Movie-Casablanca

Casablanca was a great movie! I was skeptical when the movie started because of the date of the film but, I was pleasantly surprised. The movie's music was excellent and went along well with what was happening during the scene. The script was written very well and the actors did an amazing job. I think that one of the main reasons this movie is still so popular today is because of the love triangle that goes on between Iisla, Rick and Laszlo. I think that the drama of the triangle is something that many people like to watch and take joy in watching (as they do soap operas). I liked how the movie ended also, the love Rick had for Iisla is what allowed him to let Iisla go and be with Laszlo. He wanted what was best for her and believed that a life with him would not be as rewarding for her. The article Playing iy Again and Again also commented on the ending of the movie as being "an image perpetuated in the mass media", a "image of the lovers' last goodbye". I think that endings to movies can either break or make a film and this ending definately made this a great film.
Another thing I enjoyed about the movie was that I recognized many of the quotes. The article Playing it Again and Again comments on the quotations and that 47 quotes from the movie are widely used in public conversation still today. A few of my favorites are "We'll always have Paris" and "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" that were stated by Rick in the movie. I have heard these quotes so many times during conversations and watching other films. Another quote that I love (also stated by Rick) was "Of all the gin joints in all the towns all over the world, she walks into mine." I think that this is a great quote and many people can relate to what he was feeling at the time he said this.
I was interested to learn that Casablanca was one of the first films to be transferred onto videocassette and that a sequel was thought about but Ingrad Bergman refused to play in the sequel. Warner Bros. refused to have a sequel because they felt that without Bergman as Iisla the movie would not be a success. ( Playing it Again and Again )
The article Casablanca also had a few points that intrigued me, I was unaware that the movie was derived from a play written by Murray Bunett and Joan Allison. The article shared interview questions that were asked of Burnett. A few things I thought were interesting were that Burnett picked the song "As time Goes By" because he liked to relax in a hammock while listening to the song in college. Burnett said that a lot of the original play was incorporated into the film and a lot of the dialogue remained the same. In 1942 the play rights were purchased for $20.000 which was the most that had ever been paid for a play at that time. Today I dont think $20,000 would pay Julia Roberts to smile on film.
The article Casablanca ended the journal by stating that the film is a "significant part of America's and the world's cinematic and cultural landscape". I think that this is true, this film along with the famous scenes and quotes have made a huge impact on our American culture.
I think that the movie was a great depiction of what life was like during WWII, America wanted to be neutral but eventually entered the war to help in the end (just as Rick didn't help out Iisla until the end when he helped them escape to America). I think that the lighting of the movie, the music, the actors and the setting of the movie were all great. Even though the movie is outdated I was still able to see what the producer wanted portrayed. In the end smoke was used to make it seem as though it was foggy outside ( I think that it was a nice touch) and different lighting was used when it was meant to be night time. I enjoyed this movie!