‘Casablanca’: wartime adventure with lost love & intrigue

Islamabad

Director: Michael Curtiz

Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains

All-time favourite American film 'Casablanca' from 1942 would be screened at Lok Virsa's Mandwa Film Club on May 28 at 3 p.m.

'Casablanca' is based on a stage production which never went into production. The film is set during the early years of World War-II. It is not just a romantic drama of lost love but story of deceit, courage and determination against all odds. The film was nominated for eight Oscar Awards and won three for Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay.

The most interesting thing about 'Casablanca' is that, like, Citizen Kane, its popularity grew with the passage of time. It is more popular today than it was in 1942. Even the generations which were not in the sixties or seventies, claim that Casablanca is their all-time favorite.

This is largely due to superstars Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Claudine Rain, film's musical score and its powerful dialogue. It is considered one of the top films in American film history.

The plot takes us to a nightclub Rick's Cafe American. It is run by American expatriate and former freedom fighter Rick, played by Humphrey Bogart. The place also happens to be an upscale gambling club with modest criminal activities. The club has become a paradise for Europeans who purchase letters of transit in black marketing which would help them travel to the United States. Rick is also involved in carrying illegal visas and much more.

And it is here where one day, Rick's lost love Bergman comes with her husband who is a rebel and German forces are after him. The romantic interludes in Paris between Bogart and Bergman have been neatly interwoven through flashbacks. Bergman knows Rick can help them get out of Morocco. Bogart must make a choice between his lost love and doing something noble for a change. We see him going for the later. Bergman and her husband would leave Casablanca in the dark of the night. Some of the most memorable lines from Casablanca are now household lingo where moves are loved and adored:

"Round up the usual suspects"

"Play it again, Sam"

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship"

"May be not today, may be not tomorrow, and for the reset of your life"

This is a film with unforeseen events. It carries perfect entertainment balance of comedy, romance, tragedy and suspense. A wartime adventure with lost love and intrigue. Casablanca has been made with precision and detail. Pairing of Bogart and Bergman creates its magical spell. Bergman was two inches taller than Bogart. And Bogart had to stand on the blocks or sit on cushions in their scenes together. Leaving this minor production hitch aside, Casablanca turned out as a timeless love story under cover of a gripping war time thriller. It has been pointed out that Casablanca owes it dramatic conflict to the ambiguity of its characters and their motives. One is never sure ,if Bergman and her husband, would finally make it, till the very end.

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