So what's the big deal with this movie?

[Thrifty]

It wasn't a bad movie.  It was okay, but it wasn't great. 

It seems like the thing has been so hyped up, and spoofed, and paid homage to, and quoted, that it was trying so hard to be "great cinema" instead of a good movie.  I just found it kinda boring.

[FBX]

I read somewhere that the producers had no idea this would become a hit. It was just another manufactured movie at the time that didn't seem to have any good reason to stand out above the others.

[PlayMSTie]

I suppose you get it or you don't.

For those of us who love it, it's a perfect blend of romance, poignancy, wit, and heroism, a wonderful story told through great writing and immortal performances.

For those who don't love it -- well, I don't know why they don't. Maybe our age is too cynical for heroism and romance and so forth. I'm just glad that I love it.

[Darth Geek]

I like it. It has great performances and everything else. I just don't LOVE it simply because drama isn't my kind of genre.

[FordPrefect]

Maybe our age is too cynical for heroism and romance and so forth.

Yep, I think that's it.

[MightyJack]

Jesus wept! 

[Thrifty]

Well, Rick was an engaging enough character.  He was scorned by a woman and so bitter that he becomes neutral to all parties, all emotions and idealogies shunned.  I liked that, related to it, identified with that character.  Bogart did well with it.

I just didn't feel that the overall story was particularly interesting.  It seemed that the film maker was trying to tell a story of Rick overcoming his bitterness, breaking out of his shell, and giving up his club to get the woman who broke his heart and her husband out of the country.  I get that.

What I didn't understand was why the Nazis didn't just arrest Laslo.  Why were they going through with this whole "due process" thing as they seemed to be doing?  They're NAZIS.

Maybe I missed some vital details, but I would love and explanation.

[BEERxTaco]

It's been my favorite film from the first time I saw it, back in the 70s in a real movie theater. If you've never seen it on the true silver screen, you owe it to yourself to find it playing somewhere.

[Doctor Who?]

Well it's a very well directed,well written,well acted,and exciting drama.

Other then that I have no idea what the big deal is.

[BEERxTaco]

What I didn't understand was why the Nazis didn't just arrest Laslo.  Why were they going through with this whole "due process" thing as they seemed to be doing?  They're NAZIS.

Maybe I missed some vital details, but I would love and explanation.

It's complicated, but here's a good place to start:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vichy_France

[Thrifty]

It's been my favorite film from the first time I saw it, back in the 70s in a real movie theater. If you've never seen it on the true silver screen, you owe it to yourself to find it playing somewhere.

Unless it's a big effects blockbuster, I can't see why a larger screen and heftier speakers would make a difference.

[Darth Geek]

It's been my favorite film from the first time I saw it, back in the 70s in a real movie theater. If you've never seen it on the true silver screen, you owe it to yourself to find it playing somewhere.

Unless it's a big effects blockbuster, I can't see why a larger screen and heftier speakers would make a difference.

I think it's more about quality of sound and the event aspect of seeing it in a movie theater as apposed to home.

[Thrifty]

It's been my favorite film from the first time I saw it, back in the 70s in a real movie theater. If you've never seen it on the true silver screen, you owe it to yourself to find it playing somewhere.

Unless it's a big effects blockbuster, I can't see why a larger screen and heftier speakers would make a difference.

I think it's more about quality of sound and the event aspect of seeing it in a movie theater as apposed to home.

I guess I can relate to that.  Even a more tepid movie feels better in the theater than in the home.  At home, you're a guy sitting around his house, which we're supposed to be ashamed of (especially if the weather is nice).  At a theater, you're "out".

[BEERxTaco]

And it's so much bigger, it's larger than life which is how the movies were back in those days. You can appreciate the details. These days people tend to think of old B&W movies as something on a cheap TV set running while they are doing other things around the house.

It's not about special effects. Seriously.

[MightyJack]

If you can rent the 2 disc edition, with Roger Eberts commentary, listen to that.. While I don't always like him as a reviewer, he is a top notch film historian and his commentaries are very informative.

This is one of my top 5 favorite films. I first saw it whan I was 8 years old and my young brain and heart was so blown away.... a cinephile was born that day. I find it smartly scripted, acted and directed., if you want more details, well It's not a film I can disect the same way I could a Hitchcock or Kurosawa film, it's just a solid well made cinematic materpiece. Give Ebert a listen, he should be a good guide through the naunces that make Casablnca special.

Edit: After dloing some research....

As to why they didn't simply arrest Lazslo? That's been a long debate with this film (even Ebert didn't have an answer).

The Vichy government allied itself with Germany under several threats (Germany held French POWs and there was the threat of invasion). From what I understand Vichy France was independent and a German official wouldn't have absolute authority in Vichy territory (which is why refugees flocked to Casablanca).

Considering the climate at the time the film was set, with the U.S entering the war and losses to the Soviet Union, German influences with Vichy was beginning to wane. Strasser of course could have pushed the issue, as when he ordered Renault to close Rick's (but it was Renault that had to do it, not Strasser). Renault protested that he needed just cause, and that's likely what occurs with Laszlo, he hadn't committed a crime, no murder etc, so there was no cause to arrest him (signing the papers would have broken the law, and given Renault the cause he needed to arrest him)

True, Strassser could have gone around Renault, killed or kidnapped Laszlo (probably the later since Laszlo had information he wanted)

Lastly – there are some fantastic elements to Casablanca, plot contrivances and swings in character motivation that has caused folks to question the logic of certain scenes. But you need to remember film is also an art form and because of that, the dramatic imperative takes precedence over cold logic. Keeping Laszlo alive and active aids the drama, keeps the narrative progressing, and allows for character development.

If characters in movies acted with 100% logic, most of your horror films (for example) wouldn't last more than 10 minutes. The same question of logic has been asked of Citizen Kane... who heard him say his last words? No one did but it doesn't matter because the scene played out beautifully, seeing him drop the snow globe, the image of the nurse upon it's surface as she enters. Art must be served, even if logic be damned.

What do I love about Casablanca, the drama, the love story, the pain in that love story (I dig wartime romances, from this to Charlotte Gray) The acting, the cool characters - Bogart was a great character and Ilsa, man did I lose my heart to Ingrid Bergman.  So what if they have to test logic in order to serve the drama. That doesn't diminish the power of the story or limit my emotional involvement with the characters.