What makes a film perfect? It's kind of hard to say because in the process of making a film any number of things can go wrong--not the least of which is interference by studio executives who think they know what they're doing. And even if everything goes right, there's no guarantee that the film will find an audience. But every so often, a movie comes along that becomes so embedded in our culture that you don't even have to have seen it to understand cultural references to it.
I
like to think I can look at things objectively as well as
subjectively. As such, I feel compelled to disclose the fact that this
is tied with Dr. Strangelove as my all-time favourite movie. I
can't begin to tell you how many times I've seen it, most recently about
six hours ago. Having said that, I also objectively believe it's a
perfect film.
This
has got everything--adventure, excitement, romance, intrigue, gambling,
drinking, singing, piano playing, good guys, bad guys, morally
questionable guys that you kind of like anyway... all condensed into an
incredibly tight 102 minutes. And after more than 80 years, so many of
us are still drawn to this movie.
The
film is set in a bar in Morocco run by Rick Blaine, a cynical American
expat (played by Humphrey Bogart), at the height of World War II. The
city has become a haven for refugees fleeing Europe to escape the
Nazis. A very high profile refugee named Victor Laszlo (played by Paul
Henreid) comes to town accompanied by a woman named Ilsa Lund (the
lovely Ingrid Bergman). I suppose this wouldn't have been such a big
deal--apart from the war and all that--if Ilsa hadn't broken Rick's
heart as the Nazis were invading Paris. The Nazis are pissed because
Victor escaped from one of their concentration camps and they've been
pursuing him ever since. Rick also has a side bet with Captain Louis
Renault, the local prefect of police (played so beautifully by the great
Claude Rains), to see if Victor manages to escape.
While most
people (lovers and haters) cite the star-crossed romance between Rick
and Ilsa, I contend that what really makes the film work is the
relationship between Rick and Louis. I believe it to be one of cinema's
earliest "bromances," and it delights me every time I watch it.
America
had only just entered World War II at the time the film was produced
and was one of the first to deal with everything that was going on,
particularly in Europe and North Africa. In fact quite a few members of
the supporting cast--most notably Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt, and S. Z.
Sakall--had fled Europe themselves when Hitler rose to power.
The screenplay was written by the Epstein Brothers (Julius and Phillip) and Howard Koch, and based on the unproduced play Everybody Comes to Rick's
by Murray Burnett and Joan Allison. Rounding out the principal cast
were Dooley Wilson, Sydney Greenstreet, Madeleine Lebeau, and Leonid
Kinskey. The whole thing was directed by Michael Curtiz, who was best known at Warner
Brothers for directing such classic action films as The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Sea Hawk, and Captain Blood.
The film went on to win three Oscars for Best Picture, Best Screenplay,
and Best Director. Since then, it frequently is at or near the top of
most critics' "best of" lists. The American Film Institute ranked it on
many of their lists, most notably in their list of the Top 100 American
Film Quotes which featured six classic quotes from this film.
So...
is this a perfect movie? Well, I think it is. Certainly it's stood
the test of time... and if not, it's really damn close. So this week,
from 1942, I recommend what many argue to be one of--if not the--greatest movie of all time, Casablanca.
Until next week, stay safe, be good to your neighbours, and... well... Here's looking at you, kid.
Yours in peace, love, and rock and roll!
The Reverend Will the Thrill
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