AS TIME GOES BYE. Review on Casablanca Movie

I love old films and I'm so happy you can now rent/buy them on VCR or Discs. One of my favorites is CASABLANCA. Michael Courtice directed it in 1942. The film runs about two and a half hours.

THE STARS:

HUMPHREY BOGART plays Richard Blaine INGRID BERGMAN plays Isa Land CLAUDE RAINS plays Captain Renalt PETER LORE plays Ugarte PAUL HENREID plays Victor Laszlo

MY REVIEW:

The film is about Casablanca, Morocco during WW II. This is the place where rich Europeans have fled to escape the war. Corrupt officials, crooks and dubious fortune-seekers try to profit from the refugee’s desperate situations. German couriers get killed and Letters of Transit signed by General DeGaulle are for sale. An underground movement leader who had escaped from a concentration camp and had been chased through Europe by the Nazis wants to buy the two Letters of Transit on the black market for his wife and himself. He became a Freedom fighter who was about to be caught and left Paris just before Germany took Paris. When the movie begins he is the owner of a Bar and Cafe in Casablanca. The Cafe had a lot of International clients. Nothing was a secret in Casablanca as many people made it their profession of selling the secrets they heard about. A rumor began to circulate that 'exit visas' were being sold at Rick's cafe. Rick became a friend with many of the people who were part of the corrupt French Authorities. Thought these friendships he learned enough about each of them to protect him if anyone decided he should be arrested.

Rick Blaine is a worldly American who has a hidden past. He was on the losing side during the Spanish Civil War. He moved to Paris before WW II and was a gun runner smuggling guns into Ethiopia. General Strasser, (the representative of the Vichy Government of France), heard the rumors and came to question Rick. Rick tells him that he is an alcoholic and doesn’t know a thing about the visas. He says he does not belong to either side of the combatants in WW II because he has had enough of wars and he is 'neutral'.

All through the film we see people being murders and witness the intrigue that swirls around every corner of Casablanca. There is a flashback where we find out about why Rick left Paris. We learn about his love affair with a lady from Norway, (who is the wife of one of the French Underground leaders). The affair ended the day the Germans invaded Paris. She did not come to the train station to escape with him.

One day Victor Laszlo and his female companion, Isa Lund, come to eat at the Cafe. He tells Rick he is a Czechoslovakian freedom fighter and he has just escaped from a Concentration Camp. His desperation is quite evident to Rick. Isa is the lady he loved in Paris. She tells him she did not meet him at the station because she had learned that her Husband had not died in a Camp. Laszlo must leave to escape the Nazis who are about to arrest him. Rick has two letters of safe passage that was given to him by an associate. The friend has been executed. At first Rick doesn’t want to help. After he hears Isa's story he comes up with a plan to give Laszlo the letters of passage. Isa will stay with him in Casablanca. He tells Captain Renault that he will 'give up' Laszlo at the Airport. What happens at the end? I won't tell because I never tell the ending of a film or a book.

SOME THOUGHTS:

Rick never told his piano player, (Sam), to 'play it again Sam.' The theme song 'As Time Goes Bye' is the love song of Isa and Rick. Be prepared to cry and to laugh. There are some surprises. I can't imagine that anyone has not seen this film but in case you haven't I hope you will soon. 'You must remember this, A kiss is just a kiss, A cry is just a cry, It will all will be forgotten, As time goes bye'. This film won't be forgotten, as it is a classic!

©LL