Genres:
Drama
Romance
Release Date: 01/01/2001
Sound: DD1
Run Time:
Distributor/Studio: Warner Home Video
One of the most beloved American films, this captivating wartime
adventure of
romance and intrigue from director
Michael Curtiz defies standard categorization. Simply put, it is the story of
Rick Blaine (
Humphrey Bogart), a world-weary ex-freedom fighter who runs a nightclub in Casablanca during the early part of WWII. Despite pressure from the local authorities, notably the crafty
Capt. Renault (
Claude Rains),
Rick's café has become a haven for refugees looking to purchase illicit letters of transit which will allow them to escape to America. One day, to
Rick's great surprise, he is approached by the famed rebel
Victor Laszlo (
Paul Henreid) and his wife,
Ilsa (
Ingrid Bergman),
Rick's true love who deserted him when the Nazis invaded Paris. She still wants
Victor to escape to America, but now that she's renewed her love for
Rick, she wants to stay behind in Casablanca. "You must do the thinking for both of us," she says to
Rick. He does, and his plan brings the story to its satisfyingly logical, if not entirely happy, conclusion. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide