Hey everyone! So, on this video, there might be some weird edits. I had a copyright ID claim on the content in this video, so I had to edit some things out. I am sorry for any inconvenience :) Hopefully, you'll still enjoy the video :)
@@cryptowerewolf1508 wow that is so beautiful! I could only imagine what that might have felt like in the cinema while they were singing the French national anthem! Thank you for sharing 😊
Wow! This is wonderful! I love hearing stories about people who actually lived through WW2, so thank you for sharing this! Your father’s a very brave man! Also thank you for watching 😊
It wasn't because of the production code. Casablanca was part of France, called "Vichy France", which allied with the Germans, rather than live under their oppression like in Paris. The French still had a semblance of control as far as law & order were concerned. Germans were big on following the rules as far as respecting their alliance with Vichy France, so Major Strasser couldn't legally arrest Victor Laszlo. This made for a peculiar and uncomfortable setting.
@@cryptowerewolf1508 Just knowing that a theater audience in Casablanca stood up and sang with the movie made me tear up. My dad was in the Pacific in the US Navy.
Also you want to know about "Vichy". The "Vichy Government" is the name of the French officials the Nazi's put in charge of France during their occupation during WWII. So when Claude Rains trashes that bottle of Vichy Water he's trashing the French who helped the Nazi's.
It got it's name from the town of Vichy was set up as the capital of the puppet government. Vichy was famous for centuries for its mineral springs with water that contained sodium bicarbonate, so much so that Vichy Water became a synonym for what we would call mineral water.
This also explains Lazlo being able to move freely without being arrested..Morocco was a French territory, governed by French authorities.. And political considerations effected Major Strausser’s actions towards him.. Meaning, they’d much rather catch him doing something illegal first, like trying to escape, before they gotta do what they gotta do.. Vichy is the baseline for a lot of the intrigue that’s happening at Rick’s Cafe.. The Ff (Free France) movement is in direct opposition to Vichy, and it also explains why Capt Renault has authority, but is kinda under the thumb of the Germans..
@@dsmdgold Because Vichy has the mineral springs it was a major spa with lots of hotels. That's why the French government moved there. There was room to house government departments.
Wow I am so glad I found this channel. Finally a person that reacts to classic movies!!! I was 16 when I saw my first classic movie, I'm 51 now and still discovering new great classics and watching the ones I've seen many many times as well. Enjoy!
That is the #1 reason I subscribe to Spectrum's Silver (Premium) digital cable package, which has Turner Classic Movies, where "old movies" and Foreign films are screened regularly.
After watching so many RUclips reactors who are watching “old” movies from the 80s, it’s genuinely refreshing - and encouraging - to see someone who is watching true classics. While I sort of wished you’d let the movie roll without quite so many interruptions, I really really enjoyed your thoughtful commentary. Count me in as a new subscriber.
Thank you, Robert! I am so happy that you enjoyed the video! In regards to the interruptions, I always feel so bad for having to interrupt these films, but unfortunately RUclips has an algorithm that looks for copyrighted material. I have to speak about the film at a certain point of the clip that I show so that RUclips won’t block the video. So, unfortunately, I have to talk every 10-15 seconds or so, but if there is any other facts or insight that you’d like me to talk about, please let me know! I am definitely open to changing up some of my insights :) thank you so much for watching and subscribing :)
Well, copyright aside, there isn't that much fun in just watching a clip show when I could be watching the entire movie. One is here for a "reaction" after all. For myself, I also want to know what the host's background knowledge and prior exposure is going in and their overall thoughts about the movie afterwards. I'm usually annoyed when people just jump in and out of a movie with no comment. And @kruuyai, I hear you! It's disconcerting to realize that some of my favorites from the last several decades actually HAVE been around long enough to qualify as "classics".
@@MoviesWithMia : Ahhh, that explains every "Reaction" Video on You Tube. Okay. Well, yours was really good. And You are Loveable to watch. And honest, refreshing, and Intelligent.
At 22:23 you were talking about no guns being drawn etc. As stated several times in the movie, even by Laslo himself, they were in "unoccupied" France. After France surrendered to Germany in 1940, Germany occupied and was the government of northern France. There were occupation troops everywhere. There were submarine bases up and down the Atlantic cost. There were Luftwaffe, German air force, bases near the cost so that they could bomb England. Southern France was unoccupied. The French government moved from Paris, which was in the German zone, to Vichy, France. It was called Vichy France. Vichy France still controlled most of the French colonies and overseas possessions. Casablanca was an overseas possession. The Germans in the film are observers that are there to make sure that the locals are remaining neutral as required by the surrender of France to Germany. This is why the Germans cannot just outright arrest Laslo.
A part that is often overlooked is when Rick admits to Lazlo that Ilse was at his place to 'Try to convince me that she's still in love with me." and that for her sake he let her pretend... There was a bit more involved there than just a dissolve. :D For his part Lazlo understands the love they shared and, as a man in love as well, is willing to let things be as Rick was saying goodbye to her then as well. So powerful a film. It's my personal favorite for all of its features. Almost anyone can love or at least enjoy this film.
Rick: Why you closing me down for? Louie: I’M SHOCKED! Shocked to find that gambling been going on here. An employee of Rick’s: Your winnings sir. Louie: Oh thank you very much. 😆
The greatest film of all time. I always love the supporting cast in classic Hollywood. Their frequent reappearances and adaptability were because they were under contract and so were used. Now the world is such a gig economy so supporting roles are not as frequently repeated as the. One final thing, I think you must have missed when Peter Lorre and Rick were talking implying the Lorre character had murdered the couriers: Ugarte : Rick, I hope you're more impressed with me, now? Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll share my luck with your roulette wheel. Rick : Just a moment. I heard a rumor those two German couriers were carrying letters of transit. Ugarte : Huh? Oh, huh, I heard that rumor too. Poor devils. Rick : You're right, Ugarte. I AM a little more impressed with you.
I love your analysis. Lots of people on RUclips do film reactions nowadays. Most are bland, uninspired, lacking insight. Reduced to things like, "Oh!" "Ah!" and "Oh, my gosh!" etc. But you actually have meaningful things to say. Keep up the great work! Thanks.
Nice shoutout to Sabrina! Love that movie as well.. The actress who played Yvonne actually escaped from occupied France before filming. Watch her reaction as she sings the Marseilleise with tears! Concerning seeing the same actors, back in the day the actors were not independent, but were under contract with a particular studio. That's why you'll see Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre in Casablanca, and then the same actors in the Maltese Falcon.
The way the line "Here's looking at you, kid" was used is called a triple beat. If you watch for it, you'll see it in a lot of movies. A line is spoken, usually by the protagonist, in a straightforward way at first; then the line resurfaces later, usually at a turning point which is often a low point for the protagonist; and lastly, it's spoken again near the end, as a way of capping the emotional throughline of the story. Triple beats are one of the basic building blocks of screenwriting. :)
The "triple beat" label only came after filmmaking actually became a legitimate field of study. Back then, everyone was still flying by the seat of their pants.
@@eatsmylifeYT Dude, just because ivory-tower critics hadn't come up with a name for it yet doesn't mean the writer didn't know what they were doing. There's a reason they're called _writers,_ after all.
My yearbook quote was "It doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." Silly me.
If you haven't watched "Now Voyager", I highly recommend it. Paul Henried was never the same after making that movie. Claude Rains also has a nice role in the same movie.
@@MoviesWithMia Check Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart and other stars, also watch From Here To Eternity, The Big Sleep and The Conflict. I come a cross your channel by accident, you are girl after my own heart. I love old films, this when Hollywood wrote good films, No over Sexy and violence. Just good story telling!! Ingrid Bergman is and was damn hot 🔥🔥🔥 🔥🔥.
There is so much more. You need to see the lighting. Rick's face throughout the movie is cast one side shade and the other light. Shows the internal struggle Rick is facing while Ilsa' face is mostly lit up. Also there are times when Ilsa' is up in Rick's room. There is a scene where the light shadow from the grills cast a shadow of bars on her face showing that she is trapped. Also you seem to miss the allegory of the whole thing. Rick represents America an America's isolationists policy. In fact there is a scene where he says he will not stick his head for anyone. That is America is not going to enter the war. Ilsa is from Norway who did not side with the Germans. Victor was from Czechoslavakia who was invaded by Germans. A number of them was from France. Even the girl at the bar who was trying to win Rick here representing France trying for America to help France. Also the scene where Rick is burying his sorrows by drinking ask Sam an important question ," if it is December 1941 what time is it in Casablanca?" This date to be precise 7th December 1941 Japan attack on Pearl harbour and when America is forced to enter the war. At the end Rick( America) finally enters the war as you can see in the final scene where he puts helping others way above his personal feelings. The scene ends with American and France walking hand in hand and America saying "this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." If you have any doubt even the name Casablanca means " White house". There is so much more in this that I will have to write pages after pages to critique this movie. I hope this will help you to analyse the movie even further.
Most people watch this movie today without the historical facts. I appreciate you telling the story within the time period. One must understand this to really know what is going on. So many reactors only focus on the romance.
Mine too. There is a restaurant in San Francisco called John's Grill where Hammett hung out. The third floor is modeled after Maltese Falcon. We had our wedding party there and it was amazing
You’ve now completed the first film in my Bogart triple feature (it could easily be a ten-movie festival). Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Three completely different characters all performed to perfection by one of Hollywood’s greatest.
My Bogart triple feature would be Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and Key Largo, the latter being a superb John Huston film in which Bogart appears with wife Lauren Bacall along with Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor, and Lionel Barrymore.
Wow, this is so great! You are so thoughtful and entertaining with your research and interest in these older movies. I definitely get excited when I see someone in an older movie who I recognize too, for sure. I think I'm just proud of myself because if I recognize a supporting actor from 90 years ago, I feel like I deserve a high-five from myself. My only complaint about this movie is: not enough Peter Lorre. Love that dude. Speaking of Peter, it boggles my mind that there were actors during WWII who came right out in public against Hitler, because as you said, we didn't know the outcome of the war until later. Just think what would have happened to Peter Lorre (and a lot of other anti-Nazi German actors, like Conrad Veidt, Marlene Dietrich, etc) if the Axis Powers had won. They were really sticking their necks out when a lot of people didn't. Anyway, I love that you're doing the actual classics. I swear to god, if I hear one more person describe a movie from 1999 as an old movie, I won't be responsible for my actions.
At the time of the couple's parting from Rick at the airport, I enjoy Victor's line to Rick, "Welcome back to the fight. This time I know our side will win."
Mia Tiffany, I totally understand your giddiness when a character actor you know from a previous film turns up in another movie, it happens to me all the time! When we watch a movie, on some level we are in the movie with those actors, playing pretend with them, so when you see them again, it's like seeing a friend, and we anticipate having fun playing pretend with them again. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Wow, someone is reacting to classic films?! You have a new subscriber here! I’ve been thinking about going through the TCM section of HBOMax and doing reactions myself. If you like Peter Lorre and haven’t yet seen “M,” you really must. It’s an iconic performance. For your musicals, I cannot recommend Victor/Victoria enough.
I strongly endorse that recommendation; "M" is really the movie that made Lorre a star, and remains arguably his greatest performance ever. It's in German -- he would come to America not long after, if I recall correctly. And I'd love to see you react to The Maltese Falcon, which also stars Humphrey Bogart, Lorre, and (in his first movie role) Sidney Greenstreet.
It's a pleasure to watch someone react and enjoy these truly classic films. It's also obvious you have done the research necessary to appreciate the historical setting and dialogue. Thank you for sharing your observations and commentary.
There are some scenes in this movie that still have me tearing up with emotion. Doesn't matter how many times I've watched this movie. You've really made a great choice when you selected "Casablanca"!
You are amazing,..Casablanca is my favorite movie of all time and to see a Young black woman so affected by it and truly understand it warms My heart to no end..I must follow your channel:. "Here's looking at you kid!"
I appreciate and share your fondness for movies and actors from the 40s and your attention to details. Subscribed. PS: _To Have and Have Not_ with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall sizzles with political intrigue, romantic tension and memorable one-liners. “You know how to whistle, don’t you? You just put your lips together and blow.“
La Resistance (The French Resistance) were some of the bravest people of the 20th century. They were ordinary citizens who used extremely innovative ways to hurt the German military in key strategic points. Excessively proud to have 50% French heritage. On a side note, I watch a lot of people do reviews and I feel that you’re one of the best on RUclips. You definitely need more attention than you’re getting. You have found a niche where most people are not reviewing. You do your homework. You have an old soul. You have a good understanding of the evolution of film. I so look forward to your videos. I encourage everyone to spread the word about your channel!! 👏
Wow! I genuinely feel so blessed to have viewers like you! Your comment has me in tears! I am so incredibly grateful to be able to share my love for classic movies with all of you! This is one of the reasons why I love doing this because of this little community that we have created! Thank you so much for this comment and for watching! I appreciate you :) P.S. I think what La Resistance did was incredibly brave! I definitely want to look more into their history! And I would be so proud, too!!
They had a lot of damaging ways of getting to the Germans, some violent, some just nasty harassment. My favorite had to do with laundry! The Resistance had the launderess's mix ground glass into the soap they used when they were forced to do laundry for the occupying German troops. Now...think of how you would feel if your pants had tiny little bits of broken glass worked into the fibers. The French could be a hoot when they put their minds to it.
I am so happy you had the chance to watch this movie. One of my old time favorites.. Fun trivia fact - Dooley Wilson who played Sam was an actor and a drummer. He did not really play the piano.
It's funny, years ago I never cared for Casablanca. Then one day it was on TCM, I decided to watch it completely through and really pay attention to all the lines and goings on. I fell in love with it and understand why so many others love it too. Glad to see that younger people have an interest in the classic films. Found your channel today and will be watching from now on. Thank you.
Another fantastic reaction, Mia! It’s so exciting to see you get so giddy about old b&w films (and movie stars like Bogie) as much as teenagers today geek out about Marvel movies. It makes my day to see you light up like a kid on Xmas morning. I share the same enthusiasm about the things I love. And you are seriously doing your homework too, droppin’ knowledge about camera moves, Max Steiner, the Hays Code, etc. You asked for recommendations so I got a couple: As far as musicals, I think you would love love love Judy Garland in the technicolor classic ‘Meet Me in St. Louis,” one of my all time faves. And if you want to see Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman sizzle together on screen in glorious b&w then check them out in Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Notorious’, also costarring Claude Raines! As much as I love Ingrid Bergman in ‘Casablanca,’ I think she’s even better in ‘Notorious.’ She gives a more deeply layered, heartbreaking performance. Keep up the great work!
Thank you, Jose! And thank you kindly for the recommendations! I wanted to also let you know that I put Notorious on the list for Hitchcock month! I am really excited to see Grant and Bergman’s chemistry (someone else said they had wonderful chemistry). Thank you for your recommendations and your comments, I really look forward to your comments :) P.S. I should also note that I am a HUGE Marvel fan 😂😂 but sometimes the CG and extravagant fight scenes become redundant, so I am glad to have found these classic Hollywood masterpieces to escape to!!
@@MoviesWithMia No problem! I think the classic family sitcom format was a cool and clever way to reintroduce us into the Marvel universe. The first two episodes seemed to catch a lot of viewers off guard but I personally loved them. They totally nailed the look, style, and feeling of those vintage shows and I really love Elizabeth Olsen. She gets the chance to show off her comedic chops (as does Paul Bettany) and she’s a natural. I also like the theme of that whole world created as a grief-coping mechanism. Speaking of redundancies, I tend to tune out somewhat when the story strays away from their bubble (watching government/military types strategizing to take down our heroes gets a little predictable for me). But I’m really into Wanda and Vision themselves and am looking forward to see how they wrap everything up. How about you, Mia? What do you think?
Yay! I finally have someone to talk with this about! So, I really enjoy this show! I loved how they formatted the first three episodes (but I have to be honest, I was also slightly confused at first of where they were going with it 😅) but I really love Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen and their chemistry! And I feel that they are somehow going to introduce the multiverse in this series and also in the new Spider-Man movie, so I am super stoked to finish the series!!! I can’t wait to see how phase 4 unfolds!!!
Another awesome reaction Mia. And thank you for showing my comment. WOW, that was unexpected! @ 9:00 Sidney Greenstreet. Talk about a guy who could dole out the dialog! He and Peter Lorre (Ugarte) did several good movies together you would like, Three Strangers, The Verdict and first time together with Bogey in The Maltese Falcon (1941). Do Maltese sometime! Another good Bogart classic he's most known for. @ 25:00 My grandmother took my mom to the theater often while my grandfather was overseas in the war, and they saw this incredible movie when it came out in 1943. She and my grandma said when they finished playing the French anthem they were out of their seats cheering and clapping along with the rest of the theater at that point! Many, including them were still in a scary but patriotic mood all the time and this movie cheered them up. @ 25:43 If you want to see a Bogey movie with REAL romance behind and in front of the camera, do "To Have and Have Not" (1944), where the married Bogart stars with his young future wife, Lauren Bacall in her first screen role. There was a lot in the news about that at the time. @ 26:00 Very interesting. Recall too near the end Rick telling Victor about he and Ilsa, "....for your sake she pretended (to love Rick), and I let her pretend." Suggesting without being overt. BTW, the scene title on my DVD that contains that quote there is called 'A Gentleman's Explanation', LOL! @ 29:55 Oh man, my mom said at this scene the crowd erupted with cheering. Notice that little sly look between Louis and Rick? Up to that point nobody knew which side Louis was really on, Vichy or Free French. It must have been a relief to the audience! Couple of things edited out of the video worth noting is the hilarious moment soon after the French anthem was sung Louis was ordering Rick's club to shut down and telling him, "I'm shocked! Shocked to find gambling's going on here." Then Emil the croupier hands him a wad of cash saying "Your winnings sir." and Louis quickly grabs it saying "Thank you very much. Everyone out at once!" And Rick gives him that look! Then later Rick telling Louis his gun is pointed at his heart and Louis replies, "That is my least vulnerable spot." Those were funny! But what a movie eh?
Wow! Thank you for your insight! And thank you for sharing your mother and grandmother’s story! That is something to be treasured! Also, thank you for recommending To Have and Have Not! I am definitely going to have to watch that one! I love when off-screen couples do movies together (with the exception of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in Gigli. That one was just bad 😂) so I will definitely check that one out! Thank you again!!
@@MoviesWithMia This is also my favorite scene in the film. Interesting fact: many of the supporting actors in that scene were from countries then occupied by the Nazis; some of them also fled the Nazis in real life. Their emotions during the scene were very real.
I love this movie. Cast is perfect. I'm female I appreciate good looking men, but Ingrid Bergman in this movie is stunning, when she smiles, it's like she is lit from within, as someone commented on another thread. Also the scene where she says 'If you knew how much you I loved you, how much I still love you" with tears streaming down her face, unmatched. I read her autobiography, and when she came to Hollywood the studio's wanted her to wear more make up, change other things about her looks, she refused, didn't hurt her career. Many stars of today could learn from that, many look so fake with so much plastic surgery, Madonna, Kim Kardashian. As a fellow scandinavian (Denmark) I'm proud of Ingrid Bergman she is one of a kind.
Great reaction--appreciate the fact that you're watching classic films from the Golden Era. Not many RUclipsrs react to anything prior to the 1970s. Just subscribed to your channel. Casablanca is one of my favorite films and Curtiz's direction with the fluid camera movements (the zoom in shots you really enjoyed are referred to as "dolly shots) is highly under appreciated by the casual moviegoer. Also, someone may have mentioned this but the composer for the film, Max Steiner, actually didn't want to include "As Time Goes By" (it was a song that was released years prior to the film) but the director insisted--and thank God he did. Personally, I think RIck and Ilsa's romance is the greatest romance in cinema history, "As Time Goes By" is the greatest song in cinema history because of the significance it plays, and the bittersweet ending makes the film have an even greater impact, even nearly 80 years later. If you're looking for other all-time great cinematic classics, I highly recommend the following: It Happened One Night (considered THE romantic comedy that set the standard for the genre; also one of only 3 films to win the "Big 4" at the Academy Awards) Double Indemnity (considered one of the great film noirs) Sunset Blvd (also considered one of the great film noirs) Singin' in the Rain (even if you're not big into musicals--this is THE musical--and it will surely brighten your day) The Apartment (essentially the bookend of the romantic comedy genre--helped end the Hays Code and won Best Picture)
Hi Andrew! Thank you for your recommendations! I absolutely agree with you about Rick and Ilsa’s romance! It was one of the greatest cinematic romances that I have ever seen in a film! Also, I am really glad that they decided to leave in the song “As Time Goes By” because I think it adds a depth to Rick and Ilsa’s romance that makes it so special! Thank you for your insight about the dolly shots! I think that the fact that Curtiz decided to use that style of cinematography was such a wonderful idea! I felt like I was right there with them while watching those scenes, especially in Rick’s Cafe! One more thing I wanted to add, we are starting Musicals in March on Wednesday and it would be my pleasure to react to Singin in the Rain! Thank for so much for recommending and thank you for subscribing to the channel!!
Absolutely love this analysis of Casablanca! This is my first time watching one of your videos and I really appreciate the work you’ve done to make this. You are so informed with the background of the movie and the production, I really appreciate it. I’m a musician studying musicology and this movie has the incredibly magnificent “play La Marseillaise” scene, which means a lot to me. Thank you for the awesome reaction to this movie and I’m psyched to see all of your others! Glad to subscribe and enjoy your work!
What I liked about this film is that all the characters were willing to sacrifice for the others. Rick sacrificed his desire for Ilsa and did the right thing putting both Ilsa and Victor on the plane. What is less clear is that Ilsa may have been willing to stay with Rick only in order to ensure that Rick would put Victor on the plane. In fact Rick suggests to Victor that Ilsa was only with him the night before to ensure that Victor would get the letters of transit. Was Ilsa really in love with Rick to the extent to leave Victor or was she making the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that Victor got out of Casablanca to continue his important resistance work? Remember Rick was bitter and self-proclaimed to be selfish and not sticking his neck out for anyone, so Ilsa may have thought the only way to get Victor out was to sacrifice herself (not that she was totally unwilling) to Rick. And Victor of course was willing to let Rick escape with Ilsa if that was the only way Ilsa could escape. Rick ultimately saves the day by rejecting his selfish ways, sacrificing his love and returning to the war cause. But its rare in film these days to see all the characters by self-less when so many modern film characters are selfish and flawed.
Mia, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship~ Sorry, I couldn't resist.. but I've seen a good deal of folks on RUclips watching movies and you've got like, that extra pepper sauce of excitement and appreciation of the ongoing art of film. This is one of my favorite movies to sit back and enjoy in the afternoon, maybe with a drink or four, along with a smoke break-- but the absolutely awesome character dialogue in this whole story is what makes it a great choice, and a good talking point too. I'm subbed and bell'd, and I look forward to getting thru your library of vids now, thank you for your hard work in advance!
Hello Mia! My name is Eghosa and I am actually one of your subscribers. I really appreciate the fact that you are talking about Classic Cinema in the process. In addition, I recommend you watch Turner Classic Movies in order to continue to increase your knowledge of film since I really adore your boldness to react to Classics. By the way, here are some recommendations for your channel to react to: 1.) From Here to Eternity 2.) On the Waterfront 3.) The Bicycle Thief 4.) The Apartment (1960) 5.) Some Like it Hot 6.) Seven Samurai 7.) Rear Window 8.) Singin in the Rain 9.) Army of Shadows (1969) Mia, feel free to watch and enjoy to where you will grow in your film knowledge. I will be patient as possible so take your time to watch the films. Also, I added some foreign selections in order to show versatility so that you can expand your film knowledge as well. Thank you, Mia for reacting and continue to grow in your passion for film.
Hi Eghosa! Thank you for subscribing to the channel! Also, I greatly appreciate your recommendations! Thank you so much, I will add them to the list :)
Been sarching for a channel like this, and boom... there you are. Great reactions, great picks and kudos for doing some homework on the films (unlike most reactors). Best wishes for you and your channel from on classic movie fan to another. Subbed.
In this movie I can really appreciate your layering of contextual knowledge. The amount of studying you do before watching is a bonus. You can react while filling in context. It sets you apart from other reactors.
I grew up watching this movie....by the time I saw it the first time, the movie had been out for about 25 years or so. I also I love how enthusiastic you are about old classics like this. I am definitely hitting the subscribe button.
One of my very favorite films. It is famous for having 6 most quoted lines. More than the next 2 films combined. There is 1 thing that the screenwriters got wrong. Rick fought in Spain. The Ger. used 77mm guns in WWI, but in Spain and WWII it used 75mm guns. And, actually it had armed the field artillery with 105mm gun-howitzers, and only used 75 mm guns late in the war when it could not make enough 105s because of Allied bombing.
Laszlo was supposed to meet Ugarte at Rick's to get the Letters of Transit; so yes, it was deliberate that there were 2 LoT and two people who needed them. It was prearranged that Ugarte was meeting them to give the LoT to them. It's easy to miss but if you watch it 100x, you catch that detail because it is casually mentioned a few times.
Mia, I so much enjoy watching your reaction to this classic film. I especialy love your appreciation for the historical context of these films. Laslo doesnt need a gun to the head to understand his very existence is a threat to the Reich. Laslo represents the idea of "freedom", the greatest weapon the allies possesed.
Finally found my soulmate content creator for my love in Classic Hollywood films. A new subscriber here from the Philippines. Please continue the Wonderful content. Love lots.
‘Casablanca’ is renowned and is justly acknowledged as one of the most romantic films of all time but it is much more than the tale of a love triangle. Of course, it shows that the power of love can affect the human psyche, as demonstrated by Rick’s metamorphosis. This film has so many levels to it that it takes many viewings to appreciate them. The main theme is not romance but self-sacrifice as the film’s message to the world at war is to give up the personal agenda for the common cause. It reminds wartime audiences, many of whom have loved ones fighting abroad, that their situation is the same as that of Rick, Ilsa and Victor. The screenplay is so intelligently written. It is a masterpiece of complexity, containing subliminal political opinions and messages all carried along on a thrilling plot with brilliant one-liners and memorable quotes, comedic elements together with contemporary, social commentaries. Basically, the film is politically motivated because it is a plea to America to join the war. Please note that the action takes place in pre-Pearl Harbour, December, 1941. This is the the first non-musical movie to use music almost as an another protagonist, (which Tarantino does now). For example, ‘As Time Goes By’ is a valuable recurring theme and, in Paris, Rick and Ilsa dance to ‘Perfidia’ which means untrustworthiness. Michael Curtiz’s direction is multi-faceted: Documentary, Film Noir, German Expressionism, Flashback etc. He is the master of creating the plot via seamlessly connecting a series of rapid-fire vignettes. POINTS OF INTEREST AND NOTES FOR SUBSEQUENT VIEWINGS. Rick’s initial selfishness, (I stick my neck out for nobody’), is a metaphor for USA indifference. It must be remembered that the events and politics are hard to comprehend and put into perspective for modem audiences than in the actual time when the film was made. The script is a 'State of the Union' address, both for home and foreign policies. There are references to Civil Rights as embodied in Sam and, of course, the debate about America’s involvement in the conflict. Each character represents a country e.g. Two Japanese plotting . The Italian on the tail of the German. American indifference. French collaborators, the British robbed by foreign policy. Even the Balkans are mentioned via the Bulgarian couple. Rick’s actions symbolise the USA in its change in policy from isolationism to participation and ‘….the beginning of a beautiful friendship…’ is the USA and Europe joining forces to fight Nazism. There is subtle direction. For example, Ilsa wears black and white clothes and is cast in shadows and in a mirror which portrays the ambiguity of her role. The ‘La Marseillaise’ scene is the pivotal moment in which both Ilsa and Rick realise that saving Victor is more important than their own personal relationship. It also comes in just as Rick and Victor are about to argue over Ilsa but both drop the issue when they hear the music. This scene is rousing now but imagine how it must have felt for audiences right in the middle of the war when Germany seemed invincible and we need to put it in perspective in terms of world events full of Nazi domination. The facial close-ups used throughout the film speak a thousand words: but particularly note Ilsa during ‘La Marseillaise’ when her expressions show her admiration of Victor’s power and her realisation that this must be preserved at all costs. In any case... there is so much alcohol!!!! POINTS TO WATCH ‘It’s December, 1941 in Casablanca: what time is it in New York?... I bet they are asleep all over America’. PEARL HARBOUR ‘Even Nazis can’t kill that fast’ CONCENTRATION CAMPS ‘I don’t buy or sell human beings..’ CIVIL RIGHTS The Bulgarian couple keep appearing as symbols of hope and determination. In the bar room fight over Yvonne, Rick attacks the German only and not the Frenchman. Captain Renault dumps the bottle of Vichy water to represent his rejection of the Nazi- collaborating French Government which was located in Vichy. Just one example of the excellent and complex scriptwriting occurs immediately after the roulette scene. The girl thanks Rick for letting her husband win and Rick replies, ‘He’s just a lucky guy’, which, on the face of it, refers to the gambling, but, in Rick’s mind, means that the husband is ‘lucky’ because his partner truly loves him.
The German cannot take more direct action-- Casablanca was technically part of France, which had certain elements of independence. He dares not cause a public incident, even though the Vichy French government was a puppet regime.
In the scene in which Rains and Bogart sit down and talk to the German generals, this is the only time in the film where we are told Rick's full name and then moments later he explains to the general that there are parts of New York City that wont be so easy to invade and when you think about it, this is true today. This truly is one of the best romantic movies ever made...while the war and its surroundings are part of the tale, it is still a basic love story told in a most wonderful way. Also the bond between Rains and Bogart is just super. It was a treat to find your channel...have a big selection of classics on dvd in my collection and proud that you chose this one...looking forward to checking your other classic movie reactions.
The brilliance of this movie is that all the personalities of the geopolitical situation of a world embroiled in World War II are played out in this small cafe in North Africa. Rick Blaine (Humphry Bogart) represents American reticence to enter the war. Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) represents the beauty and innocence of France before the German occupation of Paris. Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) is the heroism of the French Resistance. Ilsa absolutely admires Laszlo's heroism. She can never turn her back on her loyalty to him. But she fell in love with Rick at a time when she thought Laszlo was dead. Ilsa truly loves Rick, but she is devoted and loyal to Laszlo's noble cause of resisting the Nazis. All three of them want to do the right thing. Sometimes, doing the right thing means seeing the larger picture. Acting for the greater good of humankind. The line Rick says to Ilsa at the airport says it all: "The problems of three people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." The war effort is more important than any one individual's personal happiness. They all have the best of intentions, but they see things from different points-of-view. In the beginning of the movie, we think Rick will always protect his own interests. "I stick my neck out for nobody." Rick says: "If it's December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York? I bet they're asleep in New York. I bet they're asleep all over America." (America is thus far failing to "wake-up" to the realities of the European war.) Rick Blaine (and his claims that he cares only about himself) represents America's reticence to enter the war. Obviously, Major Strasser represents the German occupation landing on new soil (the invasions of Poland and France). And who jumps up to salute him at the airport (besides Captain Renault)? An Italian officer. (Mussolini) The battle of the national anthems. ("Vive la France!") The war is playing itself out in allegory in this North African cafe. (Everyone has their own agenda which represent much larger, global themes.) Even individual lines of dialogue have global double-meanings. "We'll always have Paris" is not just about their personal memories of a love affair. In terms of invading forces seizing new territory, the whole world might ask itself: "Will we always have Paris? If we fail to fight to protect Europe... will we always have Paris? (It was just invaded by Hitler.) Rick finally shows himself willing to do the right thing, even if it means great personal sacrifice (America joining the war effort). Victor's Laszlo's work must succeed. Captain Renault throwing the bottle of Vichy water into the trash is a rejection of the authoritarian Third Reich government in Vichy , France, and a statement rejecting France's own persecution of Jews and its earlier collaboration with Hitler. (Captain Renault has changed sides, from allowing the Nazis to operate without question, to rejecting the Nazis.) Captain Renault has been trying to appease Major Strasser the whole film. At the end, he calls Rick "a patriot" for taking-up-arms against Strasser. That all of this was written and produced while the war was still happening is astounding! "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" represents the NATO Alliance. America and Europe joining forces in a shared destiny. Spectacular movie.
While the French national anthem is playing, you can see Ilsa looking at Lazlo like "you damn fool. These Nazis get their hands on you, they're gonna use your veins as a noose". Follow up. If you think Claude Rains is good in this, he is. But you should see the Invisible Man and Robin Hood.
You did a great job! Kudos for noticing the camera work! A lot of people and things came together very well for this movie. Curtiz fled Paris through Portugal to escape. He was Jewish. The croupier and 'Yvonne' were real-life husband and wife. He also was Jewish. They also had to flee Paris (first car, then bicycle!) through Portugal! The bartender SZ Szakal (sp) had a sister die in a German concentration camp. Those people, like 'Yvonne' cried real tears during the duelling anthems scene!
Okay, first, greatest ending to any movie ever! Second, I love your reviews and I LOVE that someone young and smart and accomplished LOVES these old movies! You here a but coming? Here it is. When Rick watches the plane leave he's not longing to be on it. He knows the woman he loves, has loved, more deeply and purely that any other is leaving his live forever...and with another man! How hard is that? It's a little rough. Anyway, not so much criticism, just one movie buff to another, a little debate. Really appreciate your stuff.
So happy I found this channel! What's not to love. Interesting facts, history, an appreciation of classic cinnima and fun times. I'm here for it popcorn at the ready!
I like this movie it's been 80 years since it came out in 1942 I've watched it on HBO Max during new years eve in 2021 and was such a great movie, Its an undisputed masterpiece and perhaps Hollywood's quintessential statement on love and romance Casablanca has only improved with age boasting career defining performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, CASABLANCA (1942) 99/100% Certified Approved ☑️ Rick Blaine: HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU KID.
Just found your channel through Casablanca. So happy to see a young person appreciate the classics. If no one else has recommended it, don't miss Auntie Mame starring Rosalind Russel. I promise, you'll not only want an Auntie Mame of your very own, you'll be inspired to be an Auntie Mame.
Mia, you got me with this reaction. I love your enthusiasm. As I get older I find it just too bad that generation after generation is just more lost, not only to how entertaining these movies are but also to the significance of the time that they were made. You strike me as a true history buff like myself. I look forward to more reactions from you. Keep it up.
Most people talk about the tight script, the quotable lines, the lighting, the camerawork.... I love what a witty wisecrack Rick is. Gives me Malcom Reynolds(Firefly) vibes. But its just not talked about more because of how serious and isolationist Rick is. Are my eyes really brown?
You might enjoy the 1972 Woody Allen film "Play It Again, Sam" based on his play - about a recently divorced man trying to get back in the dating game, he is obsessed with 'Casablanca' and sometimes is visited by the ghost of Humphrey Bogart who gives him dating advice. You KNOW Allen loves classic Hollywood movies! And that reminds me - I bet you'd LOVE another Woody Allen film 'The Purple Rose of Cairo' which is partly a tribute to the classic Hollywood films of the 30's. I would give a quite plot summary but I don't want to spoil it for you. But I really think you'd love it based on some of the films you've enjoyed so far on your channel!
Thank you for your recommendations! I have been wanting to dive into Woody Allen films because I have heard great things about them! I saw Midnight in Paris, and I loved it!! So, thank you for your suggestions! I will definitely check them out!!
Hi Mia. You should get into a little film noir with Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet of Casablanca in The Maltese Falcon, or Bogart with Bacall in The Big Sleep. I'm surprised no one on youtube has reacted to these.
After the fall of France, a French "Vichy" gov't was established, which collaborated with the Nazis. That detail would have been understood by filmgoers who followed the news. This film wasn't "about" WW II but is steeped in that immediately present context. That's one reason it so resonated with audiences.
First of all, thank you for reacting to these classics! It's refreshing to see someone doing this, and enjoying the journey. Second, a couple recommendations in a similar vein to this film, both also released in 1942, and starring Greer Garson: Mrs Miniver (classic wartime story) and Random Harvest (IMO, one of the best romance movies ever). Thanks!
Ingrid always said in interviews that she never knew who Ilsa would end up with because they were writing the script scenes the night before. So she had to act like she could end up with either Victor or Rick. And we never knew how how it would turn out at the airport until it happened.
Since you seem to have a love for great older movies, I have an somewhat overlooked gem for you from 1959. The film is "On The Beach" and stars Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Anthony Perkins, and Fred Astaire (in a non-dancing role). No, it's not about teenagers singing and dancing on the beach so don't let the title scare you away. Hope you give it a try, and the same goes for any of your subscribers or commenters.
Mia, I love that you're watching Casablanca. Years ago, at a Fathom Events TCM screening, Casablanca was *sold out*, I was shocked (I still got in tho!). Still such a beloved movie. Sometime you really need to see Neil Simon's The Cheap Detective, a truly loving parody of Casablanca and also the Noir crime genre. It's take on so many classic Casablanca moments will stick with you...I had them in my head watching your reaction!
Thank you for your recommendation, Justin! And I could only imagine what that screening must have been like! It is amazing how much love this film still gets!
Hahaha! That is hilarious! Yes, I figured that it might have been influenced by the cinematography of Citizen Kane because of the risks they took in that film and the success that they had!
My absolute, no 1, best film I have ever seen. Superb. The scene where Lazlo says to the band, "Play the La Marseillaise" and the band look to Rick, and he nods and they drown out the Nazi's is superb and then Yvette (who is on a date with a Nazi to rub it in Rick's face) stands up and shout, "Vive La France!" is an absolutely profound scene. It brings tears to my eyes every time. It's the best scene in the best film ever made. I've seen this film over a dozen times and I love it every single time.
Rick sacrificed his love for the good of the war. That’s why there’s that “this time I know our side will win” line to reinforce the fact. That’s what makes the ending so great. It’s bittersweet.
It opened in theaters as the U.S. was headed to Africa to join the Allies in fighting the Germans in northern Africa in Operation Torch. Yes, I too delight in knowing and seeing actors in films that were long before my time. One that my mother loved was Maria Ouspenskaya who played the grandmother in Love Affair (1939) with Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer. Remade as An Affair to Remember (1957) with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, remade in (1994) as Love Affair with Warren Beatty and Annette Benning. Sleepless in Seattle (1993) heavily referenced An Affair to Remember. For war messing up a love story there Waterloo Bridge (1940) with Vivian Leigh and the dreamy Robert Taylor, and Maria Ouspenskaya.
There's a scene early in that would interest you, and your viewers who know the movie well. Recall the French guy the Vichy police shot in the back running away because his papers were expired. He fell under a poster of the pro-Vichy prime minister and Marshal of France, Philippe Pétain with his quote to Casablanca translated as "I keep my promises even those of others." The irony is the poor guy shot was carrying Free French material and died right under the image of Pétain who later was tried and convicted for treason after the war.
a subtle but great line is when Bergman asks Bogart where he was 10 years ago, and he says "looking for a job".... the whole sad history of the Great Depression is in those words and the look on Bogart's face when he speaks them
It's interesting, the camera started out very locked down in the silent era, getting freed up over time. Then sound came in and the camera was locked down again. Cameras were really noisy, so at first they were behind sound divider partitions, looking through windows, to keep the camera sound out of the mics. Eventually they figured out how to build sound dampening boxes around the camera, edit sound, dub lines, etc. So the camera got freed up again and directors and cinematographers started experimenting again. Citizen Kane being an extreme example.
Wonderful reaction. I just discovered your channel and immediately subscribed. This is one of my favorite movies. Aside from the romance, great dialogue, and superb acting, I love Curtiz's use of lighting. Notice how in the early part of the film, while Rick is still cynical, he is often lit from the side so half his face is in light and half in darkness. But in the Paris flashbacks and after he helps Ilsa and Laszlo, his face is usually shown in much brighter light. And of course, Ingrid Bergman is so often in soft focus so she looks more idealized.
Because of the Production ode, Ilsa HAD to leave with Victor and not Rick, which makes the writing all the more impressive. Also, great job of putting it into historical context.
If you're doing movie musicals (you might have them all picked out) but some older ones: Top Hat (Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers), Meet Me in St Louis (Judy Garland), Footlight Parade (pre Hays code with two lines delivered with perfection by Joan Blondell and over the top musical numbers supposedly being put on on a regular stage), West Side Story (which you may have already seen), Sound of Music (which is one of the few musicals that I believe is better as a movie than as a stage performance--I mean the opening scene alone is worth watching) Singin in the Rain, and for good measure--a Shirley Temple movie (I don't really have a favorite). As far as movies dealing with war, I highly recommend The Best Years of Our Lives which deals with returning soldiers and their families--one of the best movies I've ever seen dealing with WW 2 veterans.
Thank you for your recommendations, Babs B! I will definitely consider your musical recommendations! Thank you so much! And I think I need to dedicate a month to war movies from the 1940s because there is more insight on what life might have been like and I am fascinated with this genre of movies! I feel like I learn more about WW2 when watching these films than I ever did in grade school 😂. I will definitely consider giving a month to these movies! Thank you so much!
I didn't find this out until a few days ago. Marcel Dalio, who played Emil the croupier ("you're winnings sir"), was married to Madeleine Lebeau, who played Yvonne, Rick's discarded girlfriend. Dalio and Lebeau were both French refugees who escaped Paris in June 1940 just ahead of the German arrival, much like Rick had planned to do with Ilsa. They had transit visas for Lisbon issued by Aristides de Sousa Mendes, a Portuguese diplomat in Bordeaux, who issued thousands of visas to fleeing refugees, defying the orders of his government. They passed through Spain though on their way to Lisbon, not North Africa, but in a very real way they lived this movie. Dalio was Jewish. None of his family survived the Holocaust. When Lebeau weeps during the La Marseillaise scene, I don't think she was acting.
New subscriber here! I just discovered your channel a few days ago when your "Duck Soup" reaction showed up in my queue. I love your appreciation for old Hollywood classics, and have spent the past few days going though your reactions to some of my favorites. One of the movies I had been thinking of suggesting was "Sabrina," so I loved hearing how it hooked you on old movies. It's one of my favorites, too (though I was hooked by Audrey Hepburn more than Bogart.) I would like to suggest my all-time favorite, "Holiday" (1938), starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. Adapted from a play by Phillip Barry (who wrote The Philadelphia Story), but different in tone. I love it! One bit of "Casablanca" trivia I haven't spotted in the comments here: As a few others have noted, the writers hadn't decided on an ending even as the movie was being made. They had, in fact, written two different endings, including one where Ilsa stays with Rick. But after they shot the one where she leaves with Victor, everyone realized that it made Rick look so noble, so heroic and self-sacrificing, that that had to be the ending, so they never bothered to shoot the other.
What a lovely review, and I'm so glad the movie excited you! This is one of those gems that gives you something new each time you see it. One of the things I've always loved about it was the way we see Sam: though a minor character, he isn't in the same slot that many actors of color were pushed into during this time: he is a friend and a partner with Rick. He is acknowledged as a creative man; he gets a percentage of the profits at Casablanca. He speaks to Ilsa and Rick the way a normal, intelligent, concerned person would, with no stereotype thrown in. As someone with an immigrant father who never lost his accent, I love the scene with the German couple trying on their English: "Sweetness-heart, what watch?" "Ten watch." "Such watch!" and Karl's bemused: "You will get along fine in America." I see someone already explained the Vichy water, so I won't go into it. Louis has a mini arc to parallel Rick's, both cynics, both players who understand people, both coming around to face their conscience, and both, in different ways, led to it by Victor. For me, his chemistry with Bogart is as vital and electric as Bogart's with Bergman. He also has some great lines and exchanges ("We'll be there at 6!" "I'll be there at 10." And of course: "I'm shocked, shocked! to find there's gambling going on here." Watch the reaction from Bogart during the bit of action and dialogue that follows. Priceless). Victor is quasi-protected in Casablanca, which is classified as unoccupied France. That's why Strasser is pushing for him to return to Europe, so that there is jurisdiction to seize him. As Strasser states, it's more valuable to keep Victor alive so that he can be forced (ha!) into giving vital information about the Underground. Many of the actors were actual refugees, including the actress who played Yvonne. She was married to the croupier, the lovely Marcel Dalio. TCM has a wonderful mini biography of Conrad Veidt and his opposition to Nazism. I tried to find it for you online but no luck as of yet. He died too young. Peter Lorre, one of my favorite actors, who played the tiny role of Ugarte here, was also in "Maltese Falcon", and teamed up with Sidney Greenstreet in a number of movies. Two of my favorites are "Three Strangers" and "Mask of Demetrius" where you can see even more influences from "Citizen Kane". Next time you watch this movie, take a look at Victor during the first encounter with Rick and Ilsa. As he says to Rick later on, he knows within the first couple of instants. Claude Rains stars with Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant in a great Hitchcock movie, "Notorious". He also had to stand on a box when acting with her. The same with Bergman (and Angela Lansbury) opposite Charles Boyer in "Gaslight". Many of Warner's tough guys were little.... For fun, here's a snip from a musical, "Thank Your Lucky Stars" with Bogart and SJ poking fun at Bogart's image: ruclips.net/video/2r5wEyywH10/видео.html. It has almost nothing to do with plot, but it's my favorite part of the movie.
Thank you, Maria for sharing that insight! I also noticed Sam’s role as a confidant and equal to the other characters, which I greatly appreciated! It’s not often that we get to see POC represented that way in these older films! I also didn’t know that some of the characters were actual refugees. I think that gives the message of this film an even more impactful mark! Now knowing this information, that scene where Lazlo, Yvonne and the other bar goers are singing the French National Anthem pulls at my heartstrings, specifically where Yvonne exclaims “Vive La France” teary-eyed. The emotions were real in that scene I’m sure of it! One other thing, I wanted to let you know that I added Notorious to the schedule for Hitchcock month!! I am so excited to watch it! Thank you so much for sharing your insight! You are one of the subscribers that really makes my day with your comments! So, thank you so much :)
For many years critics have called this the greatest American movie. Obviously that's going to be subjective, but it's pretty much flawless in every way.
Hello Mia, just came across your channel. In my opinion, Casablanca is one of the greatest movies ever made. It always brings a tear to my eye. And I don't tear up easily. A note about Ingrid Bergman. I came across a biography of her in a local library, so I took it home for a read. It was said that she was even more beautiful in real life as she was on screen. Even experienced actors, who had seen their share of beautiful women, found her breathtaking when they saw her for the first time. But, being a well brought up Swedish girl, she didn't let it go to her head. She'd play it down.
Check out the movie Is Paris Burning? The screenplay was written by Francis Ford Coppola, before he did the screenplay for Patton. Another tidbit of information about this movie is that the actors didn't know how it was going to end, until the end of shooting. The movie was based on Everybody Comes To Rick's, which was an unproduced stage play.
I really appreciate that you try to view these films as of their time. Too many people miss out on fantastic films, because they can’t see past their present social attitudes. You can’t change the past, but you have to remember this film would have been quite modern in its attitudes at the time. As an aside, someone once said Humphrey Bogart only ever played himself, but if you’re Humphrey Bogart, it works.
I hope you don't mind me putting some recommendations out there for musicals. Some of these may not fall within your time period to be considered classical movies (although I'm not sure if you have an official line of demarcation), but they are sooo good (and still fairly old). TBH, I generally can't stand musicals, so if one has made it to my list of favorite movies, you know it's got something extra special. So, here goes: 1) My absolute, number one all-time favorite musical is Milos Forman's "Hair." It's got everything, war, romance, social commentary, humor and tears with an ending that will take your breath away (and the music and dance numbers are outstanding). The film is truly iconic of the sixties (although it was made in the seventies). I first saw it in my late teens, and I was hooked. I see it at least once a year now. 2) Since you're including children's films (yay! I love 'em!), then you can't leave out The Wizard of Oz. Not only for the best song ever recorded but also for the ground-breaking switch between BW and color. It was really scary to see on TV as a kid, but in a good way. 3) Fiddler on the Roof (need I say more?) 4) Meet Me in St. Louis... another Judy Garland classic with the bonus of having introduced child star Margaret O'Brien (at least to me). I absolutely adore both of these actors, and I love how the film takes us through all the holidays of the year. Notable moments are trick-or-treating where Tootie dares to knock on the door of the "haunted" house and the scene near the end where Judy Garland sings "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Lots of other great songs in this film without it getting all operatic or losing the plot. 5) Thoroughly Modern Millie with Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore. I don't know why I like this one so much. Maybe because I like the stars or maybe because it's just a feel-good movie. 6) I don't know if this one really qualifies as a musical, because it doesn't have as many musical numbers as most, but "The Kind and I" might be a fun one to see reviewed. 7) And a couple of honorable mentions for two of my guilty pleasures which, if you're in the mood for something really "out there" and wacky are: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (starring the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, and George Burns among others with cameo appearances from Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Billy Preston, Steve Martin, Earth Wind & Fire and more) and "Cry-Baby" a John Waters spoof starring Johnny Depp.
I cannot thank you enough for recommending more musicals! I am having some issues with finding the ones I have scheduled 😅 and I probably should announce that the cap for films is 1970. Anything before 1970 is fair game. I know there are a lot of great films after 1970, but a lot of people are covering the 70’s and 80’s, so I figured I’d cover the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, etc.
Hi Mia. I came here to watch your reaction to Casablanca and realized that I'd also watched you react to 12 Angry Men and enjoyed that reaction. Once I saw that you reacted to classic movies I went to subscribe and noticed that you were at 999 subscribers so I tipped you over to 1K. You deserve more, keep doing what you're doing.
Wow. This film is so enshrined in popular culture - almost every line is a meme - that I'm still surprised when someone hasn't seen it. It isn't like the days before home video when the only way to see such films was a TV re-run or a re-release in theatres (which didn't happen much except Disney every seven years). I never saw "Casablanca" until I was almost 30 and had moved to a big city where there were a couple of repertory theatres which only showed old classics. Sadly, those theatres have now gone the way of the dodo. It's really worth seeing these classics on a big theatre screen as was intended. Pre-Covid, some of the major chains were doing special showings of classics every month or so, but who knows now... About camera motion... remember that color filming at this time, especially 3-strip Technicolor, required cameras which were much bulkier than B&W cameras, plus extra bright lighting. Filming in B&W allowed a bit more freedom. In 1942, even movies with sound had only been around for about ten years, so it's amazing what some talented people managed to create. Speaking of which, I believe "King Kong" (1933) was the first major movie released with a dedicated score... also by Max Steiner who did "Casablanca". Bergman and Claude Rains worked together again (plus Cary Grant!) in "Notorious" (1946), one of Alfred Hitchcock's best.
you just gave me a flashback - avoiding college assignments by driving 2 hours to the Nuart, Vista, or other long-gone rep houses to see classics and obscure films.
As a postscript to my original comment, during the "dueling anthems scene" the emotion on the many of the extras faces were real as including Madeleine Lebeau, who played Yvonne. She was French and had fled France, through Lisbon after the Nazis invaded. Also, to amend my earlier comment, i mentioned that many of the extras were concentration camp survivors, this was incorrect, they were refugees from Europe.
the "coincidences" you speak about: "Brief Encounter," . . . "Inglorious Bastards," . . . are all very real, as is the "Christ-light" entrance of Ilse into the cafe. Film students (particularly college film students), learn these "coincidences" as part of many film classes. A great trivia item also: the Ford Tri-motor plane with its Swastika was actually flown over L.A. to land at the airport twice, and caused public panic in the city.
It's a year later but actor Paul Henreid is from Austria and there's another Austrian actor in the movie Helmut Dantine. Both of these aforementioned actors were anti Nazi and despite the fact that their fellow countryman was Adolf Hitler they hated Nazism and what it stood for. Many Austrian people formed resistance groups to fight the Nazis despite the fact that their country was annexed into Germany in 1938 prior to World War II.
Max Steiner did the soundtrack. Herman Hupfeld wrote As Time Goes By in 1931 and a version of it was a hit for Rudy Vallee in the 30s. This film was actually filmed around ongoing events, like the Allied African campaign.
Hey everyone! So, on this video, there might be some weird edits. I had a copyright ID claim on the content in this video, so I had to edit some things out. I am sorry for any inconvenience :) Hopefully, you'll still enjoy the video :)
@@cryptowerewolf1508 wow that is so beautiful! I could only imagine what that might have felt like in the cinema while they were singing the French national anthem! Thank you for sharing 😊
Wow! This is wonderful! I love hearing stories about people who actually lived through WW2, so thank you for sharing this! Your father’s a very brave man! Also thank you for watching 😊
Tiffany do you welcome constructive criticism?
It wasn't because of the production code. Casablanca was part of France, called "Vichy France", which allied with the Germans, rather than live under their oppression like in Paris. The French still had a semblance of control as far as law & order were concerned. Germans were big on following the rules as far as respecting their alliance with Vichy France, so Major Strasser couldn't legally arrest Victor Laszlo. This made for a peculiar and uncomfortable setting.
@@cryptowerewolf1508 Just knowing that a theater audience in Casablanca stood up and sang with the movie made me tear up. My dad was in the Pacific in the US Navy.
Also you want to know about "Vichy". The "Vichy Government" is the name of the French officials the Nazi's put in charge of France during their occupation during WWII. So when Claude Rains trashes that bottle of Vichy Water he's trashing the French who helped the Nazi's.
Ahh! Okay! I knew that it had some symbolism! Thank you for sharing that insight :)
It got it's name from the town of Vichy was set up as the capital of the puppet government.
Vichy was famous for centuries for its mineral springs with water that contained sodium bicarbonate, so much so that Vichy Water became a synonym for what we would call mineral water.
Yes! Exactly.
This also explains Lazlo being able to move freely without being arrested..Morocco was a French territory, governed by French authorities.. And political considerations effected Major Strausser’s actions towards him.. Meaning, they’d much rather catch him doing something illegal first, like trying to escape, before they gotta do what they gotta do..
Vichy is the baseline for a lot of the intrigue that’s happening at Rick’s Cafe.. The Ff (Free France) movement is in direct opposition to Vichy, and it also explains why Capt Renault has authority, but is kinda under the thumb of the Germans..
@@dsmdgold Because Vichy has the mineral springs it was a major spa with lots of hotels. That's why the French government moved there. There was room to house government departments.
Claude got all the best lines in this movie. He was pure gold.
Yes! I absolutely agree with you!!
And poor Ingrid Bergman got all thd clunkers ("Is that cannon fire...or my heart pounding?"). But she was so wonderful she redeemed the character.
His shocked that they allowing gambling is my favorite.
When Isla whispers: "God bless you" That slays me everytime. Because you know she's saying "I love you".
Wow I am so glad I found this channel.
Finally a person that reacts to classic movies!!!
I was 16 when I saw my first classic movie, I'm 51 now and still discovering new great classics and watching the ones I've seen many many times as well.
Enjoy!
Hi Dustin! I am glad you found this channel as well! I love discovering these treasures!
That is the #1 reason I subscribe to Spectrum's Silver (Premium) digital cable package, which has Turner Classic Movies, where "old movies" and Foreign films are screened regularly.
After watching so many RUclips reactors who are watching “old” movies from the 80s, it’s genuinely refreshing - and encouraging - to see someone who is watching true classics. While I sort of wished you’d let the movie roll without quite so many interruptions, I really really enjoyed your thoughtful commentary. Count me in as a new subscriber.
Thank you, Robert! I am so happy that you enjoyed the video! In regards to the interruptions, I always feel so bad for having to interrupt these films, but unfortunately RUclips has an algorithm that looks for copyrighted material. I have to speak about the film at a certain point of the clip that I show so that RUclips won’t block the video. So, unfortunately, I have to talk every 10-15 seconds or so, but if there is any other facts or insight that you’d like me to talk about, please let me know! I am definitely open to changing up some of my insights :) thank you so much for watching and subscribing :)
haha... so true. I have to laugh when I click on a channel for "classic movies" and find films that are younger than some of the clothes I own!
Well, copyright aside, there isn't that much fun in just watching a clip show when I could be watching the entire movie. One is here for a "reaction" after all. For myself, I also want to know what the host's background knowledge and prior exposure is going in and their overall thoughts about the movie afterwards. I'm usually annoyed when people just jump in and out of a movie with no comment.
And @kruuyai, I hear you! It's disconcerting to realize that some of my favorites from the last several decades actually HAVE been around long enough to qualify as "classics".
@@MoviesWithMia : Ahhh, that explains every "Reaction" Video on You Tube. Okay. Well, yours was really good. And You are Loveable to watch. And honest, refreshing, and Intelligent.
@@javimu111 thank you! I am so glad you enjoy the videos :)
At 22:23 you were talking about no guns being drawn etc. As stated several times in the movie, even by Laslo himself, they were in "unoccupied" France. After France surrendered to Germany in 1940, Germany occupied and was the government of northern France. There were occupation troops everywhere. There were submarine bases up and down the Atlantic cost. There were Luftwaffe, German air force, bases near the cost so that they could bomb England. Southern France was unoccupied. The French government moved from Paris, which was in the German zone, to Vichy, France. It was called Vichy France. Vichy France still controlled most of the French colonies and overseas possessions. Casablanca was an overseas possession. The Germans in the film are observers that are there to make sure that the locals are remaining neutral as required by the surrender of France to Germany. This is why the Germans cannot just outright arrest Laslo.
A part that is often overlooked is when Rick admits to Lazlo that Ilse was at his place to 'Try to convince me that she's still in love with me." and that for her sake he let her pretend...
There was a bit more involved there than just a dissolve. :D
For his part Lazlo understands the love they shared and, as a man in love as well, is willing to let things be as Rick was saying goodbye to her then as well.
So powerful a film. It's my personal favorite for all of its features. Almost anyone can love or at least enjoy this film.
Rick: Why you closing me down for?
Louie: I’M SHOCKED! Shocked to find that gambling been going on here.
An employee of Rick’s: Your winnings sir.
Louie: Oh thank you very much.
😆
Hahaha! I loved that scene! It was hilarious 😂
Claude Rains stole just about every scene
"Me? I came for my health. I came for the waters."
"Waters! Casablanca is in the desert!"
"I was misinformed."
@@jean-paulaudette9246 I was misinformed. That may be my favorite line in the movie. The modern equivalent of "Nunya".
The best part of that exchange is the look Rick gives the croupier in the background
The greatest film of all time. I always love the supporting cast in classic Hollywood. Their frequent reappearances and adaptability were because they were under contract and so were used. Now the world is such a gig economy so supporting roles are not as frequently repeated as the. One final thing, I think you must have missed when Peter Lorre and Rick were talking implying the Lorre character had murdered the couriers:
Ugarte : Rick, I hope you're more impressed with me, now? Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll share my luck with your roulette wheel.
Rick : Just a moment. I heard a rumor those two German couriers were carrying letters of transit.
Ugarte : Huh? Oh, huh, I heard that rumor too. Poor devils.
Rick : You're right, Ugarte. I AM a little more impressed with you.
I love your analysis. Lots of people on RUclips do film reactions nowadays. Most are bland, uninspired, lacking insight. Reduced to things like, "Oh!" "Ah!" and "Oh, my gosh!" etc. But you actually have meaningful things to say. Keep up the great work! Thanks.
Nice shoutout to Sabrina! Love that movie as well.. The actress who played Yvonne actually escaped from occupied France before filming. Watch her reaction as she sings the Marseilleise with tears! Concerning seeing the same actors, back in the day the actors were not independent, but were under contract with a particular studio. That's why you'll see Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre in Casablanca, and then the same actors in the Maltese Falcon.
Thank you for your insight :) Also, I cannot wait to see The Maltese Falcon! I have it on my list for our Film Noir month!!!
The way the line "Here's looking at you, kid" was used is called a triple beat. If you watch for it, you'll see it in a lot of movies. A line is spoken, usually by the protagonist, in a straightforward way at first; then the line resurfaces later, usually at a turning point which is often a low point for the protagonist; and lastly, it's spoken again near the end, as a way of capping the emotional throughline of the story. Triple beats are one of the basic building blocks of screenwriting. :)
LOVE THIS! Thank you so much for sharing! That is so interesting! I can see why it won Best Screenplay at the Oscars!
@@MoviesWithMia You're welcome! Filmmaking has always been a great interest of mine. :)
The "triple beat" label only came after filmmaking actually became a legitimate field of study. Back then, everyone was still flying by the seat of their pants.
@@eatsmylifeYT Dude, just because ivory-tower critics hadn't come up with a name for it yet doesn't mean the writer didn't know what they were doing. There's a reason they're called _writers,_ after all.
A film that is the highest form of art and entertainment in one.
My yearbook quote was "It doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." Silly me.
Mine was "Never Make the Same Mistake Twice --- Unless It Pays!"
If you haven't watched "Now Voyager", I highly recommend it. Paul Henried was never the same after making that movie. Claude Rains also has a nice role in the same movie.
I will definitely check out Now Voyager! Thank you for recommending 😊
@@MoviesWithMia Check Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart and other stars, also watch From Here To Eternity, The Big Sleep and The Conflict. I come a cross your channel by accident, you are girl after my own heart. I love old films, this when Hollywood wrote good films, No over Sexy and violence. Just good story telling!! Ingrid Bergman is and was damn hot 🔥🔥🔥 🔥🔥.
There is so much more. You need to see the lighting. Rick's face throughout the movie is cast one side shade and the other light. Shows the internal struggle Rick is facing while Ilsa' face is mostly lit up. Also there are times when Ilsa' is up in Rick's room. There is a scene where the light shadow from the grills cast a shadow of bars on her face showing that she is trapped.
Also you seem to miss the allegory of the whole thing. Rick represents America an America's isolationists policy. In fact there is a scene where he says he will not stick his head for anyone. That is America is not going to enter the war. Ilsa is from Norway who did not side with the Germans. Victor was from Czechoslavakia who was invaded by Germans. A number of them was from France. Even the girl at the bar who was trying to win Rick here representing France trying for America to help France. Also the scene where Rick is burying his sorrows by drinking ask Sam an important question ," if it is December 1941 what time is it in Casablanca?"
This date to be precise 7th December 1941 Japan attack on Pearl harbour and when America is forced to enter the war.
At the end Rick( America) finally enters the war as you can see in the final scene where he puts helping others way above his personal feelings. The scene ends with American and France walking hand in hand and America saying "this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
If you have any doubt even the name Casablanca means " White house". There is so much more in this that I will have to write pages after pages to critique this movie. I hope this will help you to analyse the movie even further.
Most people watch this movie today without the historical facts. I appreciate you telling the story within the time period. One must understand this to really know what is going on. So many reactors only focus on the romance.
When I got married, my tux was exactly the same as Rick’s! Timeless style!
Wow! You have exquisite taste! It’s a very dapper suit!
Mine too. There is a restaurant in San Francisco called John's Grill where Hammett hung out. The third floor is modeled after Maltese Falcon. We had our wedding party there and it was amazing
@@smakedoctor When the plague ends, “Giddy Up!”
You’ve now completed the first film in my Bogart triple feature (it could easily be a ten-movie festival). Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Three completely different characters all performed to perfection by one of Hollywood’s greatest.
I have the Maltese Falcon on the schedule for our film noir month! I am super excited to see it!!
My Bogart triple feature would be Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and Key Largo, the latter being a superb John Huston film in which Bogart appears with wife Lauren Bacall along with Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor, and Lionel Barrymore.
Casablanca, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, & The African Queen (for which he won an Oscar!)...
Wow, this is so great! You are so thoughtful and entertaining with your research and interest in these older movies. I definitely get excited when I see someone in an older movie who I recognize too, for sure. I think I'm just proud of myself because if I recognize a supporting actor from 90 years ago, I feel like I deserve a high-five from myself.
My only complaint about this movie is: not enough Peter Lorre. Love that dude. Speaking of Peter, it boggles my mind that there were actors during WWII who came right out in public against Hitler, because as you said, we didn't know the outcome of the war until later. Just think what would have happened to Peter Lorre (and a lot of other anti-Nazi German actors, like Conrad Veidt, Marlene Dietrich, etc) if the Axis Powers had won. They were really sticking their necks out when a lot of people didn't.
Anyway, I love that you're doing the actual classics. I swear to god, if I hear one more person describe a movie from 1999 as an old movie, I won't be responsible for my actions.
The last scene in the movie when he puts her on a plane. Her line, God Bless You, still makes me tear up, to this day.
At the time of the couple's parting from Rick at the airport, I enjoy Victor's line to Rick, "Welcome back to the fight. This time I know our side will win."
Mia Tiffany, I totally understand your giddiness when a character actor you know from a previous film turns up in another movie, it happens to me all the time! When we watch a movie, on some level we are in the movie with those actors, playing pretend with them, so when you see them again, it's like seeing a friend, and we anticipate having fun playing pretend with them again. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Oh I loved the way you put that! Yes, it’s as if we are playing pretend with them 😊 I get so excited to see some of these actors in other movies!!
Wow, someone is reacting to classic films?! You have a new subscriber here! I’ve been thinking about going through the TCM section of HBOMax and doing reactions myself.
If you like Peter Lorre and haven’t yet seen “M,” you really must. It’s an iconic performance.
For your musicals, I cannot recommend Victor/Victoria enough.
Hello, and welcome! Thank you so much for your recommendations! I will add them to the list :)
Long live Turner Classic Movies, Silent Sundays and TCM Imports!
I strongly endorse that recommendation; "M" is really the movie that made Lorre a star, and remains arguably his greatest performance ever. It's in German -- he would come to America not long after, if I recall correctly. And I'd love to see you react to The Maltese Falcon, which also stars Humphrey Bogart, Lorre, and (in his first movie role) Sidney Greenstreet.
@@richardzinns5314 what's amazing about Sidney greentree is he started acting at the age of 61. It's a shame he started so late in life.
It's a pleasure to watch someone react and enjoy these truly classic films. It's also obvious you have done the research necessary to appreciate the historical setting and dialogue. Thank you for sharing your observations and commentary.
Wow! Thank you for watching! I am so glad you enjoyed! :)
There are some scenes in this movie that still have me tearing up with emotion. Doesn't matter how many times I've watched this movie.
You've really made a great choice when you selected "Casablanca"!
You are amazing,..Casablanca is my favorite movie of all time and to see a Young black woman so affected by it and truly understand it warms My heart to no end..I must follow your channel:. "Here's looking at you kid!"
I appreciate and share your fondness for movies and actors from the 40s and your attention to details. Subscribed.
PS: _To Have and Have Not_ with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall sizzles with political intrigue, romantic tension and memorable one-liners. “You know how to whistle, don’t you? You just put your lips together and blow.“
La Resistance (The French Resistance) were some of the bravest people of the 20th century. They were ordinary citizens who used extremely innovative ways to hurt the German military in key strategic points. Excessively proud to have 50% French heritage.
On a side note, I watch a lot of people do reviews and I feel that you’re one of the best on RUclips. You definitely need more attention than you’re getting. You have found a niche where most people are not reviewing. You do your homework. You have an old soul. You have a good understanding of the evolution of film. I so look forward to your videos. I encourage everyone to spread the word about your channel!! 👏
Wow! I genuinely feel so blessed to have viewers like you! Your comment has me in tears! I am so incredibly grateful to be able to share my love for classic movies with all of you! This is one of the reasons why I love doing this because of this little community that we have created! Thank you so much for this comment and for watching! I appreciate you :)
P.S. I think what La Resistance did was incredibly brave! I definitely want to look more into their history! And I would be so proud, too!!
Also, your comment really stuck with me, so, if you don’t mind, I am going to post it to my Instagram! Thank you again for making my day :)
Have a great day. Wish you well!
There were resistance movements all over German-occupied Europe. The French just had better publicists in Hollywood.
They had a lot of damaging ways of getting to the Germans, some violent, some just nasty harassment. My favorite had to do with laundry! The Resistance had the launderess's mix ground glass into the soap they used when they were forced to do laundry for the occupying German troops. Now...think of how you would feel if your pants had tiny little bits of broken glass worked into the fibers. The French could be a hoot when they put their minds to it.
Love your reactions to the classics I’ve been watching for years thank you . Might I suggest The Life And Death Of Cornel Blimp
Just subscribed! I only watch Casablanca once a year...Christmas Day... Bogart's Birthday...I get drunk.. LOL
Haha! Yes! Welcome to the channel!! That’s awesome!!!!
I am so happy you had the chance to watch this movie. One of my old time favorites.. Fun trivia fact - Dooley Wilson who played Sam was an actor and a drummer. He did not really play the piano.
Wow! Well he is a fantastic actor, I really loved his character in this film :)
Search youtube for "snl Casablanca" great reenactment of the final scene
You are one hell of a knowledgeable lady. Truly enjoyed your commentary and learnt a few things too.
Wow, thank you so much for watching 😁
It's funny, years ago I never cared for Casablanca. Then one day it was on TCM, I decided to watch it completely through and really pay attention to all the lines and goings on. I fell in love with it and understand why so many others love it too. Glad to see that younger people have an interest in the classic films. Found your channel today and will be watching from now on. Thank you.
To misquote Hipsters: "Turner Classic Movies is The Best!" (Long live Black-and-White, Silent and Foreign movies!;)
Another fantastic reaction, Mia!
It’s so exciting to see you get so giddy about old b&w films (and movie stars like Bogie) as much as teenagers today geek out about Marvel movies. It makes my day to see you light up like a kid on Xmas morning. I share the same enthusiasm about the things I love.
And you are seriously doing your homework too, droppin’ knowledge about camera moves, Max Steiner, the Hays Code, etc.
You asked for recommendations so I got a couple:
As far as musicals, I think you would love love love Judy Garland in the technicolor classic ‘Meet Me in St. Louis,” one of my all time faves.
And if you want to see Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman sizzle together on screen in glorious b&w then check them out in Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Notorious’, also costarring Claude Raines!
As much as I love Ingrid Bergman in ‘Casablanca,’ I think she’s even better in ‘Notorious.’ She gives a more deeply layered, heartbreaking performance.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you, Jose! And thank you kindly for the recommendations! I wanted to also let you know that I put Notorious on the list for Hitchcock month! I am really excited to see Grant and Bergman’s chemistry (someone else said they had wonderful chemistry). Thank you for your recommendations and your comments, I really look forward to your comments :)
P.S. I should also note that I am a HUGE Marvel fan 😂😂 but sometimes the CG and extravagant fight scenes become redundant, so I am glad to have found these classic Hollywood masterpieces to escape to!!
I enjoy Marvel too and agree about redundancies. Can’t wait for Notorious!
@@JoseChavez-rf4ul sorry to veer off of the subject, but have you been watching WandaVision? If so, what do you think so far?
@@MoviesWithMia No problem! I think the classic family sitcom format was a cool and clever way to reintroduce us into the Marvel universe. The first two episodes seemed to catch a lot of viewers off guard but I personally loved them. They totally nailed the look, style, and feeling of those vintage shows and I really love Elizabeth Olsen. She gets the chance to show off her comedic chops (as does Paul Bettany) and she’s a natural. I also like the theme of that whole world created as a grief-coping mechanism.
Speaking of redundancies, I tend to tune out somewhat when the story strays away from their bubble (watching government/military types strategizing to take down our heroes gets a little predictable for me).
But I’m really into Wanda and Vision themselves and am looking forward to see how they wrap everything up.
How about you, Mia? What do you think?
Yay! I finally have someone to talk with this about! So, I really enjoy this show! I loved how they formatted the first three episodes (but I have to be honest, I was also slightly confused at first of where they were going with it 😅) but I really love Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen and their chemistry! And I feel that they are somehow going to introduce the multiverse in this series and also in the new Spider-Man movie, so I am super stoked to finish the series!!! I can’t wait to see how phase 4 unfolds!!!
Another awesome reaction Mia. And thank you for showing my comment. WOW, that was unexpected! @ 9:00 Sidney Greenstreet. Talk about a guy who could dole out the dialog! He and Peter Lorre (Ugarte) did several good movies together you would like, Three Strangers, The Verdict and first time together with Bogey in The Maltese Falcon (1941). Do Maltese sometime! Another good Bogart classic he's most known for. @ 25:00 My grandmother took my mom to the theater often while my grandfather was overseas in the war, and they saw this incredible movie when it came out in 1943. She and my grandma said when they finished playing the French anthem they were out of their seats cheering and clapping along with the rest of the theater at that point! Many, including them were still in a scary but patriotic mood all the time and this movie cheered them up. @ 25:43 If you want to see a Bogey movie with REAL romance behind and in front of the camera, do "To Have and Have Not" (1944), where the married Bogart stars with his young future wife, Lauren Bacall in her first screen role. There was a lot in the news about that at the time. @ 26:00 Very interesting. Recall too near the end Rick telling Victor about he and Ilsa, "....for your sake she pretended (to love Rick), and I let her pretend." Suggesting without being overt. BTW, the scene title on my DVD that contains that quote there is called 'A Gentleman's Explanation', LOL! @ 29:55 Oh man, my mom said at this scene the crowd erupted with cheering. Notice that little sly look between Louis and Rick? Up to that point nobody knew which side Louis was really on, Vichy or Free French. It must have been a relief to the audience! Couple of things edited out of the video worth noting is the hilarious moment soon after the French anthem was sung Louis was ordering Rick's club to shut down and telling him, "I'm shocked! Shocked to find gambling's going on here." Then Emil the croupier hands him a wad of cash saying "Your winnings sir." and Louis quickly grabs it saying "Thank you very much. Everyone out at once!" And Rick gives him that look! Then later Rick telling Louis his gun is pointed at his heart and Louis replies, "That is my least vulnerable spot." Those were funny! But what a movie eh?
Wow! Thank you for your insight! And thank you for sharing your mother and grandmother’s story! That is something to be treasured! Also, thank you for recommending To Have and Have Not! I am definitely going to have to watch that one! I love when off-screen couples do movies together (with the exception of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in Gigli. That one was just bad 😂) so I will definitely check that one out! Thank you again!!
@@MoviesWithMia You'll like 'To Have and Have Not'. Looking forward to your next movie reaction!
My favorite part of this movie is when Victor starts leading the French national anthem.
Honestly, me too I legitimately had goosebumps! It was such a powerful moment!
@@MoviesWithMia This is also my favorite scene in the film. Interesting fact: many of the supporting actors in that scene were from countries then occupied by the Nazis; some of them also fled the Nazis in real life. Their emotions during the scene were very real.
It’s the greatest scene in film history..
@@jacobjones5269 Totally agree.
I love this movie. Cast is perfect. I'm female I appreciate good looking men, but Ingrid Bergman in this movie is stunning, when she smiles, it's like she is lit from within, as someone commented on another thread. Also the scene where she says 'If you knew how much you I loved you, how much I still love you" with tears streaming down her face, unmatched. I read her autobiography, and when she came to Hollywood the studio's wanted her to wear more make up, change other things about her looks, she refused, didn't hurt her career. Many stars of today could learn from that, many look so fake with so much plastic surgery, Madonna, Kim Kardashian. As a fellow scandinavian (Denmark) I'm proud of Ingrid Bergman she is one of a kind.
Great reaction--appreciate the fact that you're watching classic films from the Golden Era. Not many RUclipsrs react to anything prior to the 1970s. Just subscribed to your channel.
Casablanca is one of my favorite films and Curtiz's direction with the fluid camera movements (the zoom in shots you really enjoyed are referred to as "dolly shots) is highly under appreciated by the casual moviegoer. Also, someone may have mentioned this but the composer for the film, Max Steiner, actually didn't want to include "As Time Goes By" (it was a song that was released years prior to the film) but the director insisted--and thank God he did.
Personally, I think RIck and Ilsa's romance is the greatest romance in cinema history, "As Time Goes By" is the greatest song in cinema history because of the significance it plays, and the bittersweet ending makes the film have an even greater impact, even nearly 80 years later.
If you're looking for other all-time great cinematic classics, I highly recommend the following:
It Happened One Night (considered THE romantic comedy that set the standard for the genre; also one of only 3 films to win the "Big 4" at the Academy Awards)
Double Indemnity (considered one of the great film noirs)
Sunset Blvd (also considered one of the great film noirs)
Singin' in the Rain (even if you're not big into musicals--this is THE musical--and it will surely brighten your day)
The Apartment (essentially the bookend of the romantic comedy genre--helped end the Hays Code and won Best Picture)
Hi Andrew! Thank you for your recommendations! I absolutely agree with you about Rick and Ilsa’s romance! It was one of the greatest cinematic romances that I have ever seen in a film! Also, I am really glad that they decided to leave in the song “As Time Goes By” because I think it adds a depth to Rick and Ilsa’s romance that makes it so special! Thank you for your insight about the dolly shots! I think that the fact that Curtiz decided to use that style of cinematography was such a wonderful idea! I felt like I was right there with them while watching those scenes, especially in Rick’s Cafe! One more thing I wanted to add, we are starting Musicals in March on Wednesday and it would be my pleasure to react to Singin in the Rain! Thank for so much for recommending and thank you for subscribing to the channel!!
The reason max steiner didn't want as time goes buy. He felt the song was to old for the film.
Correction as time goes by.
Absolutely love this analysis of Casablanca! This is my first time watching one of your videos and I really appreciate the work you’ve done to make this. You are so informed with the background of the movie and the production, I really appreciate it. I’m a musician studying musicology and this movie has the incredibly magnificent “play La Marseillaise” scene, which means a lot to me. Thank you for the awesome reaction to this movie and I’m psyched to see all of your others! Glad to subscribe and enjoy your work!
What I liked about this film is that all the characters were willing to sacrifice for the others. Rick sacrificed his desire for Ilsa and did the right thing putting both Ilsa and Victor on the plane. What is less clear is that Ilsa may have been willing to stay with Rick only in order to ensure that Rick would put Victor on the plane. In fact Rick suggests to Victor that Ilsa was only with him the night before to ensure that Victor would get the letters of transit. Was Ilsa really in love with Rick to the extent to leave Victor or was she making the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that Victor got out of Casablanca to continue his important resistance work? Remember Rick was bitter and self-proclaimed to be selfish and not sticking his neck out for anyone, so Ilsa may have thought the only way to get Victor out was to sacrifice herself (not that she was totally unwilling) to Rick. And Victor of course was willing to let Rick escape with Ilsa if that was the only way Ilsa could escape. Rick ultimately saves the day by rejecting his selfish ways, sacrificing his love and returning to the war cause. But its rare in film these days to see all the characters by self-less when so many modern film characters are selfish and flawed.
Mia, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship~
Sorry, I couldn't resist.. but I've seen a good deal of folks on RUclips watching movies and you've got like, that extra pepper sauce of excitement and appreciation of the ongoing art of film. This is one of my favorite movies to sit back and enjoy in the afternoon, maybe with a drink or four, along with a smoke break-- but the absolutely awesome character dialogue in this whole story is what makes it a great choice, and a good talking point too. I'm subbed and bell'd, and I look forward to getting thru your library of vids now, thank you for your hard work in advance!
Hello Mia! My name is Eghosa and I am actually one of your subscribers. I really appreciate the fact that you are talking about Classic Cinema in the process. In addition, I recommend you watch Turner Classic Movies in order to continue to increase your knowledge of film since I really adore your boldness to react to Classics. By the way, here are some recommendations for your channel to react to:
1.) From Here to Eternity
2.) On the Waterfront
3.) The Bicycle Thief
4.) The Apartment (1960)
5.) Some Like it Hot
6.) Seven Samurai
7.) Rear Window
8.) Singin in the Rain
9.) Army of Shadows (1969)
Mia, feel free to watch and enjoy to where you will grow in your film knowledge. I will be patient as possible so take your time to watch the films. Also, I added some foreign selections in order to show versatility so that you can expand your film knowledge as well. Thank you, Mia for reacting and continue to grow in your passion for film.
Hi Eghosa! Thank you for subscribing to the channel! Also, I greatly appreciate your recommendations! Thank you so much, I will add them to the list :)
"...and wait...and wait...and wait."
I still get goosebumps.
Been sarching for a channel like this, and boom... there you are. Great reactions, great picks and kudos for doing some homework on the films (unlike most reactors). Best wishes for you and your channel from on classic movie fan to another. Subbed.
Welcome :) I am glad you found the channel! Thank you for subscribing!
Always a joy watching these classic movies with you, Mia ❤
In this movie I can really appreciate your layering of contextual knowledge. The amount of studying you do before watching is a bonus. You can react while filling in context. It sets you apart from other reactors.
I grew up watching this movie....by the time I saw it the first time, the movie had been out for about 25 years or so. I also I love how enthusiastic you are about old classics like this. I am definitely hitting the subscribe button.
Hi John! Welcome :) thank you for subscribing! I am so glad that you enjoyed!
One of my very favorite films. It is famous for having 6 most quoted lines. More than the next 2 films combined. There is 1 thing that the screenwriters got wrong. Rick fought in Spain. The Ger. used 77mm guns in WWI, but in Spain and WWII it used 75mm guns. And, actually it had armed the field artillery with 105mm gun-howitzers, and only used 75 mm guns late in the war when it could not make enough 105s because of Allied bombing.
Laszlo was supposed to meet Ugarte at Rick's to get the Letters of Transit; so yes, it was deliberate that there were 2 LoT and two people who needed them. It was prearranged that Ugarte was meeting them to give the LoT to them. It's easy to miss but if you watch it 100x, you catch that detail because it is casually mentioned a few times.
Mia, I so much enjoy watching your reaction to this classic film. I especialy love your appreciation for the historical context of these films. Laslo doesnt need a gun to the head to
understand his very existence is a threat to the Reich. Laslo represents the idea of "freedom", the greatest weapon the allies possesed.
Finally found my soulmate content creator for my love in Classic Hollywood films. A new subscriber here from the Philippines. Please continue the Wonderful content. Love lots.
Welcome aboard! And thank you so much for watching 😁
‘Casablanca’ is renowned and is justly acknowledged as one of the most romantic films of all time but it is much more than the tale of a love triangle. Of course, it shows that the power of love can affect the human psyche, as demonstrated by Rick’s metamorphosis.
This film has so many levels to it that it takes many viewings to appreciate them. The main theme is not romance but self-sacrifice as the film’s message to the world at war is to give up the personal agenda for the common cause. It reminds wartime audiences, many of whom have loved ones fighting abroad, that their situation is the same as that of Rick, Ilsa and Victor.
The screenplay is so intelligently written. It is a masterpiece of complexity, containing subliminal political opinions and messages all carried along on a thrilling plot with brilliant one-liners and memorable quotes, comedic elements together with contemporary, social commentaries. Basically, the film is politically motivated because it is a plea to America to join the war. Please note that the action takes place in pre-Pearl Harbour, December, 1941.
This is the the first non-musical movie to use music almost as an another protagonist, (which Tarantino does now). For example, ‘As Time Goes By’ is a valuable recurring theme and, in Paris, Rick and Ilsa dance to ‘Perfidia’ which means untrustworthiness.
Michael Curtiz’s direction is multi-faceted: Documentary, Film Noir, German Expressionism, Flashback etc. He is the master of creating the plot via seamlessly connecting a series of rapid-fire vignettes.
POINTS OF INTEREST AND NOTES FOR SUBSEQUENT VIEWINGS.
Rick’s initial selfishness, (I stick my neck out for nobody’), is a metaphor for USA indifference. It must be remembered that the events and politics are hard to comprehend and put into perspective for modem audiences than in the actual time when the film was made. The script is a 'State of the Union' address, both for home and foreign policies. There are references to Civil Rights as embodied in Sam and, of course, the debate about America’s involvement in the conflict.
Each character represents a country e.g. Two Japanese plotting . The Italian on the tail of the German. American indifference. French collaborators, the British robbed by foreign policy. Even the Balkans are mentioned via the Bulgarian couple. Rick’s actions symbolise the USA in its change in policy from isolationism to participation and ‘….the beginning of a beautiful friendship…’ is the USA and Europe joining forces to fight Nazism.
There is subtle direction. For example, Ilsa wears black and white clothes and is cast in shadows and in a mirror which portrays the ambiguity of her role.
The ‘La Marseillaise’ scene is the pivotal moment in which both Ilsa and Rick realise that saving Victor is more important than their own personal relationship. It also comes in just as Rick and Victor are about to argue over Ilsa but both drop the issue when they hear the music. This scene is rousing now but imagine how it must have felt for audiences right in the middle of the war when Germany seemed invincible and we need to put it in perspective in terms of world events full of Nazi domination.
The facial close-ups used throughout the film speak a thousand words: but particularly note Ilsa during ‘La Marseillaise’ when her expressions show her admiration of Victor’s power and her realisation that this must be preserved at all costs.
In any case... there is so much alcohol!!!!
POINTS TO WATCH
‘It’s December, 1941 in Casablanca: what time is it in New York?...
I bet they are asleep all over America’. PEARL HARBOUR
‘Even Nazis can’t kill that fast’
CONCENTRATION CAMPS
‘I don’t buy or sell human beings..’
CIVIL RIGHTS
The Bulgarian couple keep appearing as symbols of hope and determination.
In the bar room fight over Yvonne, Rick attacks the German only and not the Frenchman.
Captain Renault dumps the bottle of Vichy water to represent his rejection of the Nazi- collaborating French Government which was located in Vichy.
Just one example of the excellent and complex scriptwriting occurs immediately after the roulette scene. The girl thanks Rick for letting her husband win and Rick replies, ‘He’s just a lucky guy’, which, on the face of it, refers to the gambling, but, in Rick’s mind, means that the husband is ‘lucky’ because his partner truly loves him.
As the camera moves toward the front door of Rick’s Cafe, I always imagined that is the way it feels to enter heaven!
I completely agree with you :)
I went to Indonesia a couple of years back. There's a cafe there called Cafe Batavia. The atmosphere of the cafe is what I imagine Rick's would have.
@@eatsmylifeYT Looked at pics online. Looks awesome!!!
@@Hawk170122 The food's fantastic too!
The German cannot take more direct action-- Casablanca was technically part of France, which had certain elements of independence. He dares not cause a public incident, even though the Vichy French government was a puppet regime.
In the scene in which Rains and Bogart sit down and talk to the German generals, this is the only time in the film where we are told Rick's full name and then moments later he explains to the general that there are parts of New York City that wont be so easy to invade and when you think about it, this is true today. This truly is one of the best romantic movies ever made...while the war and its surroundings are part of the tale, it is still a basic love story told in a most wonderful way. Also the bond between Rains and Bogart is just super. It was a treat to find your channel...have a big selection of classics on dvd in my collection and proud that you chose this one...looking forward to checking your other classic movie reactions.
The brilliance of this movie is that all the personalities of the geopolitical situation of a world embroiled in World War II are played out in this small cafe in North Africa. Rick Blaine (Humphry Bogart) represents American reticence to enter the war. Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) represents the beauty and innocence of France before the German occupation of Paris. Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) is the heroism of the French Resistance. Ilsa absolutely admires Laszlo's heroism. She can never turn her back on her loyalty to him. But she fell in love with Rick at a time when she thought Laszlo was dead. Ilsa truly loves Rick, but she is devoted and loyal to Laszlo's noble cause of resisting the Nazis. All three of them want to do the right thing.
Sometimes, doing the right thing means seeing the larger picture. Acting for the greater good of humankind. The line Rick says to Ilsa at the airport says it all: "The problems of three people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."
The war effort is more important than any one individual's personal happiness.
They all have the best of intentions, but they see things from different points-of-view. In the beginning of the movie, we think Rick will always protect his own interests. "I stick my neck out for nobody." Rick says: "If it's December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York? I bet they're asleep in New York. I bet they're asleep all over America." (America is thus far failing to "wake-up" to the realities of the European war.) Rick Blaine (and his claims that he cares only about himself) represents America's reticence to enter the war. Obviously, Major Strasser represents the German occupation landing on new soil (the invasions of Poland and France). And who jumps up to salute him at the airport (besides Captain Renault)? An Italian officer. (Mussolini)
The battle of the national anthems. ("Vive la France!") The war is playing itself out in allegory in this North African cafe. (Everyone has their own agenda which represent much larger, global themes.) Even individual lines of dialogue have global double-meanings. "We'll always have Paris" is not just about their personal memories of a love affair. In terms of invading forces seizing new territory, the whole world might ask itself: "Will we always have Paris? If we fail to fight to protect Europe... will we always have Paris? (It was just invaded by Hitler.)
Rick finally shows himself willing to do the right thing, even if it means great personal sacrifice (America joining the war effort). Victor's Laszlo's work must succeed. Captain Renault throwing the bottle of Vichy water into the trash is a rejection of the authoritarian Third Reich government in Vichy , France, and a statement rejecting France's own persecution of Jews and its earlier collaboration with Hitler. (Captain Renault has changed sides, from allowing the Nazis to operate without question, to rejecting the Nazis.) Captain Renault has been trying to appease Major Strasser the whole film. At the end, he calls Rick "a patriot" for taking-up-arms against Strasser.
That all of this was written and produced while the war was still happening is astounding!
"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" represents the NATO Alliance. America and Europe joining forces in a shared destiny. Spectacular movie.
While the French national anthem is playing, you can see Ilsa looking at Lazlo like "you damn fool. These Nazis get their hands on you, they're gonna use your veins as a noose".
Follow up. If you think Claude Rains is good in this, he is. But you should see the Invisible Man and Robin Hood.
You did a great job! Kudos for noticing the camera work! A lot of people and things came together very well for this movie. Curtiz fled Paris through Portugal to escape. He was Jewish. The croupier and 'Yvonne' were real-life husband and wife. He also was Jewish. They also had to flee Paris (first car, then bicycle!) through Portugal! The bartender SZ Szakal (sp) had a sister die in a German concentration camp. Those people, like 'Yvonne' cried real tears during the duelling anthems scene!
Omg why am i finding this channel only now?? A channel dedicated to classics reactions. Thank you!
Yay! I am so happy that you found the channel! Thank you for watching :)
Okay, first, greatest ending to any movie ever! Second, I love your reviews and I LOVE that someone young and smart and accomplished LOVES these old movies! You here a but coming? Here it is. When Rick watches the plane leave he's not longing to be on it. He knows the woman he loves, has loved, more deeply and purely that any other is leaving his live forever...and with another man! How hard is that? It's a little rough. Anyway, not so much criticism, just one movie buff to another, a little debate. Really appreciate your stuff.
So happy I found this channel! What's not to love. Interesting facts, history, an appreciation of classic cinnima and fun times. I'm here for it popcorn at the ready!
Hi William :) thank you so much for watching! I am so glad you found the channel and so happy that you are enjoying it!!
I like this movie it's been 80 years since it came out in 1942 I've watched it on HBO Max during new years eve in 2021 and was such a great movie, Its an undisputed masterpiece and perhaps Hollywood's quintessential statement on love and romance Casablanca has only improved with age boasting career defining performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, CASABLANCA (1942) 99/100% Certified Approved ☑️ Rick Blaine: HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU KID.
Just found your channel through Casablanca. So happy to see a young person appreciate the classics. If no one else has recommended it, don't miss Auntie Mame starring Rosalind Russel. I promise, you'll not only want an Auntie Mame of your very own, you'll be inspired to be an Auntie Mame.
Mia, you got me with this reaction. I love your enthusiasm. As I get older I find it just too bad that generation after generation is just more lost, not only to how entertaining these movies are but also to the significance of the time that they were made. You strike me as a true history buff like myself. I look forward to more reactions from you. Keep it up.
Most people talk about the tight script, the quotable lines, the lighting, the camerawork....
I love what a witty wisecrack Rick is. Gives me Malcom Reynolds(Firefly) vibes. But its just not talked about more because of how serious and isolationist Rick is.
Are my eyes really brown?
You might enjoy the 1972 Woody Allen film "Play It Again, Sam" based on his play - about a recently divorced man trying to get back in the dating game, he is obsessed with 'Casablanca' and sometimes is visited by the ghost of Humphrey Bogart who gives him dating advice. You KNOW Allen loves classic Hollywood movies!
And that reminds me - I bet you'd LOVE another Woody Allen film 'The Purple Rose of Cairo' which is partly a tribute to the classic Hollywood films of the 30's. I would give a quite plot summary but I don't want to spoil it for you. But I really think you'd love it based on some of the films you've enjoyed so far on your channel!
Thank you for your recommendations! I have been wanting to dive into Woody Allen films because I have heard great things about them! I saw Midnight in Paris, and I loved it!! So, thank you for your suggestions! I will definitely check them out!!
Hi Mia. You should get into a little film noir with Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet of Casablanca in The Maltese Falcon, or Bogart with Bacall in The Big Sleep. I'm surprised no one on youtube has reacted to these.
After the fall of France, a French "Vichy" gov't was established, which collaborated with the Nazis. That detail would have been understood by filmgoers who followed the news.
This film wasn't "about" WW II but is steeped in that immediately present context. That's one reason it so resonated with audiences.
First of all, thank you for reacting to these classics! It's refreshing to see someone doing this, and enjoying the journey. Second, a couple recommendations in a similar vein to this film, both also released in 1942, and starring Greer Garson:
Mrs Miniver (classic wartime story) and Random Harvest (IMO, one of the best romance movies ever). Thanks!
Thank you so much for watching! And thank you for your recommendations! I will add them to the list :)
@@MoviesWithMia I absolutely second the nomination for "Mrs. Miniver"!
Ingrid always said in interviews that she never knew who Ilsa would end up with because they were writing the script scenes the night before. So she had to act like she could end up with either Victor or Rick. And we never knew how how it would turn out at the airport until it happened.
Dang! That is amazing! She was such a talented actress!!
Since you seem to have a love for great older movies, I have an somewhat overlooked gem for you from 1959. The film is "On The Beach" and stars Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Anthony Perkins, and Fred Astaire (in a non-dancing role). No, it's not about teenagers singing and dancing on the beach so don't let the title scare you away. Hope you give it a try, and the same goes for any of your subscribers or commenters.
Very appropriate suggestion
Mia, I love that you're watching Casablanca. Years ago, at a Fathom Events TCM screening, Casablanca was *sold out*, I was shocked (I still got in tho!). Still such a beloved movie. Sometime you really need to see Neil Simon's The Cheap Detective, a truly loving parody of Casablanca and also the Noir crime genre. It's take on so many classic Casablanca moments will stick with you...I had them in my head watching your reaction!
Thank you for your recommendation, Justin! And I could only imagine what that screening must have been like! It is amazing how much love this film still gets!
Many thanks for bringing these old films to a younger audience , who somehow think good movies could not have been done in the past .
8:10
I was literally thinking "Well it must be because it's post- Citizen Kane" and then you said Citizen Kane yourself right after!
Hahaha! That is hilarious! Yes, I figured that it might have been influenced by the cinematography of Citizen Kane because of the risks they took in that film and the success that they had!
It had nothing to do with Citizen Kane. Michael Curtiz, the director used this many previous movies in the early 1930s.
My absolute, no 1, best film I have ever seen. Superb. The scene where Lazlo says to the band, "Play the La Marseillaise" and the band look to Rick, and he nods and they drown out the Nazi's is superb and then Yvette (who is on a date with a Nazi to rub it in Rick's face) stands up and shout, "Vive La France!" is an absolutely profound scene. It brings tears to my eyes every time. It's the best scene in the best film ever made. I've seen this film over a dozen times and I love it every single time.
Yes! That has got to be the BEST scene of this film in my opinion!! So much emotion and power!
Rick sacrificed his love for the good of the war. That’s why there’s that “this time I know our side will win” line to reinforce the fact. That’s what makes the ending so great. It’s bittersweet.
It opened in theaters as the U.S. was headed to Africa to join the Allies in fighting the Germans in northern Africa in Operation Torch.
Yes, I too delight in knowing and seeing actors in films that were long before my time. One that my mother loved was Maria Ouspenskaya who played the grandmother in Love Affair (1939) with Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer. Remade as An Affair to Remember (1957) with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, remade in (1994) as Love Affair with Warren Beatty and Annette Benning. Sleepless in Seattle (1993) heavily referenced An Affair to Remember. For war messing up a love story there Waterloo Bridge (1940) with Vivian Leigh and the dreamy Robert Taylor, and Maria Ouspenskaya.
There's a scene early in that would interest you, and your viewers who know the movie well. Recall the French guy the Vichy police shot in the back running away because his papers were expired. He fell under a poster of the pro-Vichy prime minister and Marshal of France, Philippe Pétain with his quote to Casablanca translated as "I keep my promises even those of others." The irony is the poor guy shot was carrying Free French material and died right under the image of Pétain who later was tried and convicted for treason after the war.
Oh wow! Yeah, how ironic! Thank you for sharing that :)
a subtle but great line is when Bergman asks Bogart where he was 10 years ago, and he says "looking for a job".... the whole sad history of the Great Depression is in those words and the look on Bogart's face when he speaks them
It's interesting, the camera started out very locked down in the silent era, getting freed up over time. Then sound came in and the camera was locked down again. Cameras were really noisy, so at first they were behind sound divider partitions, looking through windows, to keep the camera sound out of the mics. Eventually they figured out how to build sound dampening boxes around the camera, edit sound, dub lines, etc. So the camera got freed up again and directors and cinematographers started experimenting again. Citizen Kane being an extreme example.
Wonderful reaction. I just discovered your channel and immediately subscribed. This is one of my favorite movies. Aside from the romance, great dialogue, and superb acting, I love Curtiz's use of lighting. Notice how in the early part of the film, while Rick is still cynical, he is often lit from the side so half his face is in light and half in darkness. But in the Paris flashbacks and after he helps Ilsa and Laszlo, his face is usually shown in much brighter light. And of course, Ingrid Bergman is so often in soft focus so she looks more idealized.
Wow! That is amazing :) thank you for sharing that! I am going to go back look for that now :)
Because of the Production ode, Ilsa HAD to leave with Victor and not Rick, which makes the writing all the more impressive. Also, great job of putting it into historical context.
If you're doing movie musicals (you might have them all picked out) but some older ones: Top Hat (Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers), Meet Me in St Louis (Judy Garland), Footlight Parade (pre Hays code with two lines delivered with perfection by Joan Blondell and over the top musical numbers supposedly being put on on a regular stage), West Side Story (which you may have already seen), Sound of Music (which is one of the few musicals that I believe is better as a movie than as a stage performance--I mean the opening scene alone is worth watching) Singin in the Rain, and for good measure--a Shirley Temple movie (I don't really have a favorite). As far as movies dealing with war, I highly recommend The Best Years of Our Lives which deals with returning soldiers and their families--one of the best movies I've ever seen dealing with WW 2 veterans.
Thank you for your recommendations, Babs B! I will definitely consider your musical recommendations! Thank you so much! And I think I need to dedicate a month to war movies from the 1940s because there is more insight on what life might have been like and I am fascinated with this genre of movies! I feel like I learn more about WW2 when watching these films than I ever did in grade school 😂. I will definitely consider giving a month to these movies! Thank you so much!
I ditto that recommendation of The Best Years of Our Lives! Magnificent film!
@@MoviesWithMia For a British look at the war, a recommendation is Mrs Miniver.
I will definitely add that to the list thank you for your recommendation :)
I didn't find this out until a few days ago.
Marcel Dalio, who played Emil the croupier ("you're winnings sir"), was married to Madeleine Lebeau, who played Yvonne, Rick's discarded girlfriend. Dalio and Lebeau were both French refugees who escaped Paris in June 1940 just ahead of the German arrival, much like Rick had planned to do with Ilsa. They had transit visas for Lisbon issued by Aristides de Sousa Mendes, a Portuguese diplomat in Bordeaux, who issued thousands of visas to fleeing refugees, defying the orders of his government. They passed through Spain though on their way to Lisbon, not North Africa, but in a very real way they lived this movie. Dalio was Jewish. None of his family survived the Holocaust.
When Lebeau weeps during the La Marseillaise scene, I don't think she was acting.
Wow! Yeah that scene felt so real! When she shouted “Vive La France” I felt her pain and triumph! Such a powerful scene!
New subscriber here! I just discovered your channel a few days ago when your "Duck Soup" reaction showed up in my queue. I love your appreciation for old Hollywood classics, and have spent the past few days going though your reactions to some of my favorites.
One of the movies I had been thinking of suggesting was "Sabrina," so I loved hearing how it hooked you on old movies. It's one of my favorites, too (though I was hooked by Audrey Hepburn more than Bogart.) I would like to suggest my all-time favorite, "Holiday" (1938), starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. Adapted from a play by Phillip Barry (who wrote The Philadelphia Story), but different in tone. I love it!
One bit of "Casablanca" trivia I haven't spotted in the comments here: As a few others have noted, the writers hadn't decided on an ending even as the movie was being made. They had, in fact, written two different endings, including one where Ilsa stays with Rick. But after they shot the one where she leaves with Victor, everyone realized that it made Rick look so noble, so heroic and self-sacrificing, that that had to be the ending, so they never bothered to shoot the other.
What a lovely review, and I'm so glad the movie excited you!
This is one of those gems that gives you something new each time you see it.
One of the things I've always loved about it was the way we see Sam: though a minor character, he isn't in the same slot that many actors of color were pushed into during this time: he is a friend and a partner with Rick. He is acknowledged as a creative man; he gets a percentage of the profits at Casablanca. He speaks to Ilsa and Rick the way a normal, intelligent, concerned person would, with no stereotype thrown in.
As someone with an immigrant father who never lost his accent, I love the scene with the German couple trying on their English: "Sweetness-heart, what watch?" "Ten watch." "Such watch!" and Karl's bemused: "You will get along fine in America."
I see someone already explained the Vichy water, so I won't go into it. Louis has a mini arc to parallel Rick's, both cynics, both players who understand people, both coming around to face their conscience, and both, in different ways, led to it by Victor. For me, his chemistry with Bogart is as vital and electric as Bogart's with Bergman. He also has some great lines and exchanges ("We'll be there at 6!" "I'll be there at 10." And of course: "I'm shocked, shocked! to find there's gambling going on here." Watch the reaction from Bogart during the bit of action and dialogue that follows. Priceless).
Victor is quasi-protected in Casablanca, which is classified as unoccupied France. That's why Strasser is pushing for him to return to Europe, so that there is jurisdiction to seize him. As Strasser states, it's more valuable to keep Victor alive so that he can be forced (ha!) into giving vital information about the Underground.
Many of the actors were actual refugees, including the actress who played Yvonne. She was married to the croupier, the lovely Marcel Dalio.
TCM has a wonderful mini biography of Conrad Veidt and his opposition to Nazism. I tried to find it for you online but no luck as of yet. He died too young.
Peter Lorre, one of my favorite actors, who played the tiny role of Ugarte here, was also in "Maltese Falcon", and teamed up with Sidney Greenstreet in a number of movies. Two of my favorites are "Three Strangers" and "Mask of Demetrius" where you can see even more influences from "Citizen Kane".
Next time you watch this movie, take a look at Victor during the first encounter with Rick and Ilsa. As he says to Rick later on, he knows within the first couple of instants.
Claude Rains stars with Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant in a great Hitchcock movie, "Notorious". He also had to stand on a box when acting with her. The same with Bergman (and Angela Lansbury) opposite Charles Boyer in "Gaslight". Many of Warner's tough guys were little....
For fun, here's a snip from a musical, "Thank Your Lucky Stars" with Bogart and SJ poking fun at Bogart's image: ruclips.net/video/2r5wEyywH10/видео.html. It has almost nothing to do with plot, but it's my favorite part of the movie.
Thank you, Maria for sharing that insight! I also noticed Sam’s role as a confidant and equal to the other characters, which I greatly appreciated! It’s not often that we get to see POC represented that way in these older films!
I also didn’t know that some of the characters were actual refugees. I think that gives the message of this film an even more impactful mark! Now knowing this information, that scene where Lazlo, Yvonne and the other bar goers are singing the French National Anthem pulls at my heartstrings, specifically where Yvonne exclaims “Vive La France” teary-eyed. The emotions were real in that scene I’m sure of it!
One other thing, I wanted to let you know that I added Notorious to the schedule for Hitchcock month!! I am so excited to watch it!
Thank you so much for sharing your insight! You are one of the subscribers that really makes my day with your comments! So, thank you so much :)
@@MoviesWithMia My pleasure! Looking forward to the next one, and to your review of "Notorious"!
This is truly one of the greatest and best films ever made. Every time I see it I fall in love with it all over again.
For many years critics have called this the greatest American movie. Obviously that's going to be subjective, but it's pretty much flawless in every way.
Hello Mia, just came across your channel.
In my opinion, Casablanca is one of the greatest movies ever made. It always brings a tear to my eye. And I don't tear up easily.
A note about Ingrid Bergman. I came across a biography of her in a local library, so I took it home for a read. It was said that she was even more beautiful in real life as she was on screen. Even experienced actors, who had seen their share of beautiful women, found her breathtaking when they saw her for the first time. But, being a well brought up Swedish girl, she didn't let it go to her head. She'd play it down.
Check out the movie Is Paris Burning?
The screenplay was written by Francis Ford Coppola, before he did the screenplay for Patton.
Another tidbit of information about this movie is that the actors didn't know how it was going to end, until the end of shooting.
The movie was based on Everybody Comes To Rick's, which was an unproduced stage play.
I really appreciate that you try to view these films as of their time. Too many people miss out on fantastic films, because they can’t see past their present social attitudes. You can’t change the past, but you have to remember this film would have been quite modern in its attitudes at the time. As an aside, someone once said Humphrey Bogart only ever played himself, but if you’re Humphrey Bogart, it works.
I hope you don't mind me putting some recommendations out there for musicals. Some of these may not fall within your time period to be considered classical movies (although I'm not sure if you have an official line of demarcation), but they are sooo good (and still fairly old). TBH, I generally can't stand musicals, so if one has made it to my list of favorite movies, you know it's got something extra special. So, here goes:
1) My absolute, number one all-time favorite musical is Milos Forman's "Hair." It's got everything, war, romance, social commentary, humor and tears with an ending that will take your breath away (and the music and dance numbers are outstanding). The film is truly iconic of the sixties (although it was made in the seventies). I first saw it in my late teens, and I was hooked. I see it at least once a year now.
2) Since you're including children's films (yay! I love 'em!), then you can't leave out The Wizard of Oz. Not only for the best song ever recorded but also for the ground-breaking switch between BW and color. It was really scary to see on TV as a kid, but in a good way.
3) Fiddler on the Roof (need I say more?)
4) Meet Me in St. Louis... another Judy Garland classic with the bonus of having introduced child star Margaret O'Brien (at least to me). I absolutely adore both of these actors, and I love how the film takes us through all the holidays of the year. Notable moments are trick-or-treating where Tootie dares to knock on the door of the "haunted" house and the scene near the end where Judy Garland sings "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Lots of other great songs in this film without it getting all operatic or losing the plot.
5) Thoroughly Modern Millie with Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore. I don't know why I like this one so much. Maybe because I like the stars or maybe because it's just a feel-good movie.
6) I don't know if this one really qualifies as a musical, because it doesn't have as many musical numbers as most, but "The Kind and I" might be a fun one to see reviewed.
7) And a couple of honorable mentions for two of my guilty pleasures which, if you're in the mood for something really "out there" and wacky are: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (starring the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, and George Burns among others with cameo appearances from Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Billy Preston, Steve Martin, Earth Wind & Fire and more) and "Cry-Baby" a John Waters spoof starring Johnny Depp.
I cannot thank you enough for recommending more musicals! I am having some issues with finding the ones I have scheduled 😅 and I probably should announce that the cap for films is 1970. Anything before 1970 is fair game. I know there are a lot of great films after 1970, but a lot of people are covering the 70’s and 80’s, so I figured I’d cover the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, etc.
@@MoviesWithMia sure, I understand (but for your own sake, please do see Hair!)
@@kruuyai I will definitely check out Hair! Thank you for recommending :)
Hi Mia. I came here to watch your reaction to Casablanca and realized that I'd also watched you react to 12 Angry Men and enjoyed that reaction. Once I saw that you reacted to classic movies I went to subscribe and noticed that you were at 999 subscribers so I tipped you over to 1K. You deserve more, keep doing what you're doing.
AYYYY! Shout out to you John Wade! Thank you so much! I appreciate you for that :)
Best movie review compared to the other 10 reviews on RUclips.
Wow. This film is so enshrined in popular culture - almost every line is a meme - that I'm still surprised when someone hasn't seen it. It isn't like the days before home video when the only way to see such films was a TV re-run or a re-release in theatres (which didn't happen much except Disney every seven years). I never saw "Casablanca" until I was almost 30 and had moved to a big city where there were a couple of repertory theatres which only showed old classics. Sadly, those theatres have now gone the way of the dodo. It's really worth seeing these classics on a big theatre screen as was intended. Pre-Covid, some of the major chains were doing special showings of classics every month or so, but who knows now...
About camera motion... remember that color filming at this time, especially 3-strip Technicolor, required cameras which were much bulkier than B&W cameras, plus extra bright lighting. Filming in B&W allowed a bit more freedom. In 1942, even movies with sound had only been around for about ten years, so it's amazing what some talented people managed to create. Speaking of which, I believe "King Kong" (1933) was the first major movie released with a dedicated score... also by Max Steiner who did "Casablanca".
Bergman and Claude Rains worked together again (plus Cary Grant!) in "Notorious" (1946), one of Alfred Hitchcock's best.
We still have cinemas here in Europe that show the oldies regularly on the big screen. Come on over after the pandemic!
Wow, thank you so much for sharing that! I especially loved the music in this film! The Knock on Wood song is officially on my Spotify playlist :)
you just gave me a flashback - avoiding college assignments by driving 2 hours to the Nuart, Vista, or other long-gone rep houses to see classics and obscure films.
As a postscript to my original comment, during the "dueling anthems scene" the emotion on the many of the extras faces were real as including Madeleine Lebeau, who played Yvonne. She was French and had fled France, through Lisbon after the Nazis invaded. Also, to amend my earlier comment, i mentioned that many of the extras were concentration camp survivors, this was incorrect, they were refugees from Europe.
Very glad to see younger people checking out older classics. I'm recommending you do The Maltese Falcon
the "coincidences" you speak about: "Brief Encounter," . . . "Inglorious Bastards," . . . are all very real, as is the "Christ-light" entrance of Ilse into the cafe. Film students (particularly college film students), learn these "coincidences" as part of many film classes. A great trivia item also: the Ford Tri-motor plane with its Swastika was actually flown over L.A. to land at the airport twice, and caused public panic in the city.
It's a year later but actor Paul Henreid is from Austria and there's another Austrian actor in the movie Helmut Dantine. Both of these aforementioned actors were anti Nazi and despite the fact that their fellow countryman was Adolf Hitler they hated Nazism and what it stood for. Many Austrian people formed resistance groups to fight the Nazis despite the fact that their country was annexed into Germany in 1938 prior to World War II.
Max Steiner did the soundtrack. Herman Hupfeld wrote As Time Goes By in 1931 and a version of it was a hit for Rudy Vallee in the 30s. This film was actually filmed around ongoing events, like the Allied African campaign.