so-bad-it’s-good For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Note: not that this exoticism has withered nowadays, on the contrary…it’s becoming more evident what with all the Prince of Persia and English Patient examples, for different reasons each.
It’s on my top 5 Michael Curtiz, that’s for sure (although I’d have to see more to comment upon that, haha)
“Are my eyes really blue?” It’s just not a great line, but it makes me smile.
What’s really funny about that line is that in 1943, movie-goers had no idea what color Bogart’s eyes were.
What I love about Casablanca is that so many of the actors making this anti-Nazi fairytale would have been under the nazi yoke had they not left their place of origins. And that it was made before anybody knew what the outcome of the war would be. Only Hollywood could be so bold and arrogant and brave to take a victory lap like this before the final whistle. If Germany would have won, Bogart’s career would have been finished- it would have meant he went off to fight the Nazis and lost. How could that have been forgiven?
this is why
An impeccable piece of Classical Hollywood product, gorgeous in every way, aimed at adults, great fun to watch and it never ever insults the intelligence. Is it a great film? I can’t quite bring myself to say it is, but I can’t bring myself to say it isn’t, either.
I’ll say this: it’ll be a cold day in hell when Christopher Nolan and Darren Aronofsky make a film that compares with it.
@Dimitris
I’m not arguing that Casablanca is the greatest film of all time, but am I trying (in the post above yours) to make an argument for its greatness. I do think it is a great film. I totally disagree with the claim that the Robin Hood and Winchester have better dialogue…well, it depends on what we mean by better. Certainly, both films don’t have more memorable dialogue. (I don’t remember any of the dialogue from either film. Btw, fwiw, I liked Winchester, but didn’t care for RH.) I guess, there are different ways to evaluate dialogue. I don’t think Casablanca’s is great because of its singular style (e.g. someone like Mamet or Tarantino). I’ve also admitted that I don’t understand why the lines have become so iconic. Is the dialogue better than the ones written by Billy Wilder? Not necessarily. Yet, there seems to be a perfection there. What film has more memorable lines than Casablanca?
As for the “exoticism,” I think it’s completely irrelevant to the film’s greatness. What I mean is that people now don’t like the film for this element—at least that’s my impression. I’d guess that exotic quality of certain films (like romance) do appeal to moviegoers, I don’t think Casablanca is very exotic compared to other films made today. I could be wrong. In any event, it’s a big reason for the film’s current appeal.
As for the “exoticism,” I think it’s completely irrelevant to the film’s greatness. What I mean is that people now don’t like the film for this element—at least that’s my impression.
I completely disagree- remove all those brilliant European character actors with their marvelous accents and what are you left with?
Exoticism affects the appraisal and the subsequent (future) timelessness of a film, regardless of how it was perceived back then. I’m not saying Casablanca’s sideways trait “makes” the film’s content what really is, but it arguably (somehow?) adds an “epic scale” to the illustrious pair of lover’s unrequited romance. I could be wrong and it’s all because of the well-known duo that most people today watch it and I’ll admit it’s one of the reasons that because of the duo’s sensitivity, I’m also keen on the film’s possessive character.
As for the dialogue, I’m not sure if we’ll agree about all the 3 films above, mainly because my understanding of dialogue is unconventional and a mixture of ingredients, not necessarily meant to be in the same pot. I wouldn’t remember at all the “famous quotations” from Casablanca had they not been present in so many documentaries, satirical sketches, commercials (foreign to be honest) and of course of course…actual references inside contemporary films. This might be part of a well-rounded conspiracy which prioritizes a good bulk of artistic works over others but to say that they’re legendary quotes, why…one would be crazy to do so: it’s pop-culture at its best but pop-culture IS aye…inferior to what Art is and should be. I’m not saying I’m against pop-culture, I’m simply arguing against its gravity on how the world should be monitored based on popularly-made quotes, brands, “events” etc etc etc.
For the record, Winchester ‘73 and Robin Hood I always considered more pleasant and exceptionally made films than what Casablanca is but that’s me and my underdog preference, heh.
Hmm, I wasn’t even thinking about the European characaters and their accents. I guess that would indeed be a part of the exoticism and the film would diminish without them (although it’s hard to say if it’s the exoticism of the actors/characters or the acting ability). In any event, the greatness of the film seems to largely stem from Bogart and the story, no?
For the record, Winchester ‘73 and Robin Hood I always considered more pleasant and exceptionally made films than what Casablanca is but that’s me and my underdog preference, heh.
I agree that Winchester ’73 is superior to Casablanca, but what the hell does Winchester ’73 have to do with Casablanca?
^ Oh, speaking of dialogue, I just couldn’t compare Casablanca to other “exotic” epics in terms of dialogue quality….it would have been unfair to Casablanca ;)
Jazzaloha
This is one of those films where I don’t really care about it’s greatness—whether it is in fact a great work of art or even what makes it a great work of art. I love it so much I never bothered analyzing the artistic merits of the film. With this thread, I want to change that.
I’ve heard people mention this film during conversations about the recent mubi poll of favorite films (thanks, RUS), and I got the sense that other mubians love this film, too—which surprised me a little. For one thing, the filmmaking seems rather unacceptional—in fact, invisible. (If this is not the case, I’d really want someone to enlighten me.) Also, the film is both old and very mainstream. It’s a Hollywood film and it’s not very edgy. In any event, it’s great to know other people love this film, too.
But why do people—many, many people—seem to love this film? I want to try to explore the reasons in this thread. Here are a few off the top of my head:
1. Bogart as Rick Blaine.
Is he the first anti-hero? Whether he is or not, perhaps he is the best of this archetype (not sure if anti-hero is the appropriate word here)—the cynic who is really a sentimentalist at heart. I really love this type of hero, but do others feel the same way? If so, why do you think this type of hero has such a great appeal?
2. The dialogue.
It’s iconic for sure, but is the dialogue really that great? Bogart’s delivery has a lot to do with the effectiveness of the dialogue, but is there any way to explain the reason the dialogue is so memorable (besides saying that it is memorable)?
3. The theme of sacrifice.
The film combines the unrequited romance with sacrificing one’s self for a higher cause. Those are two themes that resonate with me quite a bit. Can we say that some of the most universally compelling themes?
OK, enough for now.