Casablanca is a witty movie indeed
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Blender Dumbass👁 2
In 1942 ( a year after Citizen Kane ) Michael Curtiz directed a script by a few Epstein fellas. ( they were called Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein and probably had nothing to do with the Jeffery guy ) called Casablanca.
The film is a contained little dramatic story with twists and turns, revolving around people stuck in Casablanca, Morocco, while trying to escape the Nazis into the United States. And about the officials in the city making everything they can to squeeze every little penny out of the people stuck in the city, by denying them any possibility to get out of the city.
The plot revolves around a love triangle between Rick ( Humphrey Bogart ), Victor ( Paul Henreid ) and Ilsa ( Ingrid Bergman ). And about how those people are avoiding the Nazis, and still in the same time trying to be good people. The setting and the situation gives the writers a lot of ability to craft interesting scenes. Which they do.
Directorially the film is also interesting. I don't remember seeing in other film a double punch-in. In Casablanca there is a shot of Bogart as he is being sad and stuff. And twice during that shot, the camera decides to push in on him because of something important.
It is not Citizane Kane. It is not going one million miles and hour and doesn't inject every scene with the utmost insane level of artistry. The film is more interested in what people say to each other and how the other ones react to it.
It is not a violent movie. Only maybe about 2 characters ever die. And only one on screen. The funny thing is, that one character is a Nazi. And the movie was technically still made during the War. So that was a cool ass "fuck you" moment. I suppose. I have no doubt, the film was banned in Germany at the time.
For the film in the 40s it has a very well sound-engineered war sequence when we hear bombs explode far in the distance while the characters sit in their house trying to calm themselves down. It was very realistic, and believe me, living in Israel in 2020s, I have experience in that.
The only main issue I see with the film is that I cannot seem to be clever enough to end this review with the same kind of a punchline as the film ended with. So instead you will simply get...
Happy Hacking!!!
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