For the love of god say it with a long “A” sounds please I’m begging you
YES
Release date: November 26, 1942
Director: Michael Curtiz
Language: English
Who should watch this movie: Everyone at least once if not twice.
When should you watch this movie: Right now folks! Right fucking now!
The sell: The fact that Casablanca is still relevant in today’s political climate is actually depressing, but hey, I guess that makes it timeless? Turns out, Nazis are always bad! In all seriousness, Casablanca is an excellent film, and it is one of the most famous motion pictures in history for a reason. The dialogue is quite literally iconic. Most of the famous film quotes you’ve heard are from this movie. I’m sure almost everyone has heard at least one reference to Casablanca, whether it was in Manhattan (1979) or in Spongebob. A lesser known fact about this movie is that the director, Michael Curtiz, was a Jewish man from Hungary. Though his film career began with silent movies in Budapest, he came to the United States to work at Warner Bros. studios in 1926 and made several award-winning films before Casablanca. In 1938, with the rise of Nazism in Europe, he enlisted Jack Warner’s help in an attempt to rescue his family. Warner was only semi-successful and several members of Curtiz’s family were killed at Auschwitz. This experience provides important context for viewing Casablanca as a chilling critique not just of German atrocities but of those who stand by and watch. Through Rick Blaine, Curtiz asks the audience not to be heroes, but to make the right choice. Just a Fun and Quick note: Casablanca came out in 1942 and the US did not join the war until 1945, claiming ignorance to the ongoing genocide across Europe!
