Arts & Culture

‘Casablanca’ unexpected blockbuster success

By Samuel Cheng

Published 12:14 PDT, Fri October 14, 2022

Last Updated: 12:34 PST, Mon November 7, 2022

In the next part of a series on movies, we explore 1942’s Casablanca.

The 1942 film Casablanca is centred around the themes of history, romance, and drama.

The movie was directed by Michael Curtiz with a screenplay by Julius and Philip Epstein and Howard Koch. The film stars Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid. 

Despite its star-studded cast and talented writers, the film was not expected to be a blowout blockbuster movie. The film was even rushed into release to try to take advantage of the publicity of the Allied invasion of North Africa at the time.

However, after the movie premiered on Nov. 26, 1942, it blew all expectations out of the water. 

Casablanca won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Its reputation began to build, and it went on to consistently appear on lists of must-watch movies of all time.

Numerous elements contributed to the movie’s resounding success including the storyline, the soundtrack, and the cinematography.

The movie is set during the Second World War, which is also when filming took place. The movie uses metaphors to illustrate the events that were happening during its time.

For example, Casablanca, a chaotic city with refugees, symbolizes the state of the world in the midst of the war. Rick Blaine, played by Bogart, tries to remain neutral. He represents the United States during its time of isolation and non-intervention.

During the honeymoon phase of Blaine and Ilsa Lund’s relationship, it is described as affectionate and loving. It symbolizes the peaceful times before the war broke out.

The film reflects upon the world that its audiences were living in. As a result, no one knew what would happen or how the plot would end; real-life events were playing out on screen. 

Casablanca also contains many quotes still used today including “round up the usual suspects,” “play as time goes by,” and “here’s looking at you kid.”

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