Review of Casablanca (1943) by Wayne K — 24 Apr 2017

If you were ever asked to name the movie which epitomised the Hollywood Golden Age better than any other, chances are your answer would be Casablanca. Despite being over 70 years old it's still the absolute essence of the most romantic era in film history.

It's daunting, really, how much of an achievement it is, just how wonderfully every element works on its own, and how each one improves the others when they're combined. Like the perfect cocktail mix of story, screenplay and character, Casablanca hits all the right notes, utilising the very few sets at its disposable to tell a riveting story of love, loss, sacrifice and loyalty against a war-torn backdrop which you feel in every frame.

Humphrey Bogart, never a better choice for a self-loathing cynic, is perfect in the iconic Rick Blaine role: Grumpy, downtrodden and well beyond caring, it takes none other than old flame Ilsa, an equally perfect Ingrid Bergman, forsaking all the world's other gin joints and walking straight into his.

The 2 have near-unparalleled chemistry, despite allegedly not getting on behind the scenes, and the raw emotionality of their scenes together is nothing if not heart-breaking, and its impossible not to crack a smile whenever Bogart utters the immortal line 'Here's looking at you kid.

' They're bolstered by a terrific supporting cast, a beautifully intimate soundtrack and possibly the greatest script in history. When a single screenplay has not 1, not 2, not 3 but 6 quotations appearing on AFI's 100 years.

..100 Movies Quotes list, it's quality can be in no doubt. It may be a little too verbose in places, but rarely have character's innermost feelings and desires been expressed with such elegance and humour.

It's never boring, keeps us guessing right until the end and climaxes with one of the most genuinely touching and memorable scenes ever committed to film. It's hard to know what else needs to be said.

Casablanca is likely as close to a perfect film than has ever, or will ever, be made. Its brilliance is undisputed, it's legacy is assured. For those who dare to doubt the true power of cinema, spend a little time at Rick's Café Américain, and all reservations will be swiftly forgotten.