There are other films that we watch and laugh. There are those whose abode is with us forever. Casablanca is among such few movies that does not fade away. Published in 1942 and staged by Michael Curtiz, the black-and-white classic is regarded as one of the most incredible movies ever to be created in the history of the film industry.
More than a hundred years later, in a world where people are used to movies that are more diverse than ever, people still watch it, still quote it, and get moved by it. To a travel blog devoted to Morocco, Casablanca is not merely a film noir movie set in the old Hollywood but it served the purpose of making the city known to everyone worldwide.
We should have a closer look at the reasons why this film matters.
The Story: Love in a Time of War
The action of the story is set in the Moroccan city of Casablanca in the period of the World War II. Morocco was then controlled by the France de Vichy government which was allied to Nazi Germany.
In the movie, Casablanca appears to be a meeting point of the world. European refugees come on a daily basis hoping to escape the war. Their ambition is not complicated: they just need to obtain travel papers, arrive in Lisbon and sail to America. But nothing is easy. Papers are hard to get. Corruption is everywhere. And danger is always close.
Rick Blaine, a character portrayed by Humphrey Bogart, is in the centre of this nervous environment. Rick is a nightclub proprietor of Rick Cafe Americain, which houses all the diplomats, refugees, officers, and gamblers. He is cold, composed and does not seem to care about anything other than his business.
However, all this takes a toll when a woman who was in his history steps in his cafe.
Rick and Ilsa: The Love that never ended.
The woman is Ilsa Lund who is played by Ingrid Bergman. The moment she comes on screen, you get a feeling of something changing. Her eyes have history. Suffering. Remorse.
We are informed soon that before the war, Rick was in a serious relationship with Ilsa back in Paris. They had arranged to go as one. However, one day they were expected to run, but she vanished. Rick found himself lonely and heartbroken.
She is back in front of him years later, but this time she is married to Victor Laszlo, a renowned resistance supporter and is being pursued by the Nazis.
It is not anymore a tale of romance. It turns into a tale of choice, sacrifice and doing the right thing even though it may hurt.
Casablanca as a Symbol
Although the film was shot on Hollywood filming sets, it made a strong impression as a mysterious and exotic city in the image of Casablanca. In the movie, the city comes to life– laden with secrets, tension, music and hope.
Rick cafe is very much a small world within the city. Individuals who belong to other countries do not speak the same language. Some are desperate. Some are brave. Some are lost. The cafe is turned into the symbol of the whole of Casablanca: a place of meeting of continents, cultures, and destinies.
To most people this was the first mention of the name Casablanca to the viewers in the 1940s. The movie made the city have a romantic-dramatic aura which is still present in the city today.
To this day, there is a tendency of tourists visiting Morocco who are repeatedly curious about how the movie relates to the actual city. Although this is a fiction, the feeling it has provoked is quite tangible.
Well-known Quotations That Remain Eternal.
There are not many movies which resulted in so memorable lines. Even those who have not watched the entire film at all tend to identify these lines:
“Here’s looking at you, kid.”
“We’ll always have Paris.”
I believe this is the start of a good friendship with Louis.
These are simple lines, yet they have an underlying emotion. They are not emotional speeches. They are silent words that can be uttered in the time of truth. It is what makes them powerful.
A Film That Won the World
Casablanca also received the Oscar for Best Picture in the Academy Awards as well as the Oscar Award in Best Director, which was awarded to Michael Curtiz and the Oscar Award in Best Screenplay. The American film institute over the years has ranked it as one of the greatest films ever made in America.
However, awards are not the only cause it survived. Numerous films receive awards and fade away. Casablanca lingered on due to people relating to it emotionally.
The Power of Sacrifice
It is the ending of the film that is really memorable.
Rick gets an opportunity to walk away with Ilsa and live the life he had failed to get. At least there is a moment when it can appear possible. However, he makes a choice at this point that shocks all people including himself.
He decides to release her to her husband because he knows that the mission of Victor against the Nazis is more relevant than his happiness.
It is a painful choice. But it transforms Rick. The same man who used to comment that he sticks his neck out to no one is the one that ends up representing something greater than himself.
This message continues to address us even now. Love does not necessarily imply possession. At times, it involves valour and martyrdom.
The Romance of Bogart and Bergman.
Without the phenomenal chemistry between Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart, the magic of Casablanca would not be as they are.
Rick has a silence that is portrayed by Bogart. He is not an emotional person, though you can read the anguish in his eyes. Ilsa is given a dignity and a warmth by Bergman. She is not weak. She has love and duty competing with each other.
Interestingly, even when filming, Bergman did not even know who her character will end up with. That actual indecision contributes to the screen tension you experience.
Tourism today and Casablanca.
In the case of Morocco, Casablanca still belongs to the culture of this country. Although the actual city may not be like the Hollywood one, the name itself has romance, and history due to the film.
Those who visit Casablanca today find a city that is contemporary and vibrant, has stunning architecture, views of the ocean, and an amalgamation of modern and traditional life. They visit the old quarters, taste the Moroccan food and breathe the Atlantic air.
The film might not depict the actual Morocco, however, it assisted in locating the city in the global map. To a great number of travelers, Casablanca remains poetry.
Why You Should Watch It Today
It may seem that a 1942 black and white movie is too old. But it does not seem old in Casablanca. It feels honest.
There are no special effects. No fast editing. No loud action scenes. The combination of good writing, good acting and great feelings.
It is like entering another time period by watching it now when the cinema was concerned with dialogue, atmosphere, and character.
It makes us remember that great stories do not grow old.
Casablanca is not only a classical film. It is a feeling. It is the picture of two individuals in the fog in an airport. It is the sound of a piano playing in the background softly. It is a man who takes honor above desire.
A generation later, it is still a movie to watch as directed by Michael Curtiz, and powered by the memorable acting of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
Casablanca is a film worth watching at least once, in case you love cinema, love, history, and Morocco, in general.
Because some places are real.
Some stories are timeless.
And we will always have Paris, sometimes.