In terms of leadership, Michael Curtiz directs Casablanca by simply telling the story. Lacking a specific style, Curtiz isn’t concerned with stressing the placement of the actors or camera techniques. With that said, one can’t help but wonder what Casablanca would be if Welles, Huston, or Hitchcock had been at the helm. Then again, in these cases, maybe an overt style would have overpowered the finesse of the clear-cut elements of love, honor, war, sacrifice, and politics. Nonetheless, it is Curtiz who adds to the number of hands who are responsible for the beauty that is Casablanca.
Casablanca is one of those films that is as well known for its quotes as for its magnificence. You’ll be sure to recognize and remember quotes like, “Here’s looking at you, kid,” “We’ll always have Paris,” “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine,” “Kiss me as if it were the last time,” and “Play it again, Sam,” which is surprisingly never spoken as it's recalled here.
To anyone with a heart, be sure to reserve an extra special place for Casablanca. It provides you with believable characters, memorable quotes, an absorbing love story, and leaves you breathless. What’s more, it is guaranteed to trigger an innate responsiveness to cinema like none other.
For a film critic, a better date with a feature cannot be had. Casablanca is sure to fulfill every cinematic desire. Appropriately hailed as one of the most appreciated and sentimental films ever made, Casablanca is an adoring toast to anyone who has ever lost their greatest love. So, uncork a bottle of rich red wine, curl up on a cozy couch, and allow Casablanca’s age-old fine taste to tickle your lips time and time again.
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