Review of Casablanca (1943) by Mesh B — 03 Jun 2012

It's clear why this has become the standard by which all romances are judged. Casablanca is a script of Swiss watch precision. It breezes by in a brief 102 minutes. Not a single moment is wasted, not a solitary misplaced word. It's surprising that this drama set during World War II contains no battles, no extended fist fights, and no reliance on any physical action whatsoever. The one altercation that erupts in the bar is quickly ended by Rick. What we do have is one famous scene after another. Just try and not feel a tinge of French patriotism when the cafe patrons sing La Marseillaise drowning out the Nazi's rendition of Die Wacht am Rhein.

What still fascinates is the depth of emotion that emanates merely from the written word. The script, which won the Academy Award, is amongst the greatest of all time. The writing is a treasure trove of classic lines that are some the most recognizable ever written. That climax at the airport is the perfect culmination of any plot ever committed to celluloid. It feels so right. Perhaps the freshness of the scene is somewhat lessened by the familiarity of the dialogue. But that's merely a tribute to how enduring those phrases remain. Casablanca is an original that single handedly justifies the importance of the film medium.