Review of Casablanca (1943) by James T — 01 Aug 2012

An drama with real impact, moreso considering the times when it was shot. Though somewhat ruined by the implausibility of certain plot lines. For one: the fact that Victor Laslo runs around town freely despite being a known escapee of a German concentration camp & being a resistance leader is quite baffling. Secondly, Captain Louis's sudden turnaround from a German conspirator to helping Rick escape at the end doesn't make sense given his character.

Another problem I had with the film are some leading actors (especially Claude Rains) don't even bother with the keeping the nationality of the characters they're playing authentic. You could mistake Captain Louis as British even though he is supposed to be French. Though, I guess this is during a time where such things don't matter.

Despite the problems, it is a highly enjoyable film. The leads, for the most part, provide excellent performances. The backdrop feels organic, helped by extras who were refugees themselves. Might be a little too slow-paced for some people, however.