Wow, where to start. Quite simply, this has to be one of the greatest movies ever made. Now realize that this is coming from me, a 16-year-old! I don't consider myself anything of a film expert, but I know a good film when I see one. It's hard to imagine that the part of Rick was originally scripted for Ronald Reagan, but Bogart's performance is flawless, as is Bergman's. I also find it somewhat ironic that it spawned a catch phrase that was never spoken verbatum in the film, but aside from that, wow. A lot of people may find the storyline somewhat dry by today's standards, but I love it. All of the actors have marvelous voices. Casablanca only gets better 'As Time Goes By' (neat little reference, eh?), and I highly recommend it to anyone with a pulse and a soul. If you must see one more movie before you die, it doesn't get any better than Casablanca.

Also, Bogart fans should check out "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Enforcer".

I'm holding out for a 16:9 colorized version with Dolby Digital EX 9.1! I mean when I watch Casablanca and I here the gun shot at the end, I want to HERE GUN SHOT AT THE END!!! Also Ingrid Bergman is no Maryland Monroe.

One of the greatest, and certainly one of the most quoted, films in cinema history, Casablanca brings all the essential elements to the big screen - adventure, romance, intrigue, suspense, and of course, evil Nazi bad guys (if you doubt this last one as an essential element, then reference the success of the Indiana Jones films). With a director and cast second to none, Casablanca makes a strong case for consideration as the best movie ever made - cementing its status as a must-see film.

The story begins in a place called Rick's, a popular watering hole in Vichey controlled Morocco on the outskirts of Nazi dominated Europe. An important travel hub, Casablanca plays host to innumerable colorful characters with any number of varying agendas. Arms dealers, spies, and revolutionaries walk side-by-side through streets littered with pickpockets. But at Rick's, everyone seems to enjoy themselves. Owner Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) seems content with his life of serving customers and making money until she walks in - Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), the love of his life.

A couple of years earlier, as the Nazis moved into Paris, Rick and Ilsa fell in love. But in the act of fleeing the Nazi advance, Ilsa sent Rick a note at the train station informing him that she could not go with him. She offered no explanation. Now, she was appearing in his establishment with her husband - fugitive and Nazi resistance leader Victor Laszlo.

As the hours unfold, and the Nazis search for Laszlo in an attempt to cut off his escape, Rick learns the whole story. When he met Ilsa in Paris she was married to Laszlo, but she thought he was dead - a victim of the Nazi regime. But before she could flee Paris with Rick, she learned that her husband had escaped a Nazi concentration camp. She stayed behind to care for him.

Needing help to aid her husband's escape to the United States, Ilsa appeals to Rick. It is clear that they still love each other. But will Rick use his influence and connections to help himself and Ilsa or Victor Laszlo? Will his idealism prevail over his hard pragmatism? The Third Reich is closing in on Victor Laszlo and only Rick can save him...

The DVD Report

Casablanca is one of the few movies that is every bit as good as its hype. The story moves at a frantic, but believable, pace. Like all of the great ones, this film is not tarnished by its age. The unfortunate thing is that, in 2005, so much of the dialogue has so fully entered our cultural lexicon that the new viewer may be disappointed as to how cliche it sounds. Yet, none of the lines like "play it again Sam," "...out of all of the gin joints" and "this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," were ever heard before Casablanca's release. Sure, Bogey is stupendous as is Bergman but what about Claude Rains? He practically steals the title role away from Rick. His character is incredibly complex and interesting. It is somewhat amusing as to the favorable spin that the French are given, but we must remember that back in 1941 they were a defeated ally.

Anyone notice that even Nazi's were more courteous than our own slimy FBI and ATF agents?