Film 142 in the "1001 Films to See Before You Die" challenge is 1942's "Casablanca". This romantic drama is based on Murray Burnett's play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" and won three Oscars at the 16th annual Academy Awards. Those awards were "Best Picture", "Best Director" and "Best Writing/Screenplay". Before watching this film, my mum told me that she watched half of the film before switching it off. I managed to watch all of it and I rather enjoyed myself. Everything about the film was enjoyable. For example, who hasn't quoted one of Rick's lines? There are two things that bugged me about the film. One, it was never explained until the end why everyone was banging on about letters that Rick had. If it was explained then I must have missed it. The other thing that bugged me was that I didn't buy into Rick and Ilsa's relationship. Mostly because Rick is double Ilsa's age. I highly recommend giving this a watch and while you're at it, play a drinking game: Have a shot every time Rick says "Here's looking at you, kid". I counted five! Possibly six! Fun Fact of the Film - The set for the Paris train station was originally featured in "Now, Voyager" which was produced earlier the same year. If you have seen this film then let me know what you thought of it in the comments. Here is what I had to say while watching 1942's "Casablanca"
Film - Casablanca
Year - 1942
Director - Michael Curtiz
Written by - Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard E. Koch, Casey Robinson
Based On - "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett (play)
Staring - Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid
IMDb Rating - 8.6/10
My Rating - 8.5/10
Length - 98 min (1h 38min)
Genre - Drama, Romance, War
It's a map of Africa over the opening credits
It's WWII and everyone's fleeing to Lisbon?!?
Welcome to Casablanca were everyone has to wait... and wait... and wait
Sounds like danger is heading to town
So... This is how they deal with immigration in Casablanca... By killing them
Someone's stolen my wallet!
A German plane arrives and the Italians argue with each other
At Rick's Cafe American
Everyone love smoking
Why does everyone come across as criminals/trouble makers?
That is the biggest signature on a check I've ever seen
Don't interupt me playing chess with myself
Rick clearly isn't interested in this conversation
Why are they talking about Renault?
Rick seems to be impressed with Ugarte but it's hard to tell
"Knock on wood"
Why does knocking on wood sound like a door knocker
Rick meets with Ferrari who wants to buy Rick's cafe
Time for Yvonne to question Rick who is instantly sent into a taxi
So... People are heading to Lisbon to escape to America
Someone has won 20,000 francs!
Victor Laszlo? We can't let him escape Casablanca
It seems that Rick has a war past by selling guns and fighting for the Spanish
We're gonna arrest you but we will let you cash out your poker winnings
Ugarte has been arrested and has even killed someone
Nationality - Drunkard
Let's all chat about Laszlo
Laszlo arrives with his woman and the piano player is suspicious
Laszlo nearly bought a ring for a visa from Berger
NO MORE CHARACTERS!!!!
Looks like Laszlo knows what's about to happen
She can't play the guitar!
He finds out about Ugarte's arrest
Sam and Miss Ilsa have a chat about the old times
Play that one song that brings back memories - "As Time Goes By"
Rick finally meets with Miss Ilsa and Laszlo
Turns out Rick and Miss Isla have met in the past in Paris before fleeing
That's us closed for the night, may as well help myself to free drinks at the bar
Stop bugging me Sam!
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world she walks into mine"
Flashback to Paris when Rick and Ilsa were a couple
They went from driving in Paris to driving in the countryside in one sharp corner
"Here's looking at you, kid"
KISS ME BITCH
Meanwhile, war rages on
Everyone has to flee Paris before the Germans come
Time to see how Rick and Ilsa met Sam
How dare that announcer stop us from drinking champagne
How dare they fire cannons when we're about to kiss
Let's leave for Marseilles and get married while we're there
KISS ME AGAIN
Rick arrives at the train station and can't find Ilsa
Ilsa has dumped Rick via letter
Back to the present
Ilsa arrives at the cafe and chats with Rick
I can't believe that these two are in love as Rick is double Ilsa's age
Ilsa leaves leaving Rick to cry
At the visa office
They tell Laszlo that he can leave for Lisbon if he gives names of people he dealed with
Laszlo gets told that Ugarte is dead - No one knows how he died
Rick visits The Blue Parrot to meet Ferrari to chat about shipments
Why does everyone care so much about these letters?
I'll leave and get replaced with Laszlo
Ilsa explains why she left Rick in Paris
Why is she wearing a bowl for a hat?
She admits that she's was married to Laszlo when they were in love in Paris
Back with Ferrari
He tells Ilsa to head to Lisbon alone and Laszlo stays in Casablanca
INTERMISSION - I NEED FOOD!!!!
I'm back and I have 40 minutes left of the film
Laszlo says Ilsa should take the offer
Also.... I've established that Ilsa is a slut
So... Does Rick have the letters?
Back at Rick's cafe
He just robbed that man's wallet
Haha, all French people are alcoholics
That woman has no boobs
BAR FIGHT!!!!!
Who's carries a glass in their jacket?
Some woman asks Rick about Renault
Don't remind me of Ilsa!!!
"Nobody ever loved me that much"
Don't go to America! Head to Bulgaria
Laszlo and Ilsa arrive and want to sit near Sam
What cafe has a casino built into it?
Someone just won a lot of money
How dare you try steal my drink
Rick and Laszlo have a chat about the letters
Where did Sam go?
It's a battle of the National Anthems!!
Sounds like the French won
That woman still can't play guitar
We must close the cafe!!!!
"I'm shocked to find gambling. Here are your winnings"
Someone tells Ilsa to return to Occupied France
Laszlo and Ilsa chat about the letters
She just lied to Laszlo!!! She wasn't alone in Paris!!!!
Time to secretly follow my husband to this underground meeting
We may be closed but everyone still gets paid
How did Ilsa get into Rick's room?
She just called Rick a coward and weak
Where did she get that gun from?
What is so important about these letters?
She doesn't shoot him and cries instead
Now she's back to loving Rick
KISS ME!!!
She confesses to Rick about everything
Meanwhile, Laszlo and Carl are escaped the police and are back in the cafe
When you don't have bandages, use kitchen towels
It's just dawned on me that Laszlo looks a little like Martin Freeman
WOOP WOOP IT'S THE SOUND OF THE POLICE
"It seems that destiny has taken a hand"
Rick says he's using the letters everyone wants to help him leave Casablanca and he's taking Ilsa
Rick and Renault hatch a plan to properly arrest Laszlo while he and Ilsa escape
Back at The Blue Parrot, Rick and Ferarri have a chat
He sells his cafe to Ferarri
Rick had the letters hidden in Sam's piano the entire time
Where did Rick get the gun?
TO THE AIRPORT!!
It's very foggy
Rick, Laszlo, Ilsa and Renault arrive at the airport
Rick demands Ilsa to get on the plane with Laszlo
"Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but sooner for the rest of your life"
Drinking game - Have a shot every time Rick says "Here's looking at you, kid" - I count five
That's the leader killed by Rick
Rick doesn't get arrested for murder!
"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship"
THE END
Film - Casablanca
Year - 1942
Director - Michael Curtiz
Written by - Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard E. Koch, Casey Robinson
Based On - "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett (play)
Staring - Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid
IMDb Rating - 8.6/10
My Rating - 8.5/10
Length - 98 min (1h 38min)
Genre - Drama, Romance, War
It's a map of Africa over the opening credits
It's WWII and everyone's fleeing to Lisbon?!?
Welcome to Casablanca were everyone has to wait... and wait... and wait
Sounds like danger is heading to town
So... This is how they deal with immigration in Casablanca... By killing them
Someone's stolen my wallet!
A German plane arrives and the Italians argue with each other
At Rick's Cafe American
Everyone love smoking
Why does everyone come across as criminals/trouble makers?
That is the biggest signature on a check I've ever seen
Don't interupt me playing chess with myself
Rick clearly isn't interested in this conversation
Why are they talking about Renault?
Rick seems to be impressed with Ugarte but it's hard to tell
"Knock on wood"
Why does knocking on wood sound like a door knocker
Rick meets with Ferrari who wants to buy Rick's cafe
Time for Yvonne to question Rick who is instantly sent into a taxi
So... People are heading to Lisbon to escape to America
Someone has won 20,000 francs!
Victor Laszlo? We can't let him escape Casablanca
It seems that Rick has a war past by selling guns and fighting for the Spanish
We're gonna arrest you but we will let you cash out your poker winnings
Ugarte has been arrested and has even killed someone
Nationality - Drunkard
Let's all chat about Laszlo
Laszlo arrives with his woman and the piano player is suspicious
Laszlo nearly bought a ring for a visa from Berger
NO MORE CHARACTERS!!!!
Looks like Laszlo knows what's about to happen
She can't play the guitar!
He finds out about Ugarte's arrest
Sam and Miss Ilsa have a chat about the old times
Play that one song that brings back memories - "As Time Goes By"
Rick finally meets with Miss Ilsa and Laszlo
Turns out Rick and Miss Isla have met in the past in Paris before fleeing
That's us closed for the night, may as well help myself to free drinks at the bar
Stop bugging me Sam!
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world she walks into mine"
Flashback to Paris when Rick and Ilsa were a couple
They went from driving in Paris to driving in the countryside in one sharp corner
"Here's looking at you, kid"
KISS ME BITCH
Meanwhile, war rages on
Everyone has to flee Paris before the Germans come
Time to see how Rick and Ilsa met Sam
How dare that announcer stop us from drinking champagne
How dare they fire cannons when we're about to kiss
Let's leave for Marseilles and get married while we're there
KISS ME AGAIN
Rick arrives at the train station and can't find Ilsa
Ilsa has dumped Rick via letter
Back to the present
Ilsa arrives at the cafe and chats with Rick
I can't believe that these two are in love as Rick is double Ilsa's age
Ilsa leaves leaving Rick to cry
At the visa office
They tell Laszlo that he can leave for Lisbon if he gives names of people he dealed with
Laszlo gets told that Ugarte is dead - No one knows how he died
Rick visits The Blue Parrot to meet Ferrari to chat about shipments
Why does everyone care so much about these letters?
I'll leave and get replaced with Laszlo
Ilsa explains why she left Rick in Paris
Why is she wearing a bowl for a hat?
She admits that she's was married to Laszlo when they were in love in Paris
Back with Ferrari
He tells Ilsa to head to Lisbon alone and Laszlo stays in Casablanca
INTERMISSION - I NEED FOOD!!!!
I'm back and I have 40 minutes left of the film
Laszlo says Ilsa should take the offer
Also.... I've established that Ilsa is a slut
So... Does Rick have the letters?
Back at Rick's cafe
He just robbed that man's wallet
Haha, all French people are alcoholics
That woman has no boobs
BAR FIGHT!!!!!
Who's carries a glass in their jacket?
Some woman asks Rick about Renault
Don't remind me of Ilsa!!!
"Nobody ever loved me that much"
Don't go to America! Head to Bulgaria
Laszlo and Ilsa arrive and want to sit near Sam
What cafe has a casino built into it?
Someone just won a lot of money
How dare you try steal my drink
Rick and Laszlo have a chat about the letters
Where did Sam go?
It's a battle of the National Anthems!!
Sounds like the French won
That woman still can't play guitar
We must close the cafe!!!!
"I'm shocked to find gambling. Here are your winnings"
Someone tells Ilsa to return to Occupied France
Laszlo and Ilsa chat about the letters
She just lied to Laszlo!!! She wasn't alone in Paris!!!!
Time to secretly follow my husband to this underground meeting
We may be closed but everyone still gets paid
How did Ilsa get into Rick's room?
She just called Rick a coward and weak
Where did she get that gun from?
What is so important about these letters?
She doesn't shoot him and cries instead
Now she's back to loving Rick
KISS ME!!!
She confesses to Rick about everything
Meanwhile, Laszlo and Carl are escaped the police and are back in the cafe
When you don't have bandages, use kitchen towels
It's just dawned on me that Laszlo looks a little like Martin Freeman
WOOP WOOP IT'S THE SOUND OF THE POLICE
"It seems that destiny has taken a hand"
Rick says he's using the letters everyone wants to help him leave Casablanca and he's taking Ilsa
Rick and Renault hatch a plan to properly arrest Laszlo while he and Ilsa escape
Back at The Blue Parrot, Rick and Ferarri have a chat
He sells his cafe to Ferarri
Rick had the letters hidden in Sam's piano the entire time
Where did Rick get the gun?
TO THE AIRPORT!!
It's very foggy
Rick, Laszlo, Ilsa and Renault arrive at the airport
Rick demands Ilsa to get on the plane with Laszlo
"Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but sooner for the rest of your life"
Drinking game - Have a shot every time Rick says "Here's looking at you, kid" - I count five
That's the leader killed by Rick
Rick doesn't get arrested for murder!
"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship"
THE END