Casablanca

Casablanca is a film that stood the test of time. It gave us a pair of leading actors that sizzled with on-screen chemistry and a Romance for the ages. It also gifted us with two immortal lines that are still oft-quoted these days, some sixty years later, and an iconic love song/theme that still echoes a great love and the promise it held.

At a surprisingly brisk 102 minutes, Casablanca had a tightly paced story of love, intrigue, spy-games, politicking and patriotism. There was nary an ounce of fat on it, and sometimes that could be detrimental as we see in a few scenes where director Michael Curtiz fell prey to expositional dumping to move the plot along. Thankfully, these narrative hand-holdings were usually brief and the actors competent enough to deliver them without losing interest.

However, the opposite was true for Humphrey Bogart's Rick who, throughout the film, maintained a mysterious backstory that only served to make him an even more interesting character and his motivations less clear cut.

Similarly, the luminous and stunningly beautiful Ingrid Bergman, was also not the archetypal damsel-in-distress. She was a well-rounded character that had her own agency and had to made difficult choices. It was never clear until the final moment who she would choose, although some would argue, that the choice was made for her. But, she could have not gone along with it - we have seen her being headstrong.

Together, Bogart and Bergman were electrifying and their chemistry utterly palpable.

Also outstanding, was fellow Best Supporting Actor nominee Claude Rains who delivered a number of the funniest lines in the film.

Max Steiner's score for the film was sublime and the refrains and variations of As Time Goes By was so effective in conveying the emotional weight of the Llsa and Rick's varying relationship. And that scene of the dueling National Anthems, was equal beats rousing and emotionally resonant.

A 1942 Best Picture winner, Casablanca is a classic that remained very watchable now. Great Romances never go out of style. "Here's looking at your, kid! We will always Paris!"