Casablanca (1942) Movie REACTION!

For the ninth "From the Vault" Friday, a look back at my first-time reaction to Casablanca (Film Friday #16).
#casablanca #humphreybogart #ingridbergman
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[@nightfall902]

Very few pick up on the significance of Rick saying "I suggest you ask your wife." She wears no wedding ring and eventually explains to Rick that not even their closest friends knew they were married and that's the way Victor wanted it, for her protection. Yet Rick looks him straight in the face and says "Ask your wife." That's why Victor looked surprised, because Rick knew they were married and only one person could have told him. It didn't take much for Victor to figure out the relationship.

[@steelers6titles]

But there is no confrontation scene between Victor and Ilsa about her relationship with Rick. Victor, of course, is a saintly figure; he has no flaws. Rather one-dimensional.

[@user-kg7co9vi5r]

Now you know why this is near the top of almost every greatest movie list.

[@WilliamBourne-r8i]

Here is a blurb to help today’s younger viewers better understand this movie: “Casablanca is in French Morocco. When France surrendered in WW2, it was divided in half. The Northern half under the direct control of the Germans the other half "nominally" independent under the French in Vichy. French Morocco was also under the control of the Vichy government and thus was technically independent so that the Germans had to operate with French consent. It was all a formality, of course, as the French consent was usually rubber stamped.” As for the timing of this movie, Germany had quickly defeated France and on June 14, 1940, the German troops entered and occupied Paris. This movie Casablanca is set a year and a half later on December 1, 1941. This was a week before America is attacked at Pearl Harbor and entered the war against Japan and Germany. I first saw this during WW2 and believe the reason that it became such an instant classic was that the theme and story truly hit a nerve with the audience members back then. Everyone there identified with the story because, in 1942, the war in Europe and the Pacific was going full blast with the outcome of both was still in doubt. Suddenly husbands and wives, young men and their lovers were being forcibly separated by the war and the draft. If your immediate family was not affected, then many of your neighbors had people either at war, killed or wounded. An element of this film that made it so suspenseful was the love triangle between Rick, Ilsa and Victor. Normally in a Hollywood movie two of the people, the leading man and the girl are obviously meant to end up together. The third character is always shown with some flaw or attitude that makes them an unsuitable mate. In Casablanca, all three leading characters are shown to be equally heroic and desirable choices. Thus making it more difficult for the theater audience to decide who should end up flying off together and who should be the one left behind. Writing a suitable script ending that would satisfy both the Hays Office (the U.S. film studio Self-censorship Organization) and the theater audience must have been very difficult. Cortiz got an Oscar for directing this picture. The flowing movement of the Camera, with its closeups and tracking, and the constant motion of the Actors are like a carefully rehearsed Ballet. Notice how the Actors and the movie Extras are always moving around and how the scenes smoothly flow from one event to another with few cuts and fadeouts. Watch how the movie literally starts with a ‘Bang’ and the Camera keeps you glued to the screen leading up to the Flashback with Rick and Ilsa. The first 10 or 15 minutes seems like one long shot. It is rarely mentioned, but the Editing of the movie was excellent. It was a good thing this was filmed in black and white. It allowed dramatic lighting, contrasting darks and shadows to help portray the ‘Film Noir’ moody effect. Filming in color during the 1940s was harder due to the extra heat generated from the lighting required. Because of the bulker cameras, the added lighting, the triple amount of film, and the expense of producing dye transfer projection prints, Technicolor demanded higher film budgets. In 1942, this movie was well received by the Black Community. It was praised by being one of the first films that portrayed a black man not as a stereotype but as an important character in the story.

[@johnmiwa6256]

Madison saw the play twist way ahead of time and still teared up. Underneath her hard shell lies a sentimentalist.

[@jamesedwards.1069]

We see what you did there.

[@wiggion]

"Here's looking at you, kid" and "We'll always have Paris". Others have mentioned the scene playing "La Marseillaise". Paris fell on June 14, 1940. Everything was up in the air and this came out in the earlier part of the war. La Marseillaise was in the movie not at all by accident. Considered one of best if not best movie of all-time.

[@fredneecher1746]

"If that plane leaves and you're not on it, you'll regret it, not today, not tomorrow but soon, and for the rest of your life." The best line in the whole of cinema! It still sends chills down my spine, and I've watched this movie dozens of times. Thank you for the sensitive reaction.

[@blaseblah204]

Many in the cast were people who had fled Europe, and the Nazis. When the band plays La Marseilles, the emotion was genuine. Many in the cast had loved ones still stuck in imprisoned Europe, and the song was a release of tremendous emotion. Rick and Ilsa are the love of each other's lives, and Rick has to watch her walk out of his life TWICE. Ilsa has it the worst. She will live the rest of her days happily married, but not to the one. It's the most heartbreaking thing imaginable.

[@thomastimlin1724]

the German Major was one of those refugees...he was Jewish German...I bet he enjoyed playing an a-hole who gets what he deserves at the end.

[@blaseblah204]

@@thomastimlin1724 interesting that you mention that. Conrad Veidt agreed to play the role of Major Strasser, only if he was written as evil as possible. Stark difference from today's world. Today no one would agree to play a Nazi for the fear of 'normalizing' them. When it is much better to show the world what evil looks like, in order to combat it. Sunlight being the best disinfectant.

[@markman613]

If you ever here the English version of La Marseillaise you will know why the Germans got so pissed off!

[@kissmy_butt1302]

The actor that played the German commander was a Jewish German who fled Germany.

[@ronaldmacika2283]

If I recall correctly the actor who played the Nazi major was not actually Jewish however he needed to escape Germany because his wife actually was Jewish and he insisted that if he were to play the part of the Nazi officer then it must be that German officer must be portrayed as an evil dedicated member of the third Reich.

[@ChuckJansenII]

Great reaction. When Renault drops the bottle labeled Vichy Water in the trash can that is his rejection of Vichy France and the Nazis. He has become a patriot of free France and a member of the resistance.

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@kevinlakeman5043]

Wonderful reaction. The screenplay for Casablanca is largely considered one of the all-time great works of cinema.

[@internetsideshow]

This film was released at a point when the fate of the world was very much in question. I can't imagine how viewing it at that time must have felt. It's chilling to think about.

[@SmokeDogg11]

The scene where they drown out the Germans with their rendition of Le Marseillaise gets me every time. So powerful.

[@matthewdunham1689]

So very true

[@Cheepchipsable]

@@SmokeDogg11 You need to know history and the time to really appreciate it though.

[@rrmenton8016]

@Jeff "Smoke" Adams There's a good reason that scene is so effective; Most of the extras were actual refugees from the war, and as they were "acting" singing the french national anthem, their actual homes in real life were really being occupied by the nazis, so the gave all their real feelings in that scene.

[@Erulin68]

Playing La Marseillaise, the French National Anthem at a point when Germany was still winning everything and everywhere was a real show of solidarity from Hollywood to the French. One has to remember that though the film was released in 1942 it was shot in 1941 before America had joined World War 2. That's why Rick was living there in quasi-peace with the Germans. They weren't at War with the Germans yet when they made it.

[@joepangia4413]

“There’s nothin like two tortured lovers pining for each other!” Beautifully said! Love your reactions!!

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@donwild50]

The last talk between Rick and Ilsa pretty much explains why Rick has made his decision. This scenario is set at a time when the entire history of the world was teetering on the edge of disaster. Rick has weighed the options and realizes that, as deeply as he loves her and she loves him, the Cause is more important. "Love outweighs everything" is a trope so strong that most of us simply no longer see it as a trope but as an "absolute truism." But compared to the survival of millions, duty and morality does sometimes outweigh "true Love." There are some sacrifices that have to be made. And in 1941 millions of sacrifices were being made all over the world. Compared to that, as Rick says, "the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans."

[@blueboy4244]

>>> welcome back to the fight (to Rick, standing in for the USA - remember..we were 'on the sidelines' until Pearl Harbor which in movie time, would be a couple days away))

[@YugSihtTsuj]

Well, in a way, love was behind Rick's decision as well. He knew that, if he took Ilsa with him, he wouldn't be the man she loved; likewise, if she left Victor for him right _then,_ she'd eventually come to realize that she'd given up on being the woman he loved. They couldn't be together without betraying themselves and each other. The only way to follow their hearts was to follow them away from each other. Apropos of nothing -- Gilbert Gottfried does a hilarious impression of Jackie Gleason playing the part of Rick. played Rick.

[@12classics39]

Also Rick knew what strong work Ilsa and Victor had done together for the resistances around the world and that they needed to continue that work together. Plus Victor obviously loved Ilsa as much as Rick did and would be good to her. Rick knew that even if he walked away, Ilsa would be loved, as well as be able to do good for the cause.

[@Gene-Hancock-Ky]

Imagine yourself in a theater in early 1942! Watching this movie! Wow! Your beautiful eyes would be filled with tears!

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@dtnetlurker]

This is quite simply one of the most iconic films of all time. So much in fact that even Warner Brothers realizes it, and their logo uses the "As Time Goes By" music to this day at the beginning of most Warner Brothers films (with some occasional exceptions).

[@victorsixtythree]

13:41 - "From every corner of Europe, hundreds...thousands would rise to take our places. Even Nazi's can't kill that fast." I always loved that line. And it occurred to me that we see that idea in microcosm later in the film when Victor leads the entire cafe in that stirring rendition of La Marseillaise drowning out the German officers' song. Everyone in the cafe, people from all over Europe, literally rise to their feet to unite and sing. (And the actress who played Yvonne, who tearily shouts "Viva La France!" at the end, was a French actress named Madeleine Lebeau and was herself an actual refugee having fled German occupied France.) Also, at the end of the film, right after Bogart's "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." the closing music contains a rousing rendition of La Marseillaise. And, by the way, the translated lyrics to La Marseillaise (the French National Anthem): Arise, children of the Fatherland Our day of glory has arrived Against us the bloody flag of tyranny is raised; the bloody flag is raised. Do you hear, in the countryside The roar of those ferocious soldiers? They’re coming right into your arms To cut the throats of your sons, your comrades! To arms, citizens! Form your battalions Let’s march, let’s march That their impure blood Should water our fields.

[@flarrfan]

I think the dueling music scene is one of the best ever, in any movie ever made. Like Yvonne, it never fails to tear me up.

[@custardflan]

What a fantastic cast -- Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet and Bogart. All three in another classic, The Maltese Falcon. Other Bogart classics include The Big Sleep with Lauren Bacall and The African Queen with Katherine Hepburn.

[@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.]

A great reaction, Madison. Rick did the noble thing, at his own expense. That is true love selfless and noble the best of us, he did what was right, not want he ultimately wanted.

[@zenarcher9633]

Many of the cast members were actual refugees who fled Nazi-occupied Europe, including Madeleine Lebeau who played Rick's early love interest Yvonne. So you can imagine how emotional the scene where Lazlo leads the singing of "La Marseillaise", the French national anthem, was to many of the cast. Madeleine's tears in that scene were real and you can see how much it means to her.

[@phila3884]

So sad, Madeleine was the last surviving cast member, too. What a small but memorable role.

[@paulf2123]

Thank you for sharing. I did not know

[@ronaldmacika2283]

Many many many of the extras in this film were actual refugees. This explains the heartfelt emotion of the patrons in the Cafe Americaine as they all join in the singing of that French national anthem is an act of defiance against the third Reich and all it stood for.

[@ronaldmacika2283]

One interesting detail is that the croupier who ran the gambling section was actually a quite well-known actor in France. Like so many who fled Europe, he ended up in Hollywood hoping to continue his acting career in the USA, and sadly he discovered that the big Hollywood studios essentially had no place for him.

[@kenashimame]

@@ronaldmacika2283he was also the husband of Madeline Lebeau, the actress who played Yvonne.

[@drcornelius8275]

There are few movies I see more than 1-2 times, but this is an exception. I watch this about once a year and I'm still amazed that I continue to find little gems to appreciate in the acting and script every time I see it.

[@mwflanagan1]

Thanks for posting this review, Madison. It’s always fun to watch someone cry while watching a classic while you’re also crying while watching the reaction.

[@michaelm6948]

"The Maltese Falcon" and "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" are amazing, must watch Bogart films. Also "the African Queen"....Three legendary John Huston directed classics!

[@phila3884]

And The Caine Mutiny, too.

[@flarrfan]

@@phila3884 That was my introduction to Bogart long ago. He's very good in it, but Falcon, Treasure and Queen are better, and I don't even like Queen that much, but worth watching just for Bogey and Kate Hepburn together.

[@jeffshirton7234]

To Have and Have Not (all day long!) Caine Mutiny Key Largo Bogey and Bacall forever!

[@mikemilne]

Don't forget "We're No Angels" with Bogart, Peter Ustinov, and Aldo Ray.

[@subitman]

All great recommendations. I was going to recommend The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. I hadn't even thought of The African Queen. That had another great star: Katherine Hepburn. She was in two of my favorite movies. Bringing Up Baby was about a rich Katherine Hepburn trying to raise a leopard in NYC. Another is an older Hepburn and John Wayne: Rooster Cogburn. It was about a US marshall bringing in prisoners and Hepburn insists on coming along.

[@YugSihtTsuj]

Conrad Veidt, who played Major Strasser, had a clause in his contract with the film studio that whenever he was cast as a Nazi, the character would be a villain. He made sure to play them as evil as he could manage. Fair is fair; he and his Jewish wife had fled Germany in 1933.

[@zeezee9670]

@15:11 Elsa: _If I had to stay & there was only one Visa, would you take it?_ Laszlo (looking at her dreamily): _Yes I would._ From the look on his face he obviously lied to convince her to take the one visa if he had to stay.

[@nefersguy]

The script was written day to day during shooting. In fact nobody knew how the film was gonna end until the last day of filming. Remarkable!

[@aklein7864]

So glad you called out the fantastic screenwriting. I love the script so much, I typed it out on a typewriter when I was a kid, so to better devour and learn from it. The story of how the script came to be is very interesting. There are many books on Casablanca, but I enjoyed "The Making of Casablanca: Bogart, Bergman, and World War II". Enjoy revisiting this joyful experience from time to time. A true classic.

[@normcummings1967]

One of my very favorite movies, Madison, as it was my Dad's before me, and your reaction might be the best combination of mature contemplation and emotional engagement I've seen for one of the all-time greats! Well done.

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@donwild50]

The fact that the script came together so well is remarkable when you consider they were still writing and rewriting parts while the movie was actually being filmed. At one point Ingrid Bergman went to the director and asked "Who am I supposed to be in love with?" The director told her to "play it in between" because at that point even he wasn't sure how the script would wind up. There's so much trivia about this film. It's suspenseful, romantic and at multiple points outright hilarious. Rains has razor sharp wit, Karl and Sacha are outright comics at points...even the pickpocket can make you laugh.

[@j24601valjean]

I simply can't get enough of this exemplary film. Your reaction to it captures both it's greatness and your heart. I'd love to see to react to Notorious, a Hitchcock film with Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant and Claude Rains. I think you'd love it.

[@unstrung65]

Think I said it before , but it bears repeating - you are one of the most astute and empathetic movie reactors that I've watched . Always stay for your summaries . I've seen Casablanca countless times and react emotionally every time . Best of luck and stick with reacting to movies ! - Can't believe you almost didn't show this one .

[@victorsixtythree]

3:28 - "Tonight he'll be at Rick's. Everybody comes to Rick's." I never caught that before - the script for 'Casablanca' is adapted from an unproduced play titled..."Everybody Comes to Rick's".

[@bp-ob8ic]

Ingrid Bergman did not know who she would end up with until the final scene, which let her be authentic in her confused emotions. My favorite movie ever.

[@dougearnest7590]

I've heard that, but find it hard to believe. Sure, in a lot of movies they continued working on the script and making changes throughout the production, and perhaps the final scenes were still being tweaked. However, it was 1942, there was a war on, this is (in addition to everything else) a propaganda film, and there is no possibility they would have allowed the female lead to leave her heroic anti-Nazi freedom-fighter husband for another man.

[@bp-ob8ic]

@@dougearnest7590 It may be apocryphal, but some of the other circumstances of the production make it plausible.

[@dougearnest7590]

@@bp-ob8ic - That's true, like if Victor died maybe, but I don't think they could have killed him off in this movie. Just having him die then Ilsa and Rick joining hands and running away together would not have served any purpose, whether for romance or propaganda. Besides, Rick still has a war to win. Are there other circumstances you can imagine that would have enabled a Rick/Ilsa union at the end?

[@bp-ob8ic]

@@dougearnest7590 I was referring more to the rush to complete the film in order to capitalize on the Allied landings in North Africa a few weeks before its limited release. It was nationally released during the Casablanca Conference of the Allied leaders in January, 1943. To your point about the plot, I think they got lucky. Rick and Louie walking off into the fog. Victor and Ilsa on the plane. Romantic gold. Dramatic gold as well. It is very hard to imagine another ending that wouldn't have ruined what, to that point, was a slightly better than average melodrama.

[@tobiassabot5851]

This is one of the best films ever made, because it is so reflective both in the Micro and the Macro of the terrible struggles of the times. A time of incredible heartbreak, incredible fear and incredible bravery, many times from unexpected sources. So many incredible performances and such terrific writing. Whenever this movie comes on I'm watching it.

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@robertmaez6706]

The script was written on the fly as the movie was being made . Quite an accomplishment.

[@StereoSpace]

But based on a play that had never been produced but was already written, Everybody Comes to Rick's.

[@leftcoaster67]

It could have been a disaster. But instead it turned out to be a classic. The dialogue is probably the best on film.

[@jrgilby]

It might have been based on a script, but it was re-written so many times they were filming the movie and didn't have an ending. "Round up the usual suspects"

[@johnnhoj6749]

@@jrgilby It pays to be as dubious about PR from Old Hollywood as New. The actors weren't told what the ending would be so that it wouldn't colour the way they played the earlier scenes. The easiest thing to deflect their questions would be to tell them that it hadn't been written yet. The ending was essentially the same as the ending of the unproduced play - albeit the airport scene happened off stage. Was there considerable rewriting of dialogue and other details? Quite possibly, but the success of a script is mostly the structure of the story and you don't get a structure this intricate and this tight by winging it.

[@laapache1]

A lot of character actors gave it a solid base

[@joepowell7025]

There is no beating these beautiful old classics. There are so many more to explore.

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@koretmulder6316]

She truly believed her husband was dead when she first met and fell in love with Rick in Paris. She actually said so, in the flashback. Her moral conflict and heartbreak in their final scene in Paris are the core of her character. What would you do if you truly believed yourself to be a widow, then fell in love, and then suddenly found out that your "late" husband was still alive? What else could she do, except write a letter? I kind of hate how Ilsa keeps being interpreted as a player, when she literally broke her *own* heart out of loyalty to her husband.

[@vickirecord5534]

She didn't think she was cheating on Lazlo when he was in the concentration camp; she thought he had died there. But then he showed up on the day Rick and Ilsa were going to flee Paris.

[@etaoinbshrdlu]

Saw you tear up during the final airport scene! Your whole response was perceptive, and you picked up things well. Subscribed. Carl the waiter was Jewish, and had a sister in a German concentration camp. She was to die there. "Yvonne" and the croupier were RL husband and wife, and both had actually fled Paris when the Germans came in. He was Jewish. They fled by car, bicycle and foot to Portugal and escaped from there to Argentina, then to the USA. Her tears and passion during the La Marseillaise scene were totally real. The director, Michael Curtiz (also Jewish) also (yes, really!) had his own escape from Paris when the Germans came in! I have read that there was not a dry eye on the set by the end of that anthems scene! Almost all of the small parts and extras were actual European refugees! That was done deliberately, for realism and also it gave them work. Every part of what makes up a film was done phenomenally well on this film. Warner's "traded" Olivia De Havilland to MGM for Ingrid Bergman, who was incredible for the part. There are entire books written about this movie, as well as some great documentaries on YT.

[@floorticket]

Often cited as the best film to come out of the "studio system" during Hollywood's golden age. Basically it exceeded expectations at the box office and Oscar night. A great film that stood out from the hundred others Hollywood churned out that year. A-list stars fulfilling their contracts. Basically an all in-house production, save for the script which was adapted from the unproduced play: "Everyone Comes to Rick's." An unexpected hit.

[@Aggiebrettman]

Almost every single line is an all-time quote. And Ingrid Bergman.... "ooof."

[@rbrtck]

Victor needed Ilsa because he loved her so much, even though she did not love him equally in return. Rick didn't want him to become broken and distracted, as he had been. All Rick needed was to know that what happened in Paris was real, that Ilsa truly loved him, and he would always have that time in his life to cherish as he joined the fight. With Louis deciding it was finally time to take a side (the one he had always wanted to take, of course), now there are three good men plus Ilsa in this movie fighting for the cause of freedom, each in their own way.

[@BenjWarrant]

Ingrid Bergman was, without doubt, one of the most coolly beautiful actresses of all time. That is the sort of face, and those are the sort of eyes, that could launch a thousand ships.

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@nittyblahblah8939]

"Rick shot first!" What a wonderful movie.

[@positivelynegative9149]

Great film. Great reaction. 👍 That look when they first see each other is so powerful; one of the most poignant in film history.

[@kingbeauregard]

She loves them both, but her passion is for Rick. And Rick and Victor are very similar people; Rick has just been wounded in love and lost himself. He finds himself again in the end, and I think that's really why the end is so satisfying.

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@flarrfan]

Considering the standards and technology of the different eras of cinema, I believe this is the best film of all time. It's definitely the best screenplay ever. Kudos to you on your edit and your insight as to the eventual ending. Please continue reacting to classic cinema. There are three directors in particular that I love...Hitchcock, Billy Wilder and Stanley Kubrick. Wilder's Some Like It Hot is widely considered the best comedy ever made, and I hope you consider reacting to it and to some of these other classics from a different era. I've subscribed in hopes of seeing you watch more great films of different eras...

[@frankhuhn7369]

Your reaction and review is among the best I have seen for Casablanca. It demonstrates why multiple watchings of this movie are a requirement. It is easy to miss things that lend even more depth to the story. For example, the story of the young Bulgarian couple and the "secret" she would need to keep locked in her heart. After at least 50 watchings over my life, I still find nuance and simple pleasure in each additional viewing. Madison, you really won my heart with your heartfelt, honest and insightful reaction. I look forward to seeing more of your work. I'll drop you a few recommendations after I review your already completed movies. "Here's looking at you kid."

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@sevadaj]

The Maltese Falcon has 3 of the same actors from Casablanca, Humphry Bogart, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet. Great movie!!!

[@larky368]

The most significant scene is when Rick saw that the young woman was willing to give herself to another man because she loved her husband more than her own dignity. This inspired Rick to make his own sacrifices but also in order to prevent Victor from always suspecting that his wife was still in love with Rick he lied and said that Ilsa gave HER body to Rick in order to save her husband. He knew that Victor would believe that lie and love her for her act of sacrifice.

[@tombriggs5348]

That moment has the greatest wordless acting. Watch the rage and shame play across Rick’s face. She is describing a noble sacrifice, and he is ashamed at the man he has become. It is his turning point, and prefigures his own noble sacrifice.

[@blueboy4244]

@@tombriggs5348 yup - and it was just after that that Rick chose his side by allowing the band to play La Marseillaise - you notice lazlo goes up to the bandstand and the musicians look to Rick who nods - this was the exact point when he 'joined the fight'

[@krichardj]

My father used this film to explain the opening of WW2 to me as a child, it remains my most emotional movie to this late day.

[@geraldmcboingboing7401]

Great reaction, Madison!! If you want to check out Ingrid Bergman's range as a actress, try out the film that she made after Casablanca, For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943). It's dynamite!!! Also Katina Paxinou won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

[@joshuajackson472]

Arguably my favorite movie. The African Queen gives it a serious run for it's money though. If you haven't seen it, it's amazing. Another Humphrey Bogart, also starring Katherine Hepburn.

[@flarrfan]

Queen is not in the same league as a film with Casablanca, but seeing Bogey and Hepburn together makes it definitely worth a watch.

[@JoePlett]

I always thought Ilsa loved Viktor the way a student loves a mentor who opens up the world to them.... Her love for Rick was different. It was passionate and carnal. Neither love was lesser - just different, and she was understandably torn. I always thought Ilsa's reaction during the famous 'battle of the bands' scene was "....oh lord, here we go again...." Loving, yet weary. It was a delight to watch Casablanca through your fresh eyes. I love this film and have seen it countless times. It is imho the greatest propaganda film ever. (Not that I disagree with the message.) This is a timeless classic. Thanks for posting this. It was a pleasure watching this with you.

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@clash5j]

This is obviously a classic, but Ingrid Bergman was always perplexed as to why it became so. She was pleased to have been in a film which she knew would be remembered forever but felt she had been in much better films

[@Stevarooni]

You can control what you do, not how others perceive it. The same applies to Alec Guiness' view of his role in _Star Wars_ movies.

[@Hexon66]

I know this is probably an unpopular opinion, but as much as I love the film, I think that Bergman is the least essential of the primary cast. Perhaps it's the perennial problem of poor writing/character development for females ("Is that cannon fire, or my heart beating" is the one cringey misstep in a brilliantly written film). But I can't see anyone other than Bogart as Rick, Claude Raines as Renaud. Conrad Veidt is amazing as Strasser. Maybe Laszlo could have been cast with someone other than Paul Henreid, but I don't think it would skip a beat with a different Ilsa.

[@tallhair]

@@Hexon66 I respect your opinion but think Paul Henried is the character who could have been cast with someone else. Ingrid was absolutely crucial, she was beautiful but it’s her inner beauty that really dominates in this role. No one else had that to the degree she did.

[@thomasjacques5286]

Your life will be enriched and made better by viewing these classics. Rick's character was also a metaphor for how America felt about getting involved in the war in Europe. We were isolationists during the early years of the war. It wasn't until Japan attacked the US did the US get pissed off and got involved. So this film was an attempt to sway Americans' feelings of the war against Hitler.

[@K9AF]

Madison: the BEST part of classic movies is, the more times you watch them, the more of the little subtleties you'll pick out.

[@tsogobauggi8721]

7:56 "Are my eyes really brown?" That is so funny in a black and white movie. :)

[@Briansgate]

I agree. It's such a great love story, Rick is rarely given enough credit as a genuine smartass. lol

[@primemover1416]

IMO the most underrated lines: "Alright, I'll make it easy for you. Go ahead and shoot, you'll be doing me a favor."

[@williambourne5425]

I’ve seen this film many times and it always seems fresh. What is amazing to me is that this was only one film of over 50 that were made by Warner Brothers during 1942. The Studio cranked out a picture in only a few weeks by using the available studio craftsmen. The fortunate combination of Script Writers, Director, Camera Men, Actors, Set and Costume Designers plus the lucky timing of the American Army invading Morocco and Casablanca was like Catching Lighting in a Bottle'. Everything lined up perfectly. An element of this film, that made it so suspenseful, was the love triangle between Rick, Ilsa and Victor. Normally in a Hollywood movie two of the people, the leading man and the girl are obviously meant to end up together. The third character is always shown with some flaw or attitude that makes them an unsuitable mate. In Casablanca, all three leading characters are shown to be equally heroic and desirable choices. Thus making it more difficult for the theater audience to decide who should end up flying off together and who should be the one left behind.

[@dudieb]

I love it when a new generation watches these older movies. Especially the black and white movies because the cinematography was so special and unique to the black and white filming. That is why I hate it when they try to colorize these movies. They loose their magic. The stroies are so good too. If you haven’t watched them you should try All About Eve, Gentlemans Agreement, and The Best Years Of Out Lives. So good.

[@colinglen4505]

You had your finger on the pulse throughout the movie. Good job Madison. :)

[@thomastimlin1724]

Oh good! There are not enough reactions to this iconic film. So many younger reactors see the opening and go "Oh no, it's in black and white and I LMAO. Then they get roped into the story and the characters and forget it's in black and white. Like cuing up to watch a cowboy westerns and saying, oh no, there are only horses, no cars. There are many quotes from this movie that were passed down from one generation to the next in language and borrowed in other later moves and TV as a joke: "Here' Looking at You Kid." "We'll always have Paris," "Round up the usual suspects" [often used by elementary school principals lol], "Welcome back to the fight...this time I know our side will win," "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" and the iconic "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world...she walks into mine." That one we used in college every time one of our friends ["he" or "she"] in music college walked in the room, it was a running joke. By the way, thanks for the nod to Max Steiner - his musical score was brilliant. Your demeanor is refreshing and intelligent, you nailed the ending down before you were halfway through. they kept changing the script during the filming, driving the actors crazy, and had at least 2 endings, no one knew until the day of shooting which one they would use. No one thought this movie would become one of the greatest classics, it was just another job to them. the supporting players, character actors also really made this film brilliant.

[@JohnBullard]

A little -known gem is THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP. It's one of Scorcese's three favorite movies.

[@terpcj]

I first saw this over fifty years ago. I've seen a lot of movies made before this, and I've seen a lot of movies since. I was even a screenwriter for a small hunk of that. For me (and I appreciate that tastes differ), this is still the best movie yet made. Not that the runners-up aren't nipping at its heels, but it just doesn't have a weak moment.

[@flarrfan]

Agree, but the first two Godfathers are close behind IMO.

[@THOMMGB]

Madison! I’m so glad you’re showing your older reactions from another channel. The ending to Casablanca had not yet been written so the actors had no idea who was going to be with who. Movie suggestions: The Apartment- excellent writing, won Best Picture Oscar, It Happened One Night (1934) also won a lot of Oscars, has held up very well and The Wizard of Oz (1939) amazing movie. Since you appreciate good writing, how about the WW ll film The Americanization of Emily with Julie Andrews and James Garner? This was James Garner’s favorite film.

[@flarrfan]

Apartment is great Billy Wilder, but so are his other great classics of the '50s, Sunset Blvd. and Some Like It Hot.

[@RM-we7px]

Rick was either a mercenary or weapons dealer. The US prior to Pearl Harbour was very neutral. It’s possible they would consider him acting against neutrality and there might be a law or act that he violated.

[@shainewhite2781]

Winner of 3 Oscars including Best Picture.

[@cjmacq-vg8um]

this movie has three of my favorite character actors; claude raines, john qualen and peter lorre. bogart starred in some of the best movies ever made. his early gangster films include "the petrified forrest," "dead end," "the roaring twenties" and "high sierra." his classic private-eye films are "the maltese falcon" and "the big sleep." his ww2 themed classics are "casablanca," "to have and have not' and "sahara." his late 40's and 50's flicks include "the treasure of the sierra madre," "key largo," "the african queen" and "the caine mutiny." all of these are excellent films and worth a watch! ingrid bergman, in the 50s, was the first actor to be offered a Million bucks for a movie contract. she turned it down saying - offer me good scripts and you won't have to pay me a million dollars. about 5 years later elizabeth taylor was paid a million dollars to star in the mega-flop "cleopatra."

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@dnish6673]

This is one great movie. The anthem singing gets me.

[@Stevarooni]

You can just hear the defiance, the striving for justice, in that moment. 🙂

[@flarrfan]

@@Stevarooni The many actual refugees in the cast were not acting for that scene.

[@joevaldez6457]

Thanks for posting this reaction, Madison. It was so much fun watching you carried away with this as a writer. Story development really sweeps you away, doesn't it? If I had to name the most beautiful film leading lady of all time without thinking, I'd say "Ingrid Bergman." Maybe the lighting and the diction had a little something to do with her allure but they don't make actors like her anymore, not even her daughter Isabella Rossellini. Humphrey Bogart had an appeal all his own that's hard for me to quantify but that Lauren Bacall apparently picked up on because after working together, she fell in love with him.

[@michaelceraso1977]

RESPECTFULLY id have to say Ava gardner and Rita hayworth, and add another 5ft 8 or taller grace kelly lol

[@phila3884]

Bergman is a natural, but Bogie is so believable it's truly movie magic. Rick is real for the time we are watching.

[@tinakensinger9586]

Conrad Veidt who played Major Strausser, played Cesare in "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" in 1920.

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

Hurry ☝️ you just got yourself something from me Send a message @ above to claim your prize 🎉...

[@phihz513]

intellegent, honest reaction. A pleasure to share film with you.

[@jamesmcclain5005]

I suggest The Ghost and Mrs Muir, this is another EPIC classic movie not to be overlooked, it is a must see!

[@wingedbuffalo4670]

Thanks you for your review -- I love how you (unlike most online movie reviewers) are so calm, sedate, level-headed, and insightful in your critical analysis ... rather than bouncing all over the place, acting goofy, and constantly offering over-the-top hyperbole. Well done !!

[@subitman12]

When Capt Renault said "Round up the usual suspects", it might have inspired the title of the modern film The Usual Suspects. In it, the police are trying to figure out why a man with bodyguards was murdered on a docked ship.

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@Justme-ju5et]

Rick didn’t sacrifice their love for the sake of the cause. He did it because it was the only choice he could make. Taking someone’s wife was against Ricks base ethics and the situation only occurred due to cruel circumstances. The fact that her husband was not a scumbag, but a loving caring attentive husband and a great man as well…cemented that. Rick knew that sooner or later both their guilt and self loathing would undermine their love if they selfishly pursued it(especially his) The only chance at a happy ending for all three was for her to be on that plane with her husband. Retaining their self respect, respect for each other, and healing of closure to move on with their lives…something Rick and her did not have till the end. It is bittersweet but a great testimony for love and sacrifice of our selfish wants for it.

[@orangeandblackattack]

Your emotional reaction at the end was awesome. The first time I saw it in 1989 I was confused too and had a tear when he forced her to go with Victor. Humphrey Bogard just exudes coolness. I'd put him up against any leading man in a movie. "The Maltese Falcon" is also great. Bogey was a master.

[@minnesotavikings7163]

Casablanca is also a political allegory of World War II. Rick Blaine represents the United States, which initially insisted that it should be neutral in World War II. However, when the United States was bombed at Pearl Harbor, it had no choice but to get involved.

[@youngbloodk]

Possibly the best film ever made. It never gets old.

[@vicc7409]

Please watch Casablanca again. Now that you know the back stories and the character motivations, you’ll see tiny little details that truly reveal how great the film really is. The scene where Ilsa and Rick first meet again is an example. You caught how thunderstruck Rick and Ilsa were in the scene, but did you notice how Ilsa’s voice cracks just a little bit when she says “Hello, Rick”? As if she is trying her best to keep it together. Thanks for the admiring tears. I’ve shed a few of those myself over this movie.

[@thomasjorge4734]

romantic: They run off together. Romantic: Their Love leads them to Honor their Duties.

[@tim10243]

You should react to mor old gems like this one. Take a look at movies with Audrey Hepburn for example - "Sabrina", "Breakfast at Tiffanys" or "Roman Holiday". "High society" with Grace Kelly would be a good choice as well!

[@photo161]

You are so in touch with your own feelings. So generous in sharing them and so sincere...it made sharing your reaction to this great film an extremely satisfying experience. and thank you for that...

[@TTM9691]

Thanks for the "From The Vault" Fridays! What a surprise!!!! Since you watched this a while ago, I won't leave any specific comment about the movie, but I'm SO happy you made a classic like this available! Love it when you hit "the classics"! Psyched to watch this right now! THANK YOU, MADISON! Not just for this, but for the whole channel, thanks for sharing your "movie journey" with us! :)

[@siskokidd]

My own first viewing, age 27, was in the company of a talented, bright beauty, and her family. This young woman was pursuing me romantically, while engaged to another man, which she didn't mention! The saga between us burned red hot to it's dramatic conclusion, which I don't share on social media. So yes, watching this film includes a complicated backstory romance of my own! A special film for me. Thank for reviewing it so wonderfully!

[@manueldeabreu1980]

This is one of those first re watchable films that you catch a LOT of subtle things you miss such as lines that foreshadow the same line using later and characters you meet that are important to the story later.

[@jonm6891]

A true classic in every sense of the word. A beautiful movie. One liners left and right. Thanks for the post, great reactions!

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@phila3884]

Madison, your review is so on point- the script is everything in this movie. It takes most people many viewings to get it. Now, you should read about the making of this movie. It shouldn't have been as good as it was. Re-writes, firings, more re-writes and do-overs. Did I mention rewrites? And more writers brought in to "fix" the script. Conflict. Filmed just before the US entered the war. Read the book "We'll Always Have Casablanca". It will put it all in focus.

[@mikkomfi8643]

Ingrid Bergman was magical. I loved her most in Hitchcock,'s Spellbound (1945) having as romantic partner Gregory Peck.

[@steelers6titles]

The "letters of transit" are a plot invention for the movie (and a great one, to keep things moving along). Historically, they did not exist. The Nazis would not have let people they regarded as dangerous threats (like Victor Laszlo) escape, based on a "fill in the blank" document. And Charles de Gaulle was the leader of the Free French, in exile; his signature on anything would have been valueless to Germany.

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@BiddyBiccy]

I was lucky to see this movie on the big screen when I was a teenager, there's really nothing like it. My parents were part of a community film club and the local cinema let them use a screen every now and then for a movie of their choice (if they could get the reel). I wish theatres would show old movies on the big screen as a regular thing, it's how they're meant to be seen.

[@havok6280]

Han Solo is a Rick type, not the other way around... That's the thing about watching classics. You see the origins of the tropes and archetypes.

[@guyswing]

Love..love..LOVED your reaction and analysis of this wonderful classic, Madison! Thank you for providing such a wonderful start to my day! Oh, and I also appreciated your reference to another favorite of mine, "Wuthering Heights" (the version with Merle Oberon and Sir Laurence Olivier).

[@jackmessick2869]

In the top 5 of best motion pictures ever. Maybe the best. And spoke to its time, when WW2 was in doubt. The writing is even more amazing when you find out the script wasn't finished when filming started, and some re-writes were not available until the day before the scene was filmed.

[@barrywerdell2614]

If you enjoyed this try "Nobody's Fool" with Paul Newman or since Christmas is coming try "We're No Angels" with Mr. Bogart in a Comedic role and some very witty dialogue, for example: "You, what are you staring at?" "I'm staring at you, I've never seen anyone like you" Bogart: "I have, but not at Christmas"

[@DawnElicia]

My mom had me watch this movie for Mother’s Day. It’s so good. I actually went this year to the theater and saw it for its 80th anniversary.

[@izzonj]

Madison, I'm so glad you released this reaction! It's my favorite movie. I hope if you rewatch it a few times you will conclude it had the perfect ending. Some comments: 1) that archetype of a man who is tough and only cares for himself but in the end does the unselfish thing - that may have not started with Bogart but it was certainly cemented into movie lore by him. 2) the movie codes of the time would not have allowed Ilsa to leave her husband for Rick without something terrible happening to the both of them. This walked a tightrope with strict nuance to the kisses between Rick and Isaac. 3) this was released in 1942, when a lot of the women in the audience were being separated from their husbands and boyfriends heading off to war. They certainly didn't want to think of their men leaving them fur a passionate romance with a European woman. 4) for all its greatness this was at essence a propaganda film. At the beginning, Rick represented the isolationists in America who didn't want to stick their heads out for anybody. By the end, he represented America's resolve to sacrifice their own selfish desires to fight for a just cause. 5) I'm sure others have mentioned that most of the cast were themselves refugees who escape the Nazis and came to America to start new lives. I'm sure that a lot of the tears in the "Marseilles " scene were genuine. The actor who played Major Strasser had even escaped the Nazis. He agreed to play this role only if he could make the character as evil as possible. Great reaction!

[@mikeduplessis8069]

I've known this film my whole life. Its fascinating seeing the film being watched by new eyes for the first time. It gets me thinking was this how I reacted to the film the first time too?

[@scottgorski7931]

A classic for all time.

[@jacobjones5269]

Rick represented America, and it was time for America to ante up and kick in.. The responses from audiences across America were legendary..

[@Dm.my.telgrm..PKhuong]

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[@TTM9691]

I had to comment again after I saw the reaction: reaction video gold! The idea this was locked in "the vault" for all this time makes me think of what other treasures there must be in there! Wow. Hey: for more Ingrid Bergman: her and Cary Grant (and Claude Rains again!) in Hitchcock's "Notorious".....steamiest screen kisses EVER. And also her in "Gaslight" (1944).....oh my gosh. That's where you'll see the origin of the term "gaslighting"! GREAT reaction, THANK YOU for making this available to us. This isn't just any old movie, it's Casablanca! It's GOT to be here! :D