“Play it again, Sam” actually a mis-quotation, nevertheless that is exactly what I did. I watched it all the way through, and had to watch it again. There’s a reason that “Casablanca” is on every “best movies of all time” list, actually there are many. This beautiful gem of a movie mixes an absolutely perfect Romeo and Juliet love story paired with a heavily dramatic war story with subtle comedy seen through Humphrey Bogart’s wit and charm. It portrays love, war, loyalty and corruption, a beautiful cast, people with French accents, German general assholes, alcohol and all of their relationships to each other. A wonderful mix that simply has no flaws. Widely acclaimed, it was voted into the National Film Registry in 1989 ensuring that it will be preserved for generations to come.
The most successful aspect of “Casablanca” is the amazing chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. When Rick has the flashbacks in the bar to their days in Paris, the way they look at each other and their body language is incredible. "Here's lookin at you, kid." It is almost like they have been married for years. My heart sunk when he let her get on the plane without him. Just seeing her for a day brought back all those feelings and love they shared, but he reassures Ilsa and himself that “[They’ll] always have Paris.”
The plot is just as relevant today as it was back in 1942. There is war, and love and the conflict between the two. It mixes personal feelings with the commitment and devotion to one’s country. Ilsa didn’t know the situation with her husband while he was at the concentration camp. This is a problem today. Wives of soldiers don’t always hear from their husbands for weeks or months at a time. The easily influenced police officer that gambled represents the corruption in politics and government, which remains to be an issue to this day.
This beautiful screenplay, which won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay has influenced pop culture indefinitely. It has inspired movies such as the Buggs Bunny cartoon, “Carrotblanca” (1995) with Buggs playing Rick and Daffy Duck playing Sam. One of the greatest moviemakers of all time, Woody Allen, even adopted his own version of this classic called “Play it Again, Sam” (1972). It holds six spots on AFI’s Top Movie Quotes list, more than any other movie, and as well it should. One, if not the most influential movies of all time, “Casablanca” is a cultural phenomenon and will continue to educate filmmakers and cause that warm feeling for viewers for years to come.
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