Filmmaker reacts to Casablanca (1942) for the FIRST TIME!
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- Hope you enjoy my filmmaker reaction to Casablanca. :D
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Original Movie: Casablanca (1942)
Ending Song: / charleycoin
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Have a great weekend!
Give a guy a break bra. Back then it was nothing for a guy in his late 30s to be with a woman in her early 20s. When bogart married Loren Bacall he was 45 and she was 20. That's how people did thing back then.
Hey James. You should watch the film, A Face in the Crowd starring Andy Griffith in his first movie role. It is a really great character study type film.
The acting in Casablanca? Really good! I especially like Peter Lorre as Ugarte. Bogart plays, well, Bogart. He is one of those actors who are good as that character type.
Cinema Paradiso. Best film I have ever seen. Oscar for best foreign picture. Greatest score by the greatest of composers for film, Ennio Morricone. Watch the theatrical cut first, then later, the director's cut.
@@williamkerner3758 Just because it happened doesn't mean it's not gross AF.
FYI. On this channel you saw Peter Lorre in the movie M. Another great movie. Thank you on this reaction. I love classic and older movies. Keep up the great work.
I'm a bit disappointed we did not get to see James' reaction to this scene.
"How can you close me up? On what grounds?"
"I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"
"Your winnings, sir."
"Oh, thank you very much. Everybody out at once!"
"But everyone is having such a good time!"
"Yes, much too good a time."
Also Sam (the piano player) continues to play at Rick's. Rick talked to Ferrari (the owner of the blue parrot) before he left and gave his place to Ferrari also making sure that Sam gets paid double. Leaving us to believe that Rick and Louise are going to continue the fight in the war somewhere
This movie was very timely when it came out. People wanted to know what was going on over in Europe and this gave them a glimpse. ALL the actors are famous, huge during this time, but you probably don't know them at all. Bogart did a ton of movies, my favorite was "African Queen" with Katherine Hepburn, but you can't go wrong with him.
It's so incredible that it wasn't popular when it came out, and it's become a giant emblem of enduring cinema.
@@adarael I think that is because of the ending. ALL movies in this era had a "Happy ending" and this one didn't.
I put my dad on to the show with this episode, and we loved it! Such great scene selections and commentary. "Ricky with the blicky" has gotta get on some merch! Haha
When "we'll fix it in post" wasn't even a concept, you catch the scene the day of the shoot.
Everyones acting is perfect in Casablanca nobody steps on anyones toes.
I am so glad that someone who appreciates film actually sat down and watched this film. I would like it if you watched it again and dove even deeper because of how complex this film is. It has a surface level, and it has a few deeper layers that someone like you would be able to appreciate. Great review! Keep it up James!
This is in my top films of all time. Absolutely love it.
Top Hollywood movie critics say "Casablanca" (1942) was arguably the greatest movie ever made. It won a number of U.S. Academy Awards to include Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Humphrey Bogart), Best Screen Writing and Screenplay, Best Black & White Cinematography, and Best Film Editing. There is an excellent Warner Brothers Studio documentary on the making of the movie - very interesting as follows. ruclips.net/video/ED3l5fWzFio/видео.html During the filming, this movie was a mess. There was fighting over who the actors would be, fighting over the script, the man they hired to do the soundtrack did not like the song “As Time Goes By” and wanted it cut (a song which in large part made the movie), but because Ingrid Bergman had a haircut to prepare for another movie after her scene, they could not change the song, so it became the central epic theme song of the movie. At the end of the movie they had no idea how the movie would end. Ingrid Bergman, Bogart, and Paul Henreid had no idea who they were leaving Casablanca with on the last plane to Lisbon (to Freedom), thus Bergman did not get too close to Bogart or Paul Henreid when acting. The movie often balanced between a pending disaster and greatness, and it could have fallen either way. But it became a world famous move to this day. No one involved in the movie expected it to be more than an ordinary movie since Hollywood was a movie factory at that time making 100 movies a year. I personally think it is one of the greatest movies ever made. Made in the worst times of WWII, the actors were not acting. Ingrid Bergman (Isla Lund) and most of the supporting actors were immigrants who barely escaped from WWII Europe. Their tears and feelings were real when they sang the French National Anthem “La Marseillaise” led by Victor Laslow, head of an anti-Nazi underground group in Europe, while the Nazi’s were singing in Rick’s. Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress whose country was invaded by the Nazis. That scene was not “Petty,” this was central to the movie. All actors were fully invested in the importance of this epic movie. It is still played in many colleges and universities every year in the United States. See the documentary link above.
"But I said I would never leave you."
"...And you never will."
GUH! Right in the heart! Oh, that hurts so good.
True film lovers can't help but love this! I hope you take the time to watch it for yourself, undistracted, uninterrupted. I bet after a while, you'll fire it up again and again!
"Round up the usual suspects." is the source of the Tarantino title.
This is just one of those miraculous films where it all came together.
They had begun filming before finishing the screeplay. They didn't even know how they'd resolve the ending. They filmed as they wrote. Masterful writing in such a situation.
Oh, my goodness! Im glad you appreciated the various facets of This piece of work. To me, its story embodies a certain maturity that often seems lacking in more recent work. If you'd care too be further amazed, try to learn the story of the making of Casablanca. It seems like three or more confluent miracles, that it ever was completed.
Arguably the greatest movie ever made. Captain Renault (Claude Rains) almost tops Bogie for quotability, and that's not easy in a film where almost every line is quotable! As for his character, yeah, he was French, and Vichy France was a puppet government put in place by the Nazis, apart from "Free France" that was still fighting Germany. But even he got sick of it and joins Rick at the end. This movie came out almost a year after Pearl Harbor, so WWII was still going on and no one knew (until 1945) who would win. How many "war" movies come out WHILE the war is still going on? And this movie was literally one of a ton that Warner's was kicking out at that time, who knew it would become the classic is has. Love this film!
Tarantino isn't the only one who took inspiration from this film.
A freedom fighter deep in hiding and his companion journey to a desert cantina. There they meet a cynical smuggler who can help them arrange transport to carry top-secret information to an underground network of rebels. This smuggler has been trying to just make ends meet and stay out of the conflict so as to not attract the attention of the oppressive imperial regime that is searching for these plans in an effort to root out the rebels.
Remind you of another story in a galaxy far, far away?
You must as a film maker, go down the Humphrey Bogart rabbit hole ! I recommend ; 1 The Treasure of Sierra Madre, 2 Sahara, 3 The African Queen, and 4 Key Largo. These are all in AFI'S Top 100 movies of all time !!! You will have a great time !! ✊🏾👍🏾💯
recently I have heard that since many of the actors in the French anthem scene were European refugees, it really hit home, which is why the scene seems almost overdone. It really wasn't, the emotions displayed there, were real
Its so quotable.
I have a Casablanca poster on my wall.
Yellow
And Warrior series
A film that gets even better on repeat viewings. One of the most quotable films, one of the great doomed romances, one of the greatest songs, one of the greatest endings, one of the greatest ensemble casts. This is what filmmaking during the Studio Era could achieve. To quote the late, great Roger Ebert: "Seeing the film over and over again, year after year, I find it never grows over-familiar. It plays like a favorite musical album; the more I know it, the more I like it. The black-and-white cinematography has not aged as color would. The dialogue is so spare and cynical it has not grown old-fashioned. Much of the emotional effect of “Casablanca” is achieved by indirection; as we leave the theater, we are absolutely convinced that the only thing keeping the world from going crazy is that the problems of three little people do after all amount to more than a hill of beans."
No one could capture the essence of a film in words like Roger Ebert. I really miss his reviews.
Yes. It is the reviewer’s job to talk during the movie and tell us what he thinks. But he missed so much of the dialogue he should watch the movie again.
And one of the quotes ISN'T "Play it again, Sam".😁
@@ralpholson7616 True, but somehow that line is an American staple.
Yes, but that studio made 50 movies a year. The other 49 were so-so.
- Where were you last night?
- That's so long ago I don't remember.
- Will I see you tonight?
- I never make plans that far ahead.
Three little facts/pieces of Trivia about this film:
1) because of the starting war the studio couldn’t get actual planes for the movie. So the final scene that’s a miniature in the fog, and little people/dwarf extras as the crew working on it.
2) Dooley Wilson, who played Sam, got his name “Dooley” because he did a white face Irish act.
And
3) Melvin Van Peebles once talked about how popular this movie, and especially the Sam character was, with 1940s black audiences. Black theaters would make them stop and replay the reel where Sam talks back to Rick and tells him he’s staying there over & over.
I know to modern audiences it doesn’t seem that much, but at the time this film was an incredibly progressive Hollywood film.
That Sam and Rick have a real backstory of respect together (probably fighting the fascists in Spain) seems obvious, and it was pretty progressive at the time, from all I've heard.
That Rick leaves with Louis and leaves Sam behind seems wrong. I've always had it as a head canon that Sam long ago said he was happy to have settled down to play piano and had maybe been injured or something and knew he couldn't go back to fighting.
@@lightcastle99 remember Rick never thought he’d leave Casablanca. He was expecting to be arrested.
I always imagined when Louis & Rick head to Brazzaville, they pick up Sam on the way.
@@thomasknash I'd buy that.
I can see Sam bailing on Ferrari.
But you're right, rick was protecting sam.
What a great comment!! I learned so much. Thank you! I have a whole new appreciation for this film now
The little folks are Munchkins from Wizard of Oz which was also being filmed next door.
I've seen a few criticisms of the Ilsa character- she was, as far as she knew , a recent widow when she met Rick in Paris. Not only a widow, but the widow of a leading anti-nazi left alone in a strange country about to be invaded by the Germans. When she discovered Victor was still alive she did the noble thing and stayed to care for him, letting Rick leave, as he would have been in danger if he'd stayed
One of the finest films ever made! Loaded with well known quotes. Also, most of the actors in this movie actually escaped from Hitler, so their emotions singing down the Germans are very real! I really appreciate the way you pointed out the film making techniques they used, things I was attracted to without knowing why! Sam goes along with the new owner of Rick's, but Rick makes sure that he gets twice as much money! James, if didn't know anything about you and based my opinion solely on this reaction, you'd have won me over. You have great taste, and the eye of an artist! You might also enjoy another Bogart film called The Maltese Falcon, which also features Peter Lori ( he wasn't in a film with Gene Wilder) and Sydney Greenstreet who are both in Casablanca. It's a shame Claude Raines wasn't in it too! Bogart plays the tough private eye Sam Spade, and it also has some very quotable lines. Keep up the great work!
I think the movie James was talking about was "Arsenic & Old Lace", where Peter Lorre played Dr. Einstein as side kick of "Frankenstein".
The stuff that dreams are made of.
He has to see Peter Lorre in the movie M, that made him a star.
@@gwenkay8218 oh yes that is a great one! I need to rewatch that!
Peter Lorre is the guy who's reminding you of Marty Feldman (who played Eye-gor / Igor in "Young Fronkensteen"). They both have sort of unusual eyes, but Lorre was Hungarian/American and Feldman was British.
Lorre was eventually typecast as a "sinister foreigner", but he appeared in a stunning array of landmark films, including "M" "The Man Who Knew Too Much" "The Maltese Falcon" "Arsenic and Old Lace" and of course "Casablanca". Lorre's final film was released in 1964, while Feldman's first film wasn't released until 1969, so their careers didn't really intersect at all.
I watched "M" a few years back and was floored by it. I definitely didn't expect it to be so good and still relevant.
I do a great Peter Lorre voice. It is fun to reply to cashiers in the store, when they ask if I want them to bag it for me - I reply in my Peter Lorre voice, "Oh yes, please, that would be very nice!" Then I get the funny looks (which makes it all worthwhile)
Yeah, and funnily enough he unintentionally refers to "Arsenic and Old Lace".
Peter Lorre played the seedy sidekick to Raymond Massey, with the latter replacing Boris Karloff in the film, who had played the same role in the stage play. Since Boris Karloff is best known for portraying Frankenstein's Monster (1931), the association fits very well.
I fucking love him in ARSENIC & OLD LACE. He got to play a reluctantly sinister character who was also very funny. Had to have been a nice change of pace for him.
How do I know this movie is still solid even after all these years? Simple: that "We'll always have Paris" scene effs me up everytime
You know what James?
I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.
Best last line of a movie, Billy Crystal even said so in When Harry met Sally...
Some trivia: Conrad Veidt, who played the menacing Nazi Major Strasser, was actually very much against the fascist movement and raised vast amounts of money as well as donating from his personal fortune to aid in the Allied war effort. Also, the scene in the bar with everyone singing La Marseilles was all the more powerful due to many of the extras had personally endured tragedy and hardships from the situation in Europe. love the reaction as always! Cheers.
Veidt's wife was Jewish, and they left Germany right after the Nazis came to power.
Conrad Veidt was a bisexual icon and an anti-fascist hero, in addition to a legend in Weimar cinema. In conclusion: a real mensch.
His silent films in Germany including Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Waxworks, Student of Prague, The Man Who Laughs and even a 1919 Gay themed film Different From The Others and his US films after fleeing the Nazis puts Mr Veidt in the highest category of actors as well as his fighting fascism.
And it wasn't the German anthem, the German soldiers sing, but the Song Wacht am Rhein, a song written 1840 during one of the many conflicts between France and Germany: It translates to Guard at the Rhine.
The actor you recognized is Peter Lorre. He played the killer in M by Fritz Lang
@@flarrfan yes this is definitely a 1920's blockbuster movie x). But i think it's pretty hard to react to a silent movie. Even if Brandon already reacted to Nosferatu which was awesome, I think it's still difficult. So much incredible pieces in the silent and classic eras of cinema.
I do think that James would be able to give great reactions to silent movies, as he will be able to concentrate on the cinematography, characterisations, and structure of those films. And there are so many wonderful silents, especially some of the later years silents (1924 onwards) when they were at their peak in storytelling and production.
You're confusing Peter Lorre (Ugarte in this film) with Marty Feldman (Igor in Young Frankenstein). Peter Lorre is much older. If you want to see his best work, check out "M". It's maybe the first example of a psychological thriller. It's very good.
He did a reaction for “M” already; worth checking out! He really takes on some great films…
To be fair, every modern Igor seems to be doing a Peter Lorre impression so it's easy to see why James confused him with the Igor character.
@@gammaanteria I must have missed it. I've never seen a reactor do any foreign language film, never mind a German expressionist film from the 30s.
It's the little things the writers added to tell you about Rick's character that I appreciate. At the end Rick knows Victor is aware of Ilsa's past relationship with him and how that knowledge could be a constant question in Victor and Ilsa's relationship in the future. So he tells Victor that Ilsa came to see him and creates a narrative that has Ilsa pretending to care for him all for the benefit of Victor and casts himself as the "bad guy" for taking advantage of her even though he "knew" it wasn't true. It leaves Victor with the ability to simply accept Ricks account and move into the future without questioning Ilsa's commitment. Rick didn't need to say anything, but he's concerned enough about Ilsa's happiness that he's not going to allow Ilsa's feelings for him to threaten her future with Victor. And in this short exchange the writers establish Rick's true character.
I'll go further and suggest that, as Victor knew the first night there had been something between Rick and Ilsa, he knows the truth now. It's one of the reasons he specifically asks Ilsa if she's ready, pretty much leaving the final decision to her. She makes her choice and echoes the last line of her letter in a whisper to Rick: "God bless you." The closure for all three of them is fulfilled.
@@melenatorr Yes, sometimes even when everyone knows the score, we choose to play the roles that allow things to continue without tipping out of control and hurting someone. Allowing people to save face is social lubrication. It's screenwriting for adults, isn't it?
@@paintedjaguar Agreed!
I don't think Rick and Ilsa slept together that night. Rick saying that was his way of reassuring Lazlo that nothing happened. I also think Victor knew beforehand that Ilsa was planning to stay behind with Rick, and that Rick would make her see sense. They understand each other perfectly.
@@sjw5797 They are very much alike in their actual views on humanity and morality. It's no mistake that, of all the men Ilsa might have allowed herself to love after thinking she'd lost Victor, Rick was the one.
Casablanca is a classic with a capital C. A film that perfectly captures the time period in which it was made, with performances and characters that are now legendary. The La Marseillaise sequence is still one of my favorite sequences in any film. In terms of performances, I think this was a career best for Humphrey Bogart. His heartbreak is so palpable, especially when we see him drinking after that first encounter with Ilsa. Great pick James! Keep watching these classics every now and then!
Such an incredible film that kind of has no right to be so good lol. They started the film without a finished script. The story and dialogue is so good.
I love how the film starts out slow like you’re stuck waiting in Casablanca and waiting and waiting, but then as things start heading to the climax the pace really speeds up.
I find it endlessly rewatchable and quotable! I use “I’m shocked! Shocked to find that gambling is going on here!” all the time.
Claude Rains was one of the great character actors!
The Marseilles scene always gives me chills. The war was still ongoing when they were filming, and a lot of the emotions in that scene are genuine.
Those are two of my very favorite lines. I usually don't care for opening narration, but "wait, and wait, and wait" is just the perfect transition into the story. Also, Claude Rains is so underrated. I love him in Notorious too.
@@melanie62954 he’s brilliant in Notorious!!
"I'd like to think you killed a man... call it the romantic in me..." Love Claude Rains!
YES! YES! YES! I LOVE it when you do older classic movies! I LOVED your 12 Angry Men video, more please!
Interestingly, I've read and heard on a number of occasions that no one in the cast or the crew realized they were making a classic film. It was just another production on the lot, of which there were many. Everyone was just doing their job while working within the old Hollywood system. When you're making as many films as every big studio was making at the time you're going to have those instances where some kind of cinematic alchemy combined the different elements of a film in just the right way and you get something that works on every level. Such was case with "Casablanca". Damned near everything works in this baby. The script delivers one great line after another and the actors are in top form. The technical side comes through with very solid direction, editing and cinematography. Sometimes that old system would come up with aces, certainly not every time, but it sure did in this case.
All the great films were like that, it's when people try to make a classic that it fails hard.
Sometimes it happens the other way. A big budget film with the best actors, director, technicians etc. and it never gels. You never know how a film will turn out or how the audience will react to it.
So cool that you're reacting to this classic. Pardon my language but Humphrey Bogart is (not was) a fuckin' BOSS! Dude was like the personification of rugged masculinity.
After watching this, I ordered a DVD of the Peter Lorre/Fritz Lang movie "M" - a German language movie about a serial killer. I haven't seen it in decades, but remember what a powerful film it was.
James reacted to that one too!
@@melanie62954 Cool! I'll have to check out that reaction. Thanks.
This film is where so many famous lines comes from including the Mandela affected line "Play it Sam. Play As Time Goes By" mis-remembered as "Play it Again Sam" which is the title of a Woody Allen film.
Also during the singing by the French. Those were real French refugees.
"Casablanca": A movie with Humor, Drama and Romance that became a Classic. This was Hollywood at it's finest, when the outcome of World War II was in doubt, with considerable chemistry between the actors, complete with a Sing Off!;)
One of the greatest movies ever made ❤️ 🙌 👏 👌
Claude Rains as Captain Renault was an amazing actor. Elevated every movie he was in. You might recognize him as the politician/advisor from Lawrence of Arabia in another great role.
He had a big starring role in The Invisible Man from 1933. He's also worth seeing in Hitchcock's Notorious, with Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, with Errol Flynn in 1938 Robin Hood, and an underrated movie called Here Comes Mr. Jordan.
Humphrey Bogart is also in a slew of classics which are a must watch. Maltese Falcon, The Harder They Fall, Key Largo, The Petrified Forest, The Caine Mutiny, The Big Sleep, In a Lonely Place, and many more. You're guaranteed to love him.
He is the best supporting character all time, so good.
Humphrey Bogart had a number of great films. Two other movies that I will always watch when they come on are the Maltese Falcon and Key Largo
Peter Lorre - Ugarte - was in "Arsenic and Old Lace", the darkest of dark comedies, and a can't miss.
Here's to you kid. This was one of the films that inspired Raiders of the lost Ark.
Bogart and Bergman were obviously really great in this movie! But I also really liked the fantastic supporting actors, especially Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre and Paul Henreid.
Conrad Veidt fled Germany because his Wife was Jewish and when Paul Henreid fled Veidt befriended him!
Sadly, by the time Young Frankenstein was released Peter Lorre had been dead for about a decade. Igor was played by Marty Feldman.
This is one of those films that really taught me to appreciate the black and white cinema era, which eventually led to me finding Kurosawa. Quality stands the test of time.
Ohh sorry James, not this time. I gotta watch this on my own first and definitely go back here again. 😉 Nice pick !
Yes, please do!
Notice that Ilsa repeatedly professes her love for Rick .....and she NEVER says it to Viktor. The closest she comes is in the hotel room where he says "I love you" and she replies "I know" (Suck it Han - Casablanca did it FIRST! 😏) It's surprising how well this film holds up over 80 years later. I still consider this by far the best propaganda film ever made. Thanks for watching this classic.
Some propaganda is ART, man, and World War II had some of the best of it. Casablanca, To Be or Not to Be, The Great Dictator...and over in the UK, Powell and Pressburger made The 49th Parallel The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, and A Matter of Life and Death.
That’s the tragedy of their relationship. She was young and fell in love with the idea of Victor. Her real heart belongs to Rick but it cannot be.
Casablanca is an amazing movie. One of the best of all time. The comment that "these old films had great dialogue" is mostly a reflection of the fact that if it wasn't a great film no one would be looking at it this many years later. If I might suggest a really fun older film, The Thin Man series (1934 to 1947) is excellent. There were six of them, the second is, IMO, the best, numbers 5 and 6 are among those movies from decades ago that nobody bothers with anymore. They starred William Powell and Myrna Loy. The latter is widely known as the "second best actress" as she never won an Oscar until an honorary in 1991.
The chemistry between Powell and Loy was terrific, they deserve to be as famous a team as Astaire and Rogers.
James I LOL when you said is it going to be a crime mystery romance, etc. drama , I said to myself yes it is. 😃
You got a lot of nice points James, some of them are new to me and I want to thanks you for that.
The Tarantino reference you made with Waltz’s Inglorious Bastard Character (Hans Landa) and the police officer (Claude Rains) is on spot. Landa is just more over the top than the original.
Further, I like you observation that all of the characters have had their first rodeo before, no bull shit being delivered in the dialogue. Everyone knows who they are and all accept the counterpart as it is. That makes the dialogue so great.
Absolutely. Happy you were able to gain some additional value!
The director is Michael Curtis, and if you check out his filmology you will find that many of his films made in the US are considered classics.
Best film ever made imo :) Having in black and white adds sooo much character and causes the STORY and the characters to be at the forefront :)
#HeresLookingAtYouKid
In my opinion, your opinion is right!
Missing the classic quotes from this movie: "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine. " "Here's looking at you kid." "We'll always have Paris." "Round up the usual suspects" [something school principals often said all over the world lol]. "...I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Almost everything they say in this movie is a famous quote. But the one Rick never said is "Play it again Sam." No one did, people just made that shit up. Rick: "If you can play it for her you can play it for me...play it."
Oh, I have to stop for a second and give a little defense for Ilsa:
We have a big clue that something is terribly wrong in the last flashback with Rich and Ilsa: she begins to break down when Rick proposes marriage, and tension is extremely obvious. Remember that she says "Kiss me as if it were the last time." These are huge hints that Rick fails to pick up on. Had he stopped to think beyond the crisis of the moment, he would have questioned her further, and probably gotten the whole painful truth from her. It's easy to see the movie from her side, and understand the cruel position she's now in - and remember, as she says, she can't reveal her relationship with Victor, especially then. I have yet to see a reactor understand this moment, but if you give this a re-watch, the pieces will likely fall together better for you.
She did come that night to apologize and explain to Rick, but he was drunk, in his shell, not willing or able to listen, and the moment was lost.
She is very young: as you noted, there's an age difference between her and Rick and also her and Victor. If ten years ago, she was having braces on her teeth, then she is in her early twenties now. She met Victor as a student. Her mind and heart have been involved with an extraordinary man from perhaps the age of about 17 till now. The war and Victor's role in it has placed enormous pressure on her, a lot of responsibility. We see that when Strasser goes specifically to her after the singing contest.
It is a flawless movie without a single wasted scene.
Trivia: edited by future Dirty Harry director Don Siegel.
If you want great dialogue, check out Sweet Smell of Success- every line is gold
I'd like to see you react to Sunset Boulevard! That's a really good classic movie too.
@@flarrfan James has already done Some Like It Hot (some while ago) but neither The Apartment nor Sunset Boulevard.
I'm not a patron so I know my suggestions don't hold much weight, but there some stellar classics I don't think you've reacted to yet that are worth checking out for their visual qualities: High Noon, Sunset Boulevard, Black Narcissus, and Hitchcock's Notorious, Rebecca, and Rear Window.
Ouffff hell yesh, One of my personal faves as an old soul lol. My dad showed it to me in my teens and it was just something about it that captivated me - and I love it more every time I watch it. All the best James!
Something that really struck me was the black and white. I couldn't imagine it in color, it just works so well in black and white.
Black and white creates a sort of mesmerizing mood that would be hard to do in color. It's been done, but not often!
With black and white, the director can play with light and shadow. We get Rick getting money from the safe, shadows over peoples faces (crosses and bars) and Rick being sidelit. The lighting in this film is a masterclass in storytelling.
Was being written WHILE it was being filmed
Oh wow, I was going to recommend this when I kept seeing you react to older films. Glad you were able to check out this classic.
Igor, in Young Frankenstein was played by Marty Feldman. Peter Lorry was the child murderer in the movie M.
This is not only one of the greatest classic Old Hollywood movies and greatest movies ever made period but it’s definitely way up on my all time favorites movie list. It never gets old. So many memorable iconic lines of dialogue, incredible acting performances by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as well as the entire cast. Also love the As Time Goes By song by Dooley Wilson. I really believe this is one of those classic all time great movies that would be impossible to remake anywhere near as good as the original. It’s an untouchable movie. I also recommend you watch Ben-Hur 1959 version that won 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture. That an incredible classic film. It stars Charlton Heston.
The actor that reminded you of someone was Peter Lorre, the star of M ☺️
One of the greatest films ever made. It has been endlessly referenced, parodied and blatantly ripped off. Many a Hollywood movie owes its very existence to this and we are all the better for it. If you want to see perfect parody of Casablanca, watch Top Secret starring Val Kilmer, it’s amazing.
Edit: never mind, you already reviewed it six months ago. Watch it again and the jokes will make more sense than before.
At "Too young for you anyway" I giggled because Bogart actually married a 20 year old Lauren Bacall after they met at "To have and have not" in 1945, he was 45
Here’s looking at you, kid :,(
I always liked Renault before I realized how predatory he is towards young beautiful women in need. His staff have a code for such women by telling him there is someone in the office with “a visa problem,” so it is a regular thing for Louis to do. He has no problems pressuring the Bulgarian bride (who is borderline underaged) to sleep with him to get her and her husband out of Casablanca, and even tells Rick not to save his next target, the beautiful blonde, like he did the pretty Bulgarian.
Same, that went right over my head as a kid. Due to the time, I don't think Renault or anyone around him thought he was a bad guy, just an opportunist, and due to the Hays Code, they couldn't do more than imply what was really going on anyway.
I'm a classic movie head, and I was so happy that you did a reaction to Casablanca! The dialogue, the style, and the mood set by WW2 as the backdrop just makes this movie incredible. Another two that I would suggest in the classic/film noire genre would be "Gilda" with Rita Hayworth and Glen Ford and Alfred Hitchcock's "Notorious" with Carey Grant and Ingrid Bergman. They are two great 1940's films!
I love the letter in the rain scene, with the ink running lot looks like the letter is crying.
The “you despise me” exchange is one of the best and coldest responses ever.
All time classic! Another is "The Sting". 7 Oscars, including best picture.
You might remember Peter Lorre (Ugarte) from his lead role in "M" from 11 years before this film. He and most of the cast were refugees from Europe during the war.
Now you should check out Night in Casablanca with the Marx Brothers.
Watch The Maltese Falcon.
You might be remembering Peter Lorre from Fritz Lang's M (1931).
Glad you liked it! Now try the Big Sleep, but if you try to understand lt first time around you'll probably hurt your brain.
Great reaction. Sam (Dooley Wilson) is working for Signor Ferrari with a big fat raise in pay.
Some people would say that Casablanca is the best film ever made. I don't agree with that. It is only in the top five.
So glad to see you finally getting to this classic. It is one of the greatest, most perfect films from every angle. Your appreciation of the various elements was delightful to watch.
Sam ended up at the Blue Parrot working for Ferrari, part of the deal Rick made when setting up his exit.
Man, they don't write dialogue like this anymore.
So many great moments of cinema in Casablanca. My favorite is that the midpoint that changes the whole direction of the story is simply a nod. When Victor Laszlo tells the band to play Le Marseillaise, the band leader looks to Rick, whose detachment so far would suggest he wouldn’t want such a provocative political statement, but he nods. Suddenly, he is all in. It’s a brilliant visual moment that changes everything.
It seems so few people notice that nod or its significance.
One of my all-time favorite films. One of the things I love about it is that a bunch of the people in this movie were actual refugees who had escaped from the Nazis, including the dude who plays Ugati (Peter Lorre, because he was half Jewish) and the dude who played Major Strasse (Conrad Veidt, because his wife was Jewish) and more. Also shoutout to Dooley Wilson who played Sam the Piano Man, a standout great character in a movie absolutely jam-packed with great characters.
So glad you watched this - I assumed you had already seen it.
A few things. (One of my favorite movies.)
1) The Writing - It's fantastic, as you say, but they also didn't know how they were going to end it and were writing on the fly. They had this amazing set up and a love triangle where one of the corners wasn't secretly a jerk. They decided on the end as they went and ended up hitting it out of the park. So it feels very intentional and it is, but they were very clear on the conflict and the set up -- they didn't actually know the resolution until part way through the filming.
2) This was back in the studio system, so this whole film was cranked out in about 3 weeks of shooting.
3) You want subtle bits of cinematography and blocking? Bogart was worried that Rick came off as weak because he was so broken by heartbreak. They agreed to show his strength in the complex web of Casablanca itself in that he almost never approaches anyone. People always come to him. He is a center that other people revolve around.
4) You asked about Sam. When Rick negotiates to sell his cafe to Ferrari, you hear him negotiating a salary for Sam. Rick says that Sam gets 25% of the profits. (And, in that "they all know each other and cut through the BS" style you like so much, Ferrari says he knows for a fact Sam gets 10% but he is clearly worth 25 and so agrees to the deal. )
5) This was filmed in 1942, and so its rather blatant "You can't be an isolationist and pretend you aren't involved in the big moral fight here" message was pure war propaganda in one sense. That it works anyway is a testament to how well it also hits other themes.
6) It still cracks me up to this day that Rick's line about how "there are certain sections of New York I wouldn't advise you try to invade" still works as a joke 80 years later.
7) A whole bunch of the actors were actually refugees from the war. Also, you mentioned how it felt like it was lived in and you could tell people were also doing things in the background. IF you watch again, see how often people in the crowd shots and set up early on show up later in the movie.
8) I am convinced to this day that Ferrari was the model for the Kingpin in Marvel. (Fat man, runs all the illegal activities, white suit.)
9) People have tried to remake this for years, but even Hollywood realizes all that would do is piss people off and they have never done it. Which is why the fact that Barb Wire (starring Pamela Anderson) being a trashy sci-fi remake is so damn funny.
22 Black. Watch for how many other films after this movie reference that when there’s a casino scene.
Classic. Hope you are having an great and awesome day ❤️
I am so happy you did this movie. This movie came out long before I was born but it's still my favorite movie of all time. There's just something about black and white film (and the gorgeous Ingrid Bergman)...
Thanks for reacting to this incredible film. As a classic movie buff, one of the reasons I enjoy your reactions is because even though I can analyze and pick apart the story and dialogue and I have a general sense of good cinematography, you have the perception and vocabulary to pinpoint the technical aspects of what makes it so good. There are so many things about Casablanca that have reverberated through the decades..."We'll always have Paris," "Play it again, Sam" (I know it's a misquote in case anyone feels the need to point that out!), "Round up the usual suspects", "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," the list of famous dialogue goes on and on.
That said, people tend to romanticize old Hollywood, when there were just as many mediocre or bad films as there are now. The bad ones have just been forgotten. Casablanca is top tier in any era.
Such a smart story and the use of shadows is gorgeous throughout, like they are all living in their own hidden worlds, barely showing their cards. So many timeless lines, many of them back to back.
Nowadays, if you want to make a good movie, too often filmmakers turn to special effects or digital manipulation. In these older movies, if you wanted to make a great film, you looked for a great script with great dialogue and a great story. That’s why many of the greatest films ever made are the older films.
Casablanca's blocking has balletlike precision and grace. Characters move with truest purposefulness with their motivations. The unforgettable location of Rick's cafe is their stage and the camera ably laps up all their comings and goings. A reaction to this is one way to start off the weekend. 🤩
I’ve been watching a lot of reactors lately, and I’m also so happy to see them react to anything made before 1980!
What always tickles me is when I read comments or hear comments about old movies or b&w movies being more enjoyable than they realize or expect. This makes me kind of grateful that we had only a b&w TV til I was 15 (I never knew any different and The Wizard of Oz never had that ah hah moment for me til much later). I love older films and really appreciate the crisp dialogue and beautiful lighting and cinematography of these classic films.
I’m also thankful that the Bay Area has so many outlets for watching older films, including silent ones too!
The usual reaction is "wow, this film was really ahead of it's time!" I can never decide whether to groan or chuckle. 😐 At least some of these movies are being watched and appreciated.
I love that none of the small parts is a throw away. The minor characters still have a strong sense of self, still have their own little lives going on in the background. It gives the film so much more content in the smallest ways.
Le public de l’époque voulait de bons metteurs en scène, de bons scénaristes, des dialogues percutants et d’excellents acteurs. Aujourd’hui, il se contente d’acteurs interchangeables et d’effets spéciaux.
Je pense que le degré catastrophique de culture générale est à la base de cet effondrement de la qualité cinématographique.
Je vous engage à regarder ces films de l’Âge d’or d’Hollywood, vous y découvrirez des merveilles.
Pour ma part, je me réjouis dans ces films du jeu des acteurs de deuxième ou même troisième plans…
Une époque formidable que mon père m’a fait découvrir : il en avait tellement été privé à Paris pendant la guerre !
Salut depuis la France 🇫🇷