FREE ESSAY ON CASABLANCA

CASABLANCA

In choosing the movie Casablanca, I looked forward to re-aquatinting myself with a
wonderful old classic Noir film. I wanted to know more about this film for a better
understanding of the plot and symbolism, as well as the powerful mystique behind the film
that has made Casablanca so enduring. Casablanca (1942), a review by Damian Cannon, movie
review UK 1998, provided the following information:
Amidst the Second World War the African City of Casablanca becomes the backdrop for
Rick's Cafe (where everybody goes), as well as the many dispossessed refugees, black
marketers, and a variety of colorful characters, when resistance fighter Victor Laszlo
enters the scene. The plot thickens and tension becomes palpable. Accompanied by his
beautiful wife Ilsa (Rick Blaines' ex-lover), Laszlo soon finds himself immersed in the
seamy underworld of Casablanca, and the constant menace of the Nazi occupation with
Rick's Cafe as the only neutral focal point. As the movie draws to a conclusion Rick
(Humphrey Bogart) is forced to take a moral stand which leads to an interesting ending,
with unexpected twists. Based on the play, "Everybody Comes to Rick's", Casablanca was
written by Murray Burnett, and directed by Michael Curtiz. Along with Humphrey Bogart as
Rick Blaine, and Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Laszlo; Casablanca boasts a stellar cast among
them; Paul Henreid as Victor Laszlo, Claude Rains as Captain Louis Renault, Peter Lorre
as Ugarte, and Sydney Greenstreet as Senor' Ferrari. It is noted that the movie classic
one-line comments are still somewhat of a mystery, in that its appeal remains so strong
more than fifty years later!
I found Mr. Cannon's review of Casablanca to be clear and concise. A quick overview of
the Casablanca plot is meshed smoothly with interesting and lesser-known information
concerning the behind the scenes directing from Mr. Curtiz. Mr. Cannon shows excellent
insight into Casablanca's more prominent characters, and a good understanding of the
movies plot and symbolism. I agree with Damian Cannon's question and puzzlement as to why
Casablanca has remained so appealing through so many decades. No one working on the movie
planned on making a classic, and yet Casablanca has endured. Is it the wonderful
one-liners, Humphrey Bogart's hard-boiled persona, or maybe the chemistry between Rick
and Ilsa? Personally, I enjoyed the continuous ebb and flow of humanity in Rick's Cafe
and the wonderful ongoing atmosphere. In conclusion, my understanding of Casablanca has
increased, with greater appreciation for the central characters, and the plot that
developed around them. "Here's looking at you kid" now takes on a whole new meaning!