There are people that go on and on about
films like Casablanca or Citizen
Kane, obvious critical favorites, because they think
it makes them appear to be a film aficionado to casual movie
fans. Some may say this review is nothing more than pretentious
hot air about a film that has been reviewed, critiqued and
analyzed to death. However, when you love something, whether
it be a newborn, a pretty girl or a car, you gush.
Is this me being pretentious or me gushing?
The film was written, produced and shot as just another part
of Warner's factory of films. The budget was moderate, the
script was a mess and it wasn't expected to do much. In this
current era of movie studios "creating" Academy
Award pictures, it's hard to imagine that a film was just
plucked out of the general pool of films released.
What's amazing is how much fate all but created the film
as we see it. Whether it was an incomplete script forcing
Bergman to act ambiguous, the build up of WWII bringing the
American people to the story, Bergman having to cut her hair
for For Whom The Bell Tolls,  or
even producer David O. Selznick's insistence that the film
be rushed to print before more changes could be made and the
“Code's” role in deciding the outcome of the film,
it was as if chaos created this gold standard in film.
The filmmaking itself is top notch. The incredible detail
taken by cinematographer Arthur Edeson to preserve shadows
and stark contrasts is film noir at its finest moments. I
think one of the more brilliantly filmed scenes in the movie
is when Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and Capt. Renault (Claude
Rains) go upstairs to get more money for the casino. The camera
moves upwards from the side as they go up the stairs, in what
is apparently a crane shot of the building with the wall removed.
What's amazing is that the scene is blended perfectly into
an interior shot of the upstairs office, so much so that it
wasn't until about the 15th time watching the film that I
realized it.
As for the story, the themes of impossible triangles are
set up beautifully. You have Rick deciding whether he will
betray Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid) or lie to Renault, Renault
battling with his allegiance to either France or the Reich,
and finally, the most important, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) deciding
between Rick and Victor. The constant struggles between love
and duty, devotion and passion, and morality and desire drive
this film. The viewer is presented the story as an outsider
already 30 minutes late. Hitting the ground running, you try
to put the pieces together to find the connection between
all of these people.
The role of the scorned lover is particularly gripping, and
realistic. Even today, Bogart's character seems relevant.
The anger and cynicism woven into the role could only be penned
from first hand experience, and only understood by those who
have felt it. It’s one of the best characters ever created.
Casablanca is as crisp a screenplay as anything ever written.
Written in a time where "The Code" required you
to have couth or to creatively use double entendres, Casablanca
never lets up.
Can you think of anyone else as Rick or Ilsa? Ronald Reagan
was originally up for the role of Rick. Nothing against the
former President, but I doubt his ability to carry the complexity
of this role. Likewise, I doubt Bogart's aptitude for bringing
down Communism in the USSR, so I think it worked out best
for both of them. Humphrey Bogart makes every film he is in,
and this has to be his brightest moment. Only he can bring
the level of cynicism, toughness and vulnerability this role
requires. He delivers all of the lines as if he were born
to, and there isn’t a moment you doubt he could be in
such a situation.
Ingrid Bergman portrays Ilsa very well. The first time I
saw this film, I wasn't impressed with her acting. Sure I
loved her, but I didn't really feel she did anything special.
When I rewatched the film, I realized that the aloofness,
the melancholy, the mystique she presents is  what
creates the character of Ilsa. She isn't in your face, telling
you what is happening like many of today's character actresses
do. She delivers the character as it should be; a mysterious
woman from the past without a clue about what to do in the
situation she has found herself in.
While both the leads are outstanding, the supporting cast
gives life to the world around these star crossed lovers.
Peter Lorre's performance, while brief, is basically a Peter
Lorre performance. Anxious and blunt, he jump starts our story.
Peter Lorre plays the role “he created” and that
so many actors today try to emulate (whether they know it
or not).
Claude Rains is the meat and potatoes of this film. He brings
a subtle charm to the corruptness of the character. He balances
everyone out. When one character or the other seems to be
leaning too far towards one side, he doesn't hesitate to call
them on it. Claude has that smile, like the cat who caught
the canary, that every time you see it you chuckle to yourself.
Paul Henreid does a good job of being believable as the patriotic
yet realistic freedom fighter. His appearance, along with
his demeanor, fits well for a man we are supposed to dislike
for no reason at all. Because of the way he carries his role,
we feel as though we are doing him a disservice by rooting
for Rick.
 Sydney
Greenstreet, like Peter Lorre, executes a character he has
played over and over again. That character is his. When people
hearken back to wanting someone of this nature, he is the
reference point. Ask George Lucas. When he wanted Jabba the
Hutt, he described it with two words: Sydney Greenstreet.
Dooley Wilson does his best Louis Armstrong impersonation
and pulls it off. While he disappears in the second half of
the movie, he is the link between our two leads. He is the
one they keep coming back to in order to get closer to one
another.
S.Z. Sakall and Conrad Veidt do wonderful jobs of providing
both comic relief and a seriousness that can not be forgotten.
While Sakall brings the humanity back to this picture, Veidt
executes the 'Nazi persona' perfectly to remind us of what
the 'triangle' is up against.
When it comes to the ending, a better one has not been written.
Although it was written by a committee and was almost forced
to happen this way, it (much like everything in this film)
fell into place wonderfully. With the undertones of patriotic
pride, a higher sense of morality, and finally an acceptance
of inevitability, the whirlwind story comes to a grand finish.
In the final moments, you have betrayal, redemption, murder,
love, and failure. And even though it wasn't in the original
shooting script, the final line is one of the greatest ever
(ranking with Apocalypse Now and Usual
Suspects).
 A
Polished Gem: The DVD Presentation
What makes this DVD any different than
the TCM monthly showing or the now out of print snapper case
version? The restoration that Warner Bros. put the film through,
that's what. At least 96 percent of the dirt you would expect
on film that is over 65 years old has disappeared thanks to
Warner Bros wonderful algorithm-based scanning program that
red flags all the dirt and scratches that appear and disappear
from one frame to the next. The only part of this film that
struggles with dirt is the opening montage of war footage,
which can simply be attributed to the source material. The
wonderful thing about black and white films is that your TV
can devote all the filters to just decoding the various shades
of grey that come through. The result is sharp, crisp, strong
blacks with very little edge enhancement. So little that you'd
be hard pressed to find it. Smoke from cigarettes and fog
at the airport are dazzlingly beautiful against the dark backgrounds.
The
audio is a cleaned up, true to original form, Dolby Mono 2.0.
A film like this has very little in the way of sound effects
and is driven by dialogue. So when you narrow that all down
to one crisp track, the dialogue really shines.
The
menus on these DVDs are top notch. With the WWII map of Africa
as a backdrop, the entire thing is themed as if it were decorated
by those that decorated Rick's Cafe Americana. We are treated
to a Lauren Bacall intro to the film on Disc 1. While nice,
it is nothing compared to Robert Osbourne's magnificent work
as host of Turner Classic Movies’ films.
 The
DVD Extras
While not generally a Roger Ebert fan,
his commentary on this film is not only informative,
but showcases his affection for the film as well. He puts
everything surrounding the production, the actors, and the
world during the release of this film into perspective. Ebert
talks over the entire film, rarely letting the movie through,
to keep you up to date with what is happening. On the other
hand, the secondary commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer
is spaced out a bit, but plays like a man reading from an
Intro to Film History book. Don't get me wrong, it's amazingly
informative and if you truly want to know about almost every
aspect of the film, give it a listen. However, where Ebert
is ripe with passion about one of the most beloved films of
all time, Behlmer makes up for it with a more straightforward
approach.
Rounding
out Disc 1 are trailers from the original run of
the film and the 1992 re-release. Other trailers include promos
for Warner DVDs Adventures of Robin Hood, Yankee Doodle Dandy and Treasure
of the Sierra Madre. Various text and photo info
links about the cast and awards are featured.
On
Disc 2, there is a nice retrospective by the kids
of Bogart (Stephen) and Bergman (Pia Lindstrom). It provides
a behind the scenes look of what the actors felt and had to
deal with while shooting the film. Unfortunately, it eventually
breaks down into the repeating of the same things every film
critic has said about the film’s enduring appeal. Most
interestingly, though, is that Isabella Rosellini is not involved
in this. Bergman's daughter, who bears an uncanny resemblance
to her, an actress herself, provides no insight into the effects
this film had on her mother or her career.
Also
included are two rare deleted scenes. Neither have
the original audio, and have sparse subtitles from the original
shooting script. The first features Rick visiting Victor in
jail, following making his deal with Renault. Since Rick's
back is to the camera, we can't tell what most of his dialogue
is. It's unfortunate that neither the on-set recordings nor
the dubbing were found. The second is a comedic scene in which
a German officer takes a drink from the bar without finding
out what is in it, and then passes out on the floor. Warner
really does a bang up job here of not telling you where this
scene goes, what was in the drink or what happened to the
guard. Did he drink cyanide? Was it the Moors’ own brand
of 'shine? Who knows, however it's pretty lame they couldn't
provide that for the viewer.
There
are also outtakes, or extended shots, before and
beyond the scene’s beginning. These are nice to have,
but really provided little other than a glimpse of how the
movie was filmed. Also included are Scoring Stage Sessions,
which feature full cuts of Dooley Wilson and the orchestra
performing all the music that was both in the film and was
cut. For this film, it's interesting to hear, but nowhere
near as impressive as it was on Warner's recent Wizard
of Oz 3-Disc version.
Bacall
on Bogart is a retrospective on Bogart's entire career,
hosted by his widow, Lauren Bacall. Made in 1988, it certainly
is dated, but it does have good information for those that,
after viewing this piece of Bogey's work, may be interested
in the other films he made. Bacall, who must have made a killing
off of the work she did on this film the and royalties, also
narrates  You Must Remember This, which is pretty
redundant in the information and people involved. What sets
this feature apart is it has some comments by Julius Epstein,
one of the Epstein brothers who made Casablanca the film it was. The witty, snappy dialogue is completely
their work, so it is nice to have one of their comments attached
to this set. Also featured are all the surviving members of
the crew, cast and production company at the time this documentary
was shot. If you want to squeeze what little history you wouldn't
have learned up until this point, this retrospective will
polish it all off.
Filling
out Disc 2 are a radio show adaptation of the film,
a (thankfully) one-time television episode made in
1955, and a frantic yet adorable Looney Tunes spoof, Carrotblanca.
Made in 1995, it does not feature Mel Blanc or any of the
great writing that made the original Looney Tunes and Merry
Melodies shorts beloved.
The Bottom Line
Over two thirds of a century old, and
the film is just as good as ever. With Warner's dazzling transfer,
this DVD should be a must for fans of the film and fans of
film in general. While the extras are strong, they are nowhere
near as spectacular as the Wizard of Oz 3-Disc, My Fair Lady two-disc nor Warner's uber-set
of Gone With the Wind. However, this DVD
set was one of Warner's first two-Discers and I like to think
that a lack of access to on-set and in-production materials
are the causes of this. Disc 1 of this set has yet to make
it back into the original-poster-artwork-adorned slipcase,
and that disc is all that really matters. The extras aren't
chopped liver, plus the story, transfer, and Bogart make up
for everything they aren't.
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