In real life, Casablanca wasn't much of a refugee city, though it did serve that purpose for some. Meanwhile, as the Vichy was licking the Nazis' jackboots, the Free French movement -- le resistance , le underground -- was secretly fighting both groups. So in Casablanca you have your Nazis, your Nazi-collaborating Vichy, your resistance movement, your native Moroccans, and your European refugees trying to get to America.
In a hodgepodge like that, you can see the appeal of a position like Rick's, where you run your business, do your thing, and stay out of it. Humphrey Bogart had been busy as a supporting actor in the s, appearing in some 40 films before his back-to-back leading roles in High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon in Casablanca cemented his new fame, made him viable as a romantic lead despite his short stature and general oiliness, and helped him become the highest-paid actor in the world.
The director, Michael Curtiz , had been a filmmaker in his native Hungary, then in Austria, before coming to Hollywood in He worked quickly and efficiently, often treating actors and subordinates callously, and cranked out solid films like The Adventures of Robin Hood and Angels with Dirty Faces , in which Bogart co-starred with James Cagney. Casablanca producer Hal B.
Wallis -- generally credited as the real creative force behind the film -- was good friends with Curtiz, and hired him to direct when his first choice, William Wyler, was unavailable. Casablanca was scheduled for release in the spring of , but was rushed to premiere in New York on Nov. It was released nationally two months later, in January this time to coincide with a big meeting between Roosevelt and Churchill in Casablanca , and so even though its premiere was in , it was considered a release as far as the Oscars were concerned.
Forever we must wonder how it would have fared at the Oscars if its competition had been films from rather than The movie: In , Rick Blaine Bogart runs a classy American-style nightclub in Casablanca -- complete with dining, dancing, and a casino -- while avoiding wartime politics.
But then Ilsa Ingrid Bergman , an ex-lover who broke his heart, shows up in town, trying to make her way to America with her freedom fighter husband and desperately needing Rick's help. What it influenced: I guarantee you've heard quotes from this movie even if you've never seen it.
Ilsa says, "Play it once, Sam, for old times' sake," followed by, "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By. Play it! And it cemented Humphrey Bogart's reputation as the most irresistible anti-hero to cast his weary gaze on the silver screen. But Casablanca also set a noble and inspiring standard at a time of moral equivalence, prodding the United States to enter the war raging in Europe. Its message is as important today as it was in Casablanca was set in contemporary North Africa, during the Second World War, and it involved a love triangle.
Humphrey Bogart's character had a choice: to keep Ingrid Bergman, the love of his life, with him in Casablanca, or to send her away with her Czech resistance leader husband. In the end, Bogart sacrificed his own happiness, knowing his rival, fighting against fascism, needed the support of Bergman. As Bogart says at the end of the film, "The problems of three little people in a big world don't add up to much. But unlike Bogart, Ralph Fiennes' protagonist was uninterested by the political context or the effect his actions would have on the bigger picture, the struggle against the Nazis.
Fiennes gave up everything for the lovely, but married, Kristin Scott-Thomas. The problems of three little people were all that occupied him. This is evidence of how expertly the film played off of the times and was, in fact, instrumental in transforming the time.
He comes from outside the normal world, and he is a liberating figure. This role is the most innovative thing about Casablanca. Rick certainly became one of the most-loved heroes in the history of the movies, because he was the first of his kind. Considering the enduring popularity of this character, Rick was not only the prototype for a new kind of Hollywood hero, but also the prototype for a new kind of American.
In a truly moving moment, the refugees begin singing La Marseillaise in defiance of the Nazis, and not before long, the Germans are drowned out. It is one powerful scene. The many memorable scenes of Casablanca would not be as powerful if it were not for the stellar cast delivering the lines.
But even the minor characters in the film offer flawless performances, such as the dealer in the casino played by Leon Belasco and the newlywed bride Joy Page. Of course, the actors would be unable to deliver such outstanding performances if it were not for the superb script.
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