This one is complicated too but I'd have to say 'Casablanca'. Perfect story, perfect cast. Humphrey Bogart is Rick Blaine, the owner of 'Rick's Place' in WWII in Casablanca, Morocco which was neutral during the war. It was a safe place where the Germans and the Allies co-existed pretty peacefully. Rick claims no loyalties to either side but is secretly a gun broker for the Allies. Ingrid Bergman was never as beautiful as Ilsa, the woman Rick loves and who stood him up in Paris because she had a secret, her husband Victor Laszlo, a war activist she thought dead, played by Paul Henreid. Ilsa and Victor come to Casablanca to escape to America and Rick is the one who can help them. Will he help the woman who betrayed him and her husband escape?
There are 3 scenes that stand out and make me cry everytime. Ilsa comes to try to explain to a drunken and crying Rick and he is very cruel to her. Later she explains what happened in Paris and why she stood him up. And the 3rd shows the German officers singing their national anthem and Victor striking up the band to play La Marseillaise to drown them out.
Others in the cast include Claude Rains as the local police captain and Sidney Greenstreet as a shady businessman.
It's a great movie, great characters, moving story and not an "F" word in site.
Amazing.
No comments:
Post a Comment