Casablanca

I selected Casablanca; while I enjoyed the movie, it is not in my opinion the second best movie as voted by the American Film Association. Many refer to this film as a "cinema masterpiece". In this movie we experienced romance, intrigue, and patriotism. I could understand why in its day this was a powerful story of an ex-freedom fighter, a famous rebel, and a beautiful woman.

Casablanca was filmed in 1942 during World War II. According to web reviews the setting emphasized a blend of romance and realism. Most of us are faced with difficult moral choices, we identify with characters that face similar struggles, and characters that, while basically good, may make wrong choices. Americans today face many of the same difficult choices as seen in this movie. It was because of the war that Rick and Ilsa were separated, and this was an idea that was not unrealistic and something the viewers could relate to. Currently our country is at war; we see families faced with similar tough times.

A scene in the movie that was not genuine to me was when Ilsa attempted to shoot Rick for the stolen letters of transit. It was apparent that they were still in love with one another, which is why Rick said, "go ahead and shoot, you'll be doing me a favor." Although the scene does not seem real, it is consistent with the difficult choices we as individuals make for what is acceptable according to society.

Perhaps I am spoiled by the technology used in today's movies thus found it difficult to be drawn in by black and white film. While today's movies may depict too much sex, this movie leaves the romance details up to the audience. This was a refreshing change.

Since patriotism is prevalent today, it is also why I believe the following scene was vital to the movie. German officers began to sing a German Nazi song in Rick's nightclub. When Rick heard this, he motioned to Victor and the band to play the French National anthem. The patrons drown out the German's singing. The Germans were irate and ordered Captain Louis to close down the club. They didn't have cause to shut down Rick's Cafe, but were told to determine one. Captain Louis followed orders, indicating the offense of gambling in the club, however collected his winnings before he left.

I particularly liked the ending scene when Rick and Ilsa are supposed to use the