Rating of
4/4
"Casablanca" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 03/09/12
Wartime cafe owner Humphrey Bogart's life is turned upside down when the woman who broke his heart walks into his bar with her husband, a fugitive from the Nazis, looking for an escape to America. This is one of those films the phrase "they don't make 'em like that anymore" was invented for. At its core it is a propaganda film made to encourage the American public to join the fight against the Nazis, but it is far from the usual heavy handed flag waver. It skillfully interweaves the patriotic message with political intrigue, wartime heroics and romance with a script full of wit and sophistication. The cast are all pretty much faultless, but it is the uneasy friendship between Bogart and the brilliant Claude Rains which makes the film, and their cynical interplay and banter is a joy to behold. Beautifully shot with so many unforgettable lines, this film consistently features in lists of the top 10 of greatest movies ever made, and rightly so.
