Casablanca
I have never been a big fan of black and white films. I mean there is nothing wrong with them, I just haven’t seen very many and I have slept through most of the ones I have seen. So when my husband said we should watch Casablanca for a date night, I was hesitant. I put him off for over two years but finally one night I caved. What I was expecting was a silly romance story, something trivial with a really weird pace, one of those scroll Instagram and half-watch movies. What I got was an engaging movie about spies, intrigue, and star-crossed lovers all set against a WW2 backdrop in a little border town called Casablanca.
Humphry Bogart plays Rick, an American bar owner in Casablanca. Casablanca was part of unoccupied France during the Second World War, and because the city had an airport, people came from all over Europe to try and get on one of the planes to America. The city became a bottleneck of sorts and there were hundreds of folks just waiting and praying for a way out. This was the perfect environment for the American bar owner as people come and drink day in and day out. Rick was neutral on the whole war thing, he just did his business and stayed out of the fray. Life was alright until… and I quote “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world she walks into mine.”(Yep, this movie is where many pop culture references come from). Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), Rick’s long lost love, shows up in his bar with her husband and Anti Nazi activist Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid) asking for help.
The acting style is very indicative of the 1940s, and there are some larger-than-life characters. At first, this can be jolting as today subtlety is valued in screen acting. However, these characters are not crazy versions of unrelatable people. The characters are developed in such a way that it seems the audience is looking through a magnifying glass at them. All the things that are real and true that the characters feel and think are just bigger than in normal life. Everything seems heightened, not fake.
The story is brilliant. The focus on the characters while expertly blending genres is unique and well-balanced. Romance as a genre has a lot of trope’s and a lot of those are derived from Casablanca. This movie set the romance standard. However, Casablanca isn’t just a romance movie, it is also historical fiction and an espionage thriller. The movie elevates itself above a single genre as it tells a compelling three-dimensional story, not only about love but about life. The romance side of the story is beautifully moving. The movie explores the complexities of relationships and the idea that love can come in many shapes and forms. It also explores the way space and life change what love looks like. This depth could not have been accomplished if they had tried to make a “Romance Movie”.
Casablanca could also have been a war movie. If made today it probably would be. There would be explosions, fights and there would be subplots upon subplots and while it would likely be good, it wouldn’t be a masterpiece. Casablanca is a stand and talk movie, where more is left unsaid than said. This creates a subtext and tension that are palpable, allowing the layers of historical context to make the story feel very real. Casablanca deals with the power struggle between the French and the Nazis in unoccupied France. The scene in the bar where everyone is singing either the French national anthem or the German one lives on as one of the most touching moments in the film. Seeing the struggle of the people of Casablanca is moving and gives us a look at a unique and often passed over part of WW2.
The fact that Casablanca is in black and white in no way diminishes the art of the storytelling, rather, it enhances it. When you aren’t relying on color for your costumes, set, or props you must think in patterns and textures. This creates a visually rich world in a way that is lost in modern movies. There are depth and detail to what you see because everything is in contrast. This contrast also applies to lighting, as most times we watch movies and never think about lighting. Maybe if there is a moment that is particularly hard to see what is going on we think, “That needed more light”. However, in most modern movies if the lighting designer did a good job, you don’t notice the lighting. In black and white films, lighting is everything. The mood and tone set by the lights tell the audience so much about what is happening both physically and emotionally. Black and white films also work with shadows. They use a shadow on a face or an object to communicate emotion and tell the audience who the person is, without words. This takes a level of artistry and knowledge of light and shadow that is largely unknown today.
Casablanca is a classic and a recommended watch for date night. The movie is romantic, but also so much more than a date night movie. It is the pinnacle of what storytelling, art, and acting can be. It is a masterclass in blending genres and telling a well-rounded story. If you love good stories or just want to see what all the hype is about, do yourself a favor and watch Casablanca, you will be better for it.
Content Overview
Language: None
Violence: Several people get shot, but no blood or gore is shown. People get arrested and pushed and shoved a lot.
Sexual content: Kissing. Lots of Kissing. Sex is implied but nothing is shown and exchanging sex for personal favors is alluded to.
Objectionable Content: The majority of the movie takes place in a Bar, so there is a lot of drinking. Some people get drunk while at the bar. Smoking in common.
