Critics reviews

During production, none of the actors knew how the film would end, and Bergman's subtle facial expressions and oftentimes genuine exasperation at which man to choose––a noble, steadfast warrior emblematic of a greater cause, or a hard-drinking, maudlin American––demonstrate that conundrum. Casablanca is timelessly arresting thanks to a remarkable supporting cast and a bevy of pungent witticisms carried by Bogart's languishing mystery man.

You can make a case for Casablanca being the best of any kind of movie: action, adventure, thriller, espionage or war movie, but it has an undeniably romantic heart (Inspector Renault's least vulnerable spot). It is a love story. A love story so noble the lovers part for the greater good. Rick and Ilsa, played by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, are also widely acknowledged as iconic celluloid lovers. Their story is one of the great screen romances.

CASABLANCA irresistibly weds the theme of self-sacrifice for a greater good to a love story set against the backdrop of wartime intrigue. Mix in Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman at their most iconic, deliciously witty dialogue, a cast of colorful supporting characters played by unforgettable character actors and the able craftsmanship of director Michael Curtiz and you have Exhibit A for anyone looking to understand the genius of Hollywood's old studio system.

The film has a peculiar magic to it, and because of its pace the richness of its sense of detail often goes unnoticed. Audiences make generalizations about Casablanca because of how all those little particulars add up. Film lovers discuss it with a starry look in their eyes, as if they were describing their first kiss or a lost love, because something in the film touches them, perhaps its theme of dignity and decency, of rediscovered idealism.