Casablanca classic review: We will always have Casablanca

Even 83 years on from its release, Casablanca continues to shine as one of romance's best outings

Watching a film which is known for being a bona fide classic is always hard to judge. It  usually goes one of two ways. You either find yourself holding the film to an impossible standard often leading to you being disappointed. Or, you love it a lot more than you normally would because you’ve convinced yourself that’s how you're supposed to feel.

It's a hard line to walk. It makes judging the true level of these films trickier than it would be usually. However, some films are such masterpieces that they transcend your pre-existing expectations. 

The mark of a true classic, is a film which no matter your feelings going in, are able to blow you away and leave you in awe by the time the credits start rolling. That is exactly what Michael Curtiz's Casablanca did.

Released in 1942, Casablanca is indicative of its time. The uncertainty of WWII is at large, the Germans are invading and people are living in fear.

While the world descends into madness, love re blossoms under the roof of a suave and overly cynical businessman Rick’s  (The iconic Humphrey Bogart) nightclub in Casablanca.

He is adored by most, feared by some and unbothered by anything that doesn’t fuel his own self-interest. That was until a former flame Isla (Ingrid Bergman) glides through the doors of Rick’s Café Américan with her husband Victor Lazslo (Paul Henreid) who is gaining quite a reputation from dodging the Nazi’s.

Rick is immediately stopped in his tracks the moment he sees Ilsa while Dooley Wilson’s As Time Goes By plays. The memories of the pairs burning romance flourish through the minds of them both. It is enough to throw such a seemingly calculated man right off his tracks.

Unlike their love, Casablanca starts slow. Not to say it isn’t enjoyable. The dialogue is engaging, the world building is excellence and the night club feels lived in, but it’s hardly wowing you at any point.

That is until you continue to learn about the circumstances of the pairs brief love in Paris. The longer Isla remains in Casablanca, the harder it is for the both of them to not gravitate towards each other. And the harder it is for us to not be enamoured by it all.

Make no mistake, this is romance done perfectly. Even the most cold-hearted cynics would be able to have their heart warmed by it

All you need is for them to run off into the sunset and have their happy ever after. But love is never that simple, especially in films. As the German soldiers plan to put Laszlo back into a concentration camp, Rick has a decision to make. Either lead Laszlo to the slaughter in the name of love, or put his self interest aside so Isla and Laszlo can escape Casablanca.

It all accumulates into a beautiful last 20 minutes. The time spent building up these characters gets its pay off and it all feels so earned thanks to the brilliant performances by the ensemble.

It’s bittersweet, but all the best romance films are. Just take Damien Chazelle’s masterpiece La La Land for example - which had heavy influence from Casablanca.

It continues to stand the test of time as one of the best romance films and rightfully so. It is perfectly executed. It’s enough to bring a tear to your eye. After all, what else is true love if not knowing when to let someone go?

Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️