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Casablanca
1943
The classic story of the owner of a nightclub in Vichy-controlled Casablanca and of the return of his former lover who is now a member of the Resistance. Based on a play by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. Read more
| Starring | Ingrid Bergman, Joy Page, Leonid Kinskey, Claude Rains |
|---|---|
| Director | Michael Curtiz |
| Genres | Drama, Romance |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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“I came to Casablanca for the waters,” says Rick. “What waters? We're in the desert,” says Renault. “I was misinformed,” says Rick. You must remember those classic lines, along with “Here's looking at you, kid”, “Round up the usual suspects” and the famously misquoted “Play it, Sam”. Casablanca was conceived in chaos (last-minute casting, an unfinished script), was born a masterpiece and struck a spark with wartime audiences who valued political and emotional commitment. Along with Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, it sums up the myth of movie-making and, along with its perfect pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, boasts a marvellous array of fully developed supporting characters. Although dismissed by one of its writers as just one of the 50 movies Warner Bros made that year, it was special then, winning the best picture Oscar, and always will be.
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Cinema par excellence: a studio-bound Hollywood melodrama which after various chances just fell together impeccably into one of the outstanding entertainment experiences of cinema history, with romance, intrigue, excitement, suspense and humour cun
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Once a movie becomes as adulated as Casablanca, it is difficult to know how to begin to approach it, except by saying... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
View all -
79 out of 100 people found this review helpful
boring
I FOUND THIS FILM VERY BORING AND UNINTERESTING
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22 out of 24 people found this review helpful
Play it sam..........
I was unsure what to expect when I hired this title, it was a film I had been meaning to watch for ages but always put it off. I just couldn't believe it would live upto the hype, but boy was I wrong, it is an absolute classic and deserves all the praise it gets. It was so good to finally see and hear all the famous scenes and quotes in the context of the film. I can't fault this film, there is a bit of everything, humour, romance, great acting/direction and I could watch it time and time again, what more could you ask for. So hire it immediately and soak up the atmosphere of Casablanca.
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22 out of 28 people found this review helpful
hhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm
sexist, racist, melodramatic, bland, boring featuring incredibly annoying characters. bravo.
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Most recent members' reviews (2)
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Classic movie
Super-cool character Rick played by Humphrey Bogart, memorable lines, great story, feel-good finish what more could you want from this all-time movie classic?
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Here's looking at you, kid
It's mixture of drippy sentimentalism, wild romance and very cynical comedy which makes this film so special, and perhaps so impossible to repeat (although Bogey spent a good deal of his subsequent career trying). There's a key scene about two-thirds of the way through where a 'Bulgarian' woman is torn between her love for her husband and their desperate need to escape, which will involve sleeping with Claude Rains' Captain Reynaud. Suddenly we are made to see just how sleazy Reynaud and, by association, Rick are, and the sort of things which go on in this movie version of Casablanca. There's a kind of black heart to this film (also exposed in Rick's anger the night Ilsa returns) which the delirious romance doesn't quite obscure (it's there every time Sydney Greenstreet turns up, too), and it's perhaps that which gives it such an exquisite flavour.
It's also that which means that Ilsa must leave at the end with the right man - there really shouldn't be any doubt in our minds that she makes the right choice, no matter how romantic the options on offer. Plus, the gay reading of the film suggests that Rick and Reynaud were always made for each other, anyway.
As you might discern, I love this film; a bottomless well of interest, fascination and glamour, which I wouldn't exchange for anything else. If you've never seen it, I envy you: you're in for a treat.
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79 out of 100 people found this review helpful
boring
I FOUND THIS FILM VERY BORING AND UNINTERESTING
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22 out of 24 people found this review helpful
Play it sam..........
I was unsure what to expect when I hired this title, it was a film I had been meaning to watch for ages but always put it off. I just couldn't believe it would live upto the hype, but boy was I wrong, it is an absolute classic and deserves all the praise it gets. It was so good to finally see and hear all the famous scenes and quotes in the context of the film. I can't fault this film, there is a bit of everything, humour, romance, great acting/direction and I could watch it time and time again, what more could you ask for. So hire it immediately and soak up the atmosphere of Casablanca.
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22 out of 28 people found this review helpful
hhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm
sexist, racist, melodramatic, bland, boring featuring incredibly annoying characters. bravo.
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15 out of 16 people found this review helpful
Epic
As time goes by this is still the best romantic film of all time and I believe will never be beaten.
This film is the most quotable and arguably most beautiful film ever made. I am not a big fan of the romance genre but this is above the genre.
A film that twists you up inside, brings you close to tears or puts you in tears. An emotional rollercoaster with a vast array of brilliant acting performances, most notably from Bogart and Bergman.
I don’t think I even need to explain the story, its best to be watched with no knowledge. Enjoy!
Watch with a box of tissues - 10/10 -
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful
Compelling viewing
I finally sat down and watched the much praised casablanca, and I'm so pleased I did. Very rarely do I sit down to watch a film and get so engrossed in it that I actually forget that I'm watching a film. The acting is brilliant, the characters are brilliant, and the dialogue flows so smoothly you believe its happening before your eyes. And the lovely Ingrid Bergman, wow! I can honestly say she is one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen on film. I don't usually get excited about B&W films, but I think this film may bring me round. Recommended Sunday evening viewing.
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9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
old vs new
They used to have a guy on entertainment tonight (leonard Maltin) who loved any movie that was black and white or with sub titles. Personally I found them cliched and tedious but I made the effort to watch this one and have to say it is perfect. The characters are an amazing mix of personality types, from the venomous to the saintly with most sitting in the middle wondering whether to make a stand or protect their own skin. This honesty, as opposed to typical black and white simplifications makes this an unforgettable movie.
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9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
Wet eyes!!
There are a lot of tear filled eyes in this film, especially from the lovely Ingrid. Eyes just about to brim over with shining tears. But suspend your 21st century cynicism and you'll end up being thoroughly absorbed by the beautiful tragedy of this film.
The script is so tight and complex and intelligent it left me thrilled. Each character is formed with affection and verve. The interplay between them is breathtaking.
Enough said, if you haven't yet seen it stop messing around and watch it.
The heart inside you would have to be made of pure stone for you to not even be the tiniest bit moved by the sheer romance of it all! -
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful
How good can you get
Its all been said before but a trip into the b/w archive of those Sunday afternoon films of the 50s is well worth it for those not born at the time (and for those who were). With its story's toes dipped in fact (the screenwriters had travelled in Europe in the late 30s) and with America awakening from its isolationist stance (North Africa must have seemed so far away and exotic) Casablanca is a film about the eternal conflict between personal desires and doing what is morally right. The characterisations were brilliant from Bogart (Rick) in conflict to the pragmatic Rains (police chief Renault) but the breathtaking perfection of Ingrid Bergman stole every scene she was in. I thought she was the most beautiful screen actress I'd seen when I was at primary school and 50 years later my view hasn't changed - and all in atmospheric black and white.
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8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
What a film!
Certainly one of the true classics of cinema history. Hard to fault anything about it, from the smouldering performances of Bogart and Bergmann, to the recurring theme of 'As Time Goes By'.
A gripping tale of love and honour. -
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Not what I expected at all
After reading so many great reviews, like so many other viewers I was expecting this to be a fantastic film. I was so disappointed, though; the 'great dialogue' I was expecting seemed to drag on, the supposedly-fabulous array of characters was an exercise in boredom, and I'm sorry to say I gave up half-way through and just stopped watching. Disappointed doesn't cover it, in fact - I was expecting some sort of towering masterpiece, and unfortunately found a turgid, slow-moving reel of endless drivel. Worst of all is the guy who's hammily pretending to play piano just randomly hitting keys as a badly overdubbed soundtrack plays. Not worth your time, this one - rent something else instead.
Critics' reviews (3)
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“I came to Casablanca for the waters,” says Rick. “What waters? We're in the desert,” says Renault. “I was misinformed,” says Rick. You must remember those classic lines, along with “Here's looking at you, kid”, “Round up the usual suspects” and the famously misquoted “Play it, Sam”. Casablanca was conceived in chaos (last-minute casting, an unfinished script), was born a masterpiece and struck a spark with wartime audiences who valued political and emotional commitment. Along with Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, it sums up the myth of movie-making and, along with its perfect pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, boasts a marvellous array of fully developed supporting characters. Although dismissed by one of its writers as just one of the 50 movies Warner Bros made that year, it was special then, winning the best picture Oscar, and always will be.
-
Cinema par excellence: a studio-bound Hollywood melodrama which after various chances just fell together impeccably into one of the outstanding entertainment experiences of cinema history, with romance, intrigue, excitement, suspense and humour cun
-
Once a movie becomes as adulated as Casablanca, it is difficult to know how to begin to approach it, except by saying... read more on Time Out
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Casablanca
The classic story of the owner of a nightclub in Vichy-controlled Casablanca and of the return of his former lover who is now a member of the Resistance. Based on a play by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison....
-
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