 |
I
sat at home and watched a classic today. I really like Casablanca, mostly
because I really love Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, maybe as much as
some people love Orson-baby, although having said that, Casablanca
is not the best movie ever made. It's not even the greatest love story
ever told. It is possibly, the best movie with the word
"Casablanca" in its title. It's definitely a classic, and sure,
it's a great movie, but I hate it how so many people assume that
it's the best movie ever made when they are ignorant of the real good
movies out there. It's a, if nothing else, classy cultural icon. Everybody
worth talking to has seen it, and most people recognise references to it,
"here's lookin' at you, kid", "Of all the gin joints, in
all the towns, in all the worlds.. . she walked into mine.." it just
screams class. I guess in a way it's a sort of high-culture kind of movie,
or something. It's a movie that appealed to the masses, but nowadays is
only appreciated by those who appreciate movies. The youth of today, pfft,
they couldn't give a rat's ass.
More about the movie though,
it's not a terribly profound movie, it doesn't have a wake-up call for
humanity, and the political message it does send out is maybe 50 years too
late for the 21st Century to appreciate, especially in Australia, the
lucky country. It documents the story of Rick, a night club owner who
finds himself with two travel passes that could get two people out of
Casablanca, and to America, Australia, wherever they wanted to go. Set
against the backdrop of World War 2, the love story is a Film Noir-ish,
classic. However the real strength of Casablanca, are the stars of
yester-year. In it's own quaint, 40's way, what was probably some of the
best cinematic brilliance of the Golden Era, is now a token commemorative
tribute to a lost world of romance.
I wonder if we can take
Casablanca, with its stock footage of the German Invasion of Paris, to be
an accurate depiction of love in the 40's. The concept of love seems to be
this mystical thing that you can't help. Either you love someone,
or you don't. You love someone more than another, and it's okay to
break a heart or two in the name of true love. It's got some really
funny scenes and lines, typical 40's humour, which is just token Epstein
brothers - so I'm told. It's a fun movie to watch when you're home sick on
your birthday, and it's a great movie to give as a gift because it shows
you care, as well as, to an extent, your film enthusiasm. And I write
all this 20 minutes before my friends are going to watch Star Wars: Attack
of the Clones. My brother claims Episode 2 is the best movie he has
ever seen. |
| In the German
version, the immortal line "Here's lookin' at you, kid", became,
"Ich seh' Dir in die Augen, Kleines" which translates as "I
look in your eyes, honey". And the final line is apparently one of
the most misquoted in history. The correct line is "Louie, I think
this the beginning of a beautiful friendship", so don't settle for
cheap imitations. The budget was so small they couldn't use a real plane
in the background at the airport. Instead, it is a small cardboard cutout.
To give the illusion that the plane was full-sized, they used midgets to
portray the crew preparing the plane for take-off. Such hilarious
anecdotes. I don't know why I love it so much.
It's the magical combination
of romance, action and 40's knack. It's Bogart's voice, the way he says
"No". Ooh, I'm blushing. |