Plot: What’s it about?
There’s not a movie in history that has as many memorable quotes that have become as ingratiated into Pop Culture as those found in Casablanca. Winner of three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Director, the film has gone onto countless accolades aside from those bestowed by “The Academy… It’s almost instantly recognizable as perhaps the most popular movie ever made and it’s hard to imagine that the film stayed in Warner’s vaults because they didn’t know if the movie would work. Granted, the film did come out at the perfect time, just when World War II was beginning (for the United States), but it’s proven time and again that it has all the right elements that will likely last for years to come. Perhaps one of the best reasons the film works on so many levels is that it has a bit of everything. A movie like Citizen Kane, arguably the “greatest.. film ever made, works on as many levels too, but Casablanca has elements of drama, romance (naturally), action and even a bit of humor. As Roger Ebert states in his commentary, there’s never really been a negative review of the film, it’s truly the one movie that appeals to most every person, regardless of age, race or gender.
Based on the play “Everybody Comes to Rick’s”, the film was a launching pad for Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman (perhaps one of the prettier faces to ever grace the silver screen…or any screen). Before this, Bogart had been relegated to supporting parts as gangsters. It was with this and his earlier role in “The Maltese Falcon” that he finally gained the notoriety that he so justly deserved. As mentioned before, the movie wasn’t really thought to be that great. It was an “A.. list picture, to be sure, but the overall success of the movie was just good timing. The great thing was that not only were the leads good, but the supporting players were perfectly cast as well. Sydney Greenstreet, whose acting career began at the age of 62, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson (Sam) seemed to round out a cast that would be hard to imagine the movie without. The movie was simply one of about 50 movies that were made that year (by Warner Brothers). It seems hard to imagine these days, but they used to recycle the same actors in different movies and Casablanca was thought to be just another movie.
How wrong they were.
The story starts off simple enough. We meet Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) by first looking at his fingers, then hands and finally as he is hunched over a game of chess. The owner of a nightclub in Casablanca, he has a mysterious past but seems at home in his club, Rick’s. He runs the place while keeping order even when the Germans manage to show up and in their presence he coolly admits his personal motto “I’m a drunkard…” The town of Casablanca is a hodgepodge of civilization with Germans, French and almost every other race crossing paths from time to time. It’s not until Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) shows up with Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) that the story truly starts to get interesting. As we learn later in the film, Rick and Ilsa had a previous relationship in Paris, but when the Germans started to occupy the city, Rick fled only to find that Ilsa had stood him up. His feelings for her are immediately rekindled when he sees her which leads to his “…all the gin joints” line. Laszlo is a legendary hero of the French Resistance and the Germans are after him (though he parades around in town and would have surely been seen and captured by someone, an error that we’re meant to overlook).
As Rick starts to get re-acquainted with Ilsa, he starts to feel emotions that he wanted to be long gone. All the while, he’s trying to help them both to escape Casablanca for Portugal (and therefore freedom) with the help of letters of transport that will guarantee them their freedom. However much Rick wants to use the letters for him and Ilsa, the greatest expression of his love for her is to allow them to escape together. The supporting players are more a part of the movie than we might initially expect. A swarthy little person, who was the initial carrier of the letters (Peter Lorre) is essentially one of the major players. Claude Rains’ role as the local police chief shows him spending half of his time in Rick’s place and the other half trying to please the Germans (even though he professes to not really care). And let us not forget the role of Laszlo, who might have the best role in the movie. The sequence in which the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise”, is sung not only because it shows how much influence Lazslo has, but also the triumph over the Germans; if only in song. Perhaps one of the most moving scenes in the movie, in my opinion.
Naturally, we all know how the movie ends, even those of us who have not seen it in its entirety. Casablanca begs to be seen. Period. The film has been ranked as the greatest Romantic movie ever made, ranked #3 as the greatest Movie ever made and contains one of the screen’s greatest heroes in Rick Blaine (all by the American Film Institute). All accolades aside, the movie doesn’t feel dated, though it celebrates it’s 60th Anniversary. The odds are that a movie like Casablanca will never come our way again. Watch it for the action, watch it for the romance, and even watch it for the humor (it has the elements of all three). But the movie is one that truly gets better with repeated viewings. The film is on so many “Greatest.. lists, that most people lose count. Well, my friends, it’s on there for a reason. To see Bogart, Rains, Bergman and others in their finest hour, pick this up as Warner has done it right the third time around (even though the previous offerings weren’t all that bad). If ever there should be a movie in your collection, this is it.
Video: How does it look?
I’m of the mindset that there’s only so much they can do with a film and only do so many scans before you’re there. That’s to say, “OK, this is the best this is going to look with our current technology.” Looking back on my review of the previous Blu-ray, it was given a perfect score and let’s just say that there’s really no room for improvement as far as the scores go. It’s amazing. With this 4K version, yet another new scan has been done for the film’s inaugural 4K release. The 1.37:1 HEVC image is full frame, so don’t expect it to fill up your HDTV, but don’t assume that it won’t look phenomenal. It does. Detail seems consistent with the previous release. Looking at it compared with the Blu-ray, there are some obvious nods to the 4K version with detail still slightly improved and a bit more in the shadows thanks to HDR. It’s hard to improve upon perfection, but Warner has done it.
Audio: How does it sound?
Taking this to new heights is a new DTS HD Master Audio 2.0 mix. It’s a split mono mix in that it’ll still have its limits, but there seems to be a lack of distortion on this mix that wasn’t present in any of the others. As anyone knows, dialogue is at the heart of the film and certainly a movie as quoted as this will have every recognizable line sounding its best. Again, as with the audio, I really didn’t think there was any room for improvement here but evidently there was. This is, without a doubt, the best the movie has ever sounded.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Disc One (4K)
- Audio Commentary – Noted film critic Roger Ebert’s track has been included. Ebert also recorded a track for Citizen Kane (among others) and I find his commentary tracks to be very insightful and informative. Ebert, a movie buff above all else, knows his stuff and points out things that most of us wouldn’t even think to notice (camera angles, lighting and facts about the set) and if it’s a “learning experience” that you’re after; Ebert’s track is a must for any true fan of the movie.
- Audio Commentary – Behlmer’s track is informative as well, but much less enthusiastic than Ebert’s. While he knows his stuff, he can’t really communicate it in a way that the common person can appreciate.
- Introduction by Lauren Bacall – Essentially that. An introduction to the film by Lauren Bacall.
Disc Two (Blu-ray)
- Warner Night at the Movies – If you wanted to re-create that feeling of seeing this in the theater, here you go.
- Now, Voyager trailer
- Newsreel
- Vaudeville Days (1942 WB short)
- The Bird Came C.O.D. (1942 WB cartoon)
- The Squawkin’ Hawk (1942 WB cartoon)
- The Dover Boys at Pimento University (1942 WB cartoon)
- Great Performances: Bacall on Bogart (1988 PBS special) – This documentary of the life and times of the most celebrated actor of all-time. The man’s entire life is covered here and almost no stone is left unturned. Conveniently divided into chapter stops, this allows quick access to most any part of his life. The documentary is somewhat “dated” as it was made in the late 80’s, but considering the whole thing is a retrospective, it shouldn’t matter much.
- Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You’ve Never Heard Of –
- Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic – A 30 minute segment which features some pretty impressive folks like Steven Spielberg, Rudy Behlmer and William Friedken as they gush about the film and its long-lasting influence.
- You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca (1992 TEC documentary) – This contains remembrances from the folks who were working on the film (yes, some are still alive) and details a lot of good information about the movie.
- As Time Goes By: The Children Remember – This segment features interviews with the children of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
- Deleted Scenes – Some deleted scenes and outtakes were found. Though they’re included here, they are shown without sound (this was 45 years “pre-DVD” here, so they weren’t really scoring them with sound) but don’t add any new necessary information to the movie; it doesn’t need it!
- Outtakes – Just that. Evidently even in the early 1940’s they had a bit of fun on the set and dropped their lines.
- Who Holds Tomorrow? (1955 “Casablanca” TV episode) – The original 1955 pilot episode of the television show.
- Carrotblanca (1955 WB Cartoon) – This features about every Warner Brothers animated character in the arsenal. The parody of the movie is actually a pretty good retelling of the movie and the right animated characters depict the correct characters in the movie (Tweety is a dead on for Peter Lorre)! Funny and if this is any indication of what the Warner Brothers cartoon shorts are to look like, then count me as “excited”!
- Scoring Stage Sessions (audio only) –
- Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater Radio Broadcast – 4/26/43 (audio only) – There is a radio production of Casablanca performed by Bogart, Bergman and Henreid.
- Vox Pop Radio Broadcast – 11/19/47 (audio only) – Same as above.
- Trailers
The Bottom Line
Casablanca is perhaps the most highly-regarded film of all-time. And after one (or a dozen) viewings – you’ll know why. It’s essentially the perfect film. There wasn’t a lot that needed to be done with this disc, short of offering it in 4K. And they have. And collectors will go out and buy this – again. And that’s fine. The 4K image does improve on the Blu-ray and while there are no new supplements to speak of, those that are included should easily suffice.
