I love you so much it's retarded.

alltherestispropaganda:

Casablanca; Michael Curtiz; 1942=There are iconic films, and then there’s Casablanca, which occupies it’s own realm. Along with winning Best Picture, Curtiz had his career high by winning the Academy Award for Best Director for this legendary film. Set during World War Two, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart, To Have and Have Not) runs a nightclub in Casablanca which has become notorious for helping refugees earn safe passage to America. Rick remains fairly ambivalent to these activities. However with the arrival of Czech Resistance leader Victor Laszlo and his wife Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman, Murder on the Orient Express), Rick is drawn in to a dangerous situation, as Ilsa is in fact his former lover who jilted him and still has a hold over him. Ilsa and Rick are often called one of the best film couples, and they do have a beautiful love story. Rick’s enduring love for Ilsa, and the selfless acts he commits for her safety, are very romantic. I do think they are both brilliant actors in their own right, with Bogart in his element and Bergman giving a great performance. However there isn’t quite the same magical chemistry that Bogart had with his off-screen love Lauren Bacall, and the reported tension between the stars off screen might have damaged their on screen chemistry slightly. Although their relationship is great, I think there are other characters with more chemistry who deserve the legendary status more. The film has a whole host of smaller characters who have great actors. With the onset of the war, there was an exodus of European talent, and stars like Peter Lorre (M) and Conrad Veidt (The Cabinet of Dr Caligari) are all part of this film, which I enjoyed. I love this era of filmmaking. There’s a clever wit and sophistication to these films which is often lost in modern films. However I do think this film doesn’t have the same romanticised quality for me as it does for others. I prefer my screen sirens a little more dangerous, like Gilda, Bacall’s Slim Browning or Double Indemnity’s Phyllis. Ilsa is lovely, but there’s a spark missing which the more feisty women have. I think it’s worth a watch as it’s so iconic. It has some great performances and a really interesting storyline, but I do think it’s appeal has been over exaggerated. Maybe it’s because my expectations were so high, but despite it’s achievements it falls a little short for me. It’s one of the best of it’s kind, but I think ultimately it suffers because of it’s formidable reputation.