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The concept of all-time classics refers to films released during the golden age of Hollywood, which do not fall under specific genre criteria (western, noir, gangster films, etc.), but at the same time are unconditional classics for all time, and about which it makes sense to tell. And the first in this very conditional list was Michael Curtis’ cult melodrama Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the lead roles. A properly built exposition at the beginning sets the right tone for the narration, the dynamics of the plot, the presentation and sharp dialogues do not make you bored, but on the contrary, they immerse you more and more into the plot.
The Plot and Analysis
World War II, the Moroccan city of Casablanca, under the partial control of the Nazis, turns into a large staging post, where thousands of people, from day to day, hope for a miracle to get a coveted opportunity to escape from the horrors of war. A cynical and disillusioned American, Richard, has been successfully doing business in the city for a long time, owns his own bar and tries to maintain political neutrality. But, at one moment, Ilsa bursts into his life, an old and unhappy love (Curtiz). Together with her anti-fascist husband Viktor, Ilsa also wants to run away to support her husband in his fight against the Nazis, and only Rick can help them in this.
Although the picture is essentially melodrama in its purest form, the military-political context only benefits it and makes the story much more intriguing and exciting. Events seem to acquire a new depth, and the story of the unfortunate love of two people, as old as the world, begins to play with new colors in an instant. After all, not just everyday circumstances interfered in the love life of the heroes, but the world war separated them in order to reunite them after a while. But of course, the backbone of the story is still based on strong and quite believable images and actors who embodied them. The real star of that time and the legend of classic Hollywood Humphrey Bogart (Bradshaw). Bogart is almost always on screen as a tough guy, a stern middle-aged man with his own ideas about morality and attitude to life.
The image of Richard in this case was no exception, however, thanks to perhaps a perfectly written love line and a generally correct and detailed disclosure, the character acquired a new tragic color. Even the development of the hero is visible to the naked eye. If at first a quite typical Bogart appears before us, then as the story progresses, his image is revealed from new sides. Being at a dead end in life, Richard gets the opportunity to become part of something bigger, however, he also experiences a conflict with his own feelings (Curtiz). In many ways, it is the moral dilemma of his hero, who is forced to choose between duty and personal life, that is the main one in the plot and causes a strong emotional response.
A couple of them are charming and sensual beauty Ingrid Bergman. External data, coupled with a decent performance, created a memorable and well-played lyrical image. In general, the performers of the main roles completely pull it out and give it life. Bogart and Bergman look amazingly organically in the frame, which is why they give rise to images of, probably, one of the most famous couples in love in the history of cinema. But the secondary characters do not lag behind the central ones. The cunning opportunist Louis Renault, the staunch fighter against fascism Victor Lazlo and many more memorable small images, which together make up the general picture of the artistic space of Casablanca (Curtiz). The diversity of characters along with a classic plot relevant inn all times made Casablanca one of the most memorable and engaging films ever created.
Conclusion
In general, the characters speak in feigned phrases, and the demonstration of feelings in their mouths is not much different from a hackneyed love hit. It is time and place that determines the role of history and makes it truly interesting, intriguing and deep. In conditions when events take on a scale, and you really believe in heroes and watch the development of history with interest, you automatically close your eyes to minor shortcomings in the love line. There is also a lot of good humor and irony, which greatly dilute the events and contribute to a positive perception.
Works Cited
Bradshaw, Peter. “Casablanca – Review”. The Guardian, 2012, https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/feb/09/casablanca-review.
Curtiz, Michael. Casablanca. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1942.
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