A few weeks ago, I got a DVD copy of "Casablanca." I must be reliving my former years in out-of-date movies. "Casablanca" was made in 1943. I don't know how many times that I have seen it on tv but it must be a movie that I have probably seen more than any other one. What can I say about it? There is little doubt that it is a classic, pure and simple. It is as fresh today, if not more so, than the first times that I saw it in the 60's and 70's. For me, it is the ultimate Bogie movie. The performances are flawless. The cast is simply great and Ingrid Bergman is scintillating. I know of no actress today that can even come close to this kind of performance. She was in a class all by herself. Very few actors and actresses today have the onscreen presence of Humphrey Bogart or Ingrid Bergman. Unlike movies prior or even subsequent to it, "Casablanca" never drags and it isn't even an action movie. "Casablanca" has made an indelible impression on me that has never left. Most of the actors have since passed on. The plus of a DVD movie is that there is usually a special sequence created just for the DVD, as well as the original trailer shown at the theater. That trailer doesn't come even close to capturing the feeling of the film. Most trailers promise more than they can deliver. There was a special feature on this movie with Lauren Bacall, Bogie's last wife, on the DVD. I had known that "Casablanca" had been made in a state of flux in which the ending of the movie hadn't been written until nearly the end of the movie - so that none of the actors or actresses knew how the movie would end. Somehow or other this must have enhanced the movie because of the ongoing WWII. The details were fascinating because this is one time in which everything came together to produce something that has easily withstood the test of time. I doubt that there are any superfluous scenes, at all, in the movie. It is a masterpiece put together by many different people. For me, this is the number one movie of all time. I guess that I am just not sophisticated enough to appreciate "Citizen Kane." Long lived "anything," when it comes to literary creations or movies, seem to inevitably deal with values and relationships. "Casablanca" is at the top of the heap for me. It is nothing short of pure magic - even 56 years later.
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