Comments for Danny's post re Casablanca

Good insight Danny. I liked the character of Capt. Renault too, except for one thing: I got the impression that he used his power to have sexual relationships with the women desperate to leave Casablanca. I think he traded the exit visas for sex.

Comment for James' post on Casablanca

I am glad you can appreciate this movie, even without today's action and/or sex :) I think you are right about our shared feelings about WWII, and the men and women of that era. In so many ways it was a much simpler time: men were men, and women were women, and our roles were defined and appreciated.

Casablanca

I feel Casablanca is a timeless story for a couple of reasons. The first is the clever dialogue in this movie. The fact that several phrases from this movie have become part of our language clearly shows the power of the dialogue; for example "Here's lookin' at you kid." Rick gives this toast several times during the movie. Ask most people (of a certain age) and they will know that this phrase was said by Humphrey Bogart (at least) and many would know its origination.

One of my favorite lines is in a conversation between Rick and Ilsa. They were reminiscing about the day they met. Ilsa asks Rick if he remembers the day. Rick responds "Not an easy day to forget; I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray. You wore blue."

There are so many examples of clever dialogue, but I won't go over every one. However, another favorite of mine would be the following. When asked "What is your nationality?", Rick responds "Drunkard."

The screenplay for Casablanca was not adapted from a book, and several writers are credited (and uncredited) with creating the screenplay. I think this makes the achievement even more surprising.

Ironically, the most well-known "quote" from the movie is in fact a misquote. "Play it again, Sam" is not in the movie.

The second reason this movie is a classic is the characters and the choice of actors to portray those characters. Nobody else could have played Rick. No other actress in the world could have played Ilsa. This is one of those magical moments where the right actors combined with the perfect screenplay created an unforgettable movie.

And we must give kudos to the supporting cast as well. Peter Lorre as Ugarte, Claude Rains as Captain Renault... the list goes on and on.

If I have to choose one character it would be Rick Blaine. Bogart's portrayal of Rick gave the character an emotional depth found in few fictional characters. Bogart's eyes broadcast a thousand emotions, yet his face remains inscrutable.

Casablanca will always remain on my list of classic movies.

mid-term

I missed the mid-term study guide handed out on Thursday. Can somebody please scan or copy for me? Thanks. My email is blakeslee.18 and my cell is 614-307-6779

~Kathy

Casablanca

Casablanca is a classic because it contains numerous elements that make a movie appealing to me and others. It is a love story, almost everyone has fallen in love, so we can relate to the feelings Rick and Lisa have for each other. The story line takes place during World War II, war times are hard times full of emotion and conflict that anyone can relate to. Whether our grandfathers hold stories and emotions from World War II or our parents have experiences from Vetenam or Afganastan presently. Finally Casablanca adds humor to it's quality. Who doesn't enjoy a laugh while watching a drama or suspense.

Rick Blaine's character meant the most to me. Rick is a smart and bold man who appears to only look out for himself. Then you see he has a softer side of Rick when Ilsa comes back into his life. He sacrifices his desires and need by giving up going to America because he loves Ilsa. That is true love to give up your freedom and let the women you love leave to live the rest to her life with another man. How can you not like a man for making such an ultimate sacrifice.

“Shiloh”- Norma Jean

Norma Jean is the wife of Leroy in this story. She fills her time with hobbies like working out, and schoolwork from the local community college. She comes across as dissatisfied, depressed and dull. She faces the conflict of a mediocre life that is heading nowhere because of her lack of ambition. Her husband is out of work and has little to do beside smoke joints and make wishful plans. When I reflect on my thoughts of this character I feel angry, it is growingly irritating to not only see characters, but the people in my life as well be dissatisfied with their life, but have no determination to change it. You will only receive what you work for in life, and it is the people that become depressed and commit suicide that want what they aren’t willing to work for.

Casablanca Film Response

There are several reasons that attribute to why this film is such a classic, it has the perfect balance of romance, comedy, tragedy and even includes historically accurate information. Also, this film takes place during a war that was going on all around the world, so it was a very popular subject, even when it came to an end. The thing that immediately caught my attention once the movie was over was how many twists there were at the end, the least expected occurred and I had not seen it coming. Perhaps this is why this is such a great film, because it sends the message that there are bigger and more important things than our own self-interests and ourselves.

The character I was most interested in was Captain Louis Renault; he added comic relief to this tragic story. He also did not abuse his power as the others did in the film. He allows nature to take its course and places his chips with the highest bitter, when he finds himself in difficult situations. The way this character won me over for good was when he let Rick go, after shooting Strasser directly in front of him and holding him at gunpoint for the previous hour. This is a clear American classic, and once viewed it is easy to see why!