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Casablanca (1942)

★★★★ — Casablanca (1942)

Casablanca was produced at Warner Bros. during one of the stranger moments in Hollywood history, shooting through the spring of 1942 while the United States was only months into the Second World War, with the real Casablanca still under Vichy French control. The script, adapted from an unproduced 1940 stage play called Everybody Comes to Rick's by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison, was reportedly being rewritten almost daily on set, with the ending itself unresolved for much of the shoot. Director Michael Curtiz, a Hungarian-born studio workhorse who had already made The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), delivered the picture on a modest budget and to a studio deadline, with little sense at the time that it would become what it became.

Casablanca is more than a film, it’s a cultural landmark. Made and released during the Second World War, its timing gives it a rare urgency; this isn’t just a love story wrapped in wartime intrigue, it’s a piece of propaganda with soul, preaching sacrifice, resistance, and moral clarity when the world needed it most. The dialogue is iconic, “Here’s looking at you, kid”, “We’ll always have Paris”, that final airport speech, delivered with a sincerity and gravitas that defined classic Hollywood. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman have a chemistry that smoulders beneath restraint, and Michael Curtiz’s direction keeps the tension taut, even as the story unfolds almost entirely within the walls of Rick’s Café Américain. It’s a masterclass in atmosphere: the fog, the shadows, the urgent whispers, the strains of “As Time Goes By” cutting through the noise of war and exile. The supporting cast, from Peter Lorre’s twitchy Ugarte to Sydney Greenstreet’s oily Ferrari, are perfectly cast, and the score swells with melancholy and resolve. For a film made in such a short time and under such pressure, it’s astonishing how tightly written and emotionally resonant it remains. That said, it has aged. The filmmaking style (theatrical dialogue, stiff performances by modern standards, a certain lack of subtlety) can feel dated. Today’s audiences used to naturalism and moral ambiguity might find its heroics and idealism a little too clean, too polished. It doesn’t hit with the same raw power as many contemporary dramas. But none of that diminishes its importance. Casablanca may not compare shot-for-shot with modern masterpieces, but as a piece of history, storytelling, and cinematic myth, it’s essential. A must-watch, not because it’s flawless, but because it’s timeless.

Rating: ★★★★ | Year: 1942 | Watched: 2025-08-14

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Where to watch (UK)

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK

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