| Overall Grade: |
A+ |
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| Story: |
A- |
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|
| Acting: |
A+ |
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|
| Direction: |
A+ |
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|
| Visuals: |
B- |
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Improves with each viewing
by AaronS (movies profile)
May 18, 2008
12
of
14 people found this review helpful
What makes Casablanca so great is not necessarily the main plot line, which was probably a little cliched even when it was made. What makes it great is the overall writing and the acting performances.
The dialogue is still sharp after all these years, and the overall writing is superb. There are subplots that go unnoticed in the first viewing, such as the plight of Bulgarian refugee Annina Brandel (Joy Page), who must deal with lecherous Capt. Renault (Claude Rains) to leave Casablanca.
There is a real sense that the characters actually populate the film, as there are subplots like this for virtually every character that has a line in the movie. Virtually no screen time is wasted; even the screentime devoted to setting the scene adds to the depth of characters, even if they are minor ones.
Furthermore, the acting is superb, with the delivery of lines and nonverbal cues almost perfect in every scene. A great example of this is the entrance of Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman); Sam the piano player (Dooley Wilson) does a great double take and looks concerned. A great deal of information is conveyed without any words being spoken. It's quick and effortless, and indicative of the quality of acting and writing that permeates the film. This quality, coupled with the movie's quotability, makes it a must see and a real American classic. |
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