Posted on 12/13/2023 3:08:10 PM PST by Rummyfan
One of my favorite films is “Casablanca,” starring Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine, an American nightclub owner — and isolationist — in Morocco as the Nazis are goose-stepping across Europe and beyond.
“I’m not fighting for anything anymore except myself,” he tells Ilsa, the elusive love of his life. “I’m the only cause I’m interested in.”
When Major Strasser, an officer of the Third Reich, asks Rick what nationality he holds, Rick replies: “I’m a drunkard.”
Rick tells Louis Renault, the corrupt French police prefect: “I stick my neck out for nobody.”
“Casablanca” was written in 1941 during the months preceding the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7. The film was released in 1942.
And in January 1943, just two months after the Anglo-American landings in North Africa, President Franklin D. Roosevelt met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in, yes, Casablanca, where he declared his war aim.
It was not a “ceasefire,” an “exit strategy,” or a “responsible conclusion.”
Instead, he demanded that Germany, Italy, and Japan – the Axis Powers – surrender, and that they do so “unconditionally.”
...
Back to our movie: “If we stop fighting out enemies, the world will die,” Victor Lazlo, the Czech Resistance leader, tells Rick. “Well, what of it?” Rick replies. “It will be out of its misery.”
But in the film’s final scene, Rick shoots Major Strasser, and decides to join the fight. “You’ve become a patriot,” Louis Renault observes.
(Excerpt) Read more at powerlineblog.com ...
“I was misinformed” - My favorite line.
Bkmk
The.Best.Movie.Of.All.Time.
The full bottle Inspector Renault throws in the trash at the end is “Vichy Water”. A lot of people these days might not get it but everybody got it back then.
I imagine that Spongebob Squarepants is more to Joe's taste these days.
I liked “Key Largo” too.
World War II a very necessary war necessitated by a mistake called World War I.
He'd be perfect as Patrick......"Is mayonnaise an instrument?"
Spoiler alert.
Ever see “The Cheap Detective”?
A good parody of Casablanca and Maltese Falcon.
And thus Captain Renault's immortal line -
Round up the usual suspects.
Who hasn't seen Casablanca?
“They made that movie ‘bout me an’ Chill. No joke. ‘S’why issn blackenwhite,” he’d explain.
Well, I WAS going to watch it tonight....
Key Largo had some big time actors.
Humphrey Bogart
Edward G Robinson
Lauren Bacall
Lionel Barrymore
Is it a Love Story? A Political Treatise? A war Movie?
Calling Rick an Isolationist in relation to war leaves out Ingrid, Paris, and that song.
Rick was an emotional Isolationist from a broken heart.
Casablanca as an Island of Lost Souls is where he sets up shop.
Like “Titanic”, it’s a Love Story in an historical setting.
Bergman reignites his humanity, to get back in that fight.
IRL, Conrad Veidt is the real Hero.
Spent his fortune and his life fighting the Evil.
The article spells it out quite succinctly.
One of my favorite all time movies. I try not to watch it too many times because I don’t want to get sick of it.
Maybe the best exchange in the movie...
Louie to Rick: “Why did you come to Casablanca?”
Rick: “I came for the waters.”
Louie; “Waters? We’re in the desert. There are no waters.”
Rick: “I was misinformed.”
Nobody overacted, except for may that French girl. Great movie that apparently Bogart and Bergman did want to be doing and the script was being made up as they want. Nevertheless, a great movie.
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