Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Casablanca Review for Blu-ray Elite!!!





When you hear the term “classic” to describe a Hollywood film, there are only a handful of movies that come to mind and one of them should definitely be director, Michael Curtis’s legendary movie, Casablanca. The timeless film, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as former lovers, Rick and Ilsa, during World War II, whose paths cross once again, during unfortunate circumstances. 

I actually own the DVD of this unforgettable film, and having the opportunity to be apart of the Warner Bros. blu-ray elite program, I get to catch this flick on a crystal clear screen, and enjoy the beautiful sounds, especially when Sam (portrayed by Dooley Wilson) plays the memorable song, As Time Goes By.
The character of Rick is a sullen, lonely bar owner who comes alive at the sight of his one true love, Ilsa. The audience learns early on that Rick and Ilsa had a passionate romance in France, and when events got worse, they decided to run away together. When it’s time to meet at the train station to run away, Rick is left standing in the rain reading a letter from Ilsa stating she can never see him again, no explanation why. Until, one random occurrence in Morocco when Ilsa walks into Rick’s ‘gin joint’, Rick's Café Américain, and a whole other war begins. Rick’s own personal war, as he is torn between being with the woman he loves and knowing that he will be happy, and she won’t or helping the woman he loves and her husband escape Casablanca to continue their fight against the Nazis.
The storyline in this film is at times confusing, the characters discuss ‘letters of transit’ which allows the person who carries them, roam freely through German-controlled Europe and Poland, but I didn’t quite understand that the first time I watched. Also, a lot of the scenes that concentrate on the war are somewhat difficult to comprehend. But, if you’re anything like me, and purely enjoy the love and romance aspect of the film, you don’t have to understand the war scenes.
The acting in this film is remarkable; Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman have amazingly intense chemistry. The pair is beautifully loving and at the same time heart wrenching. Bogart is great as the suave, confident Rick Blaine who doesn’t ‘stick his neck out for nobody’ yet if you know how the film ends, that is not true at all. Bergman is captivating as the vulnerable Ilsa who is torn between two incredible men. The way she can shed tears during a scene is heartbreaking and impressive. The passion and romance Bergman and Bogart share is irreplaceable.
Casablanca is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys a classic old Hollywood film, starring two actors especially Bogart that went on to star in more epic tales. Casablanca is a beautiful masterpiece filled with love, romance, and passion surrounded in a devastating setting of war. The film offers its audience with the hope that there are people out there that could have the power to love someone enough to make unthinkable sacrifices. The hope that good can conquer evil, and in a desperate time, such as war, people that you least expect, can surprise you. 

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