Four Reasons Casablanca Is Such A Great Film

Four reasons Casablanca is considered a great film:

1. Its screenplay. I would bet more lines are still quoted from that film today than any other (“You played it for her, you can play it for me. Play it, Sam.” “Of all the gin joints in all the world she had to walk into mine.” “Here’s looking at you, kid.” “We’ll always have Paris.” “There’s gambling going on here? I’m shocked.” “Why did you come to Casablanca? For the waters. But Casablanca is in the middle of the desert. I was misinformed.” “The problems of two little people don’t amount to a hill of beans …” “You’ll always regret it, maybe not today, but …” “This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.” “Round up the usual suspects.” There are so many more

2. Its pure dumb luck. When it was finished, everyone associated with it thought they had made a fairly good “B” picture. Then the Big 4 Summit meeting was held in Casablanca and Warners decided to exploit that by giving the film a wider release. The film literally lit up the screen.

3. It is a movie that has far more impact the SECOND time you see it than the first. Because on the second time, you know the history behind Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman when she first walks into his cafe and that scene has far greater impact with that knowledge.

4. There’s not a wasted moment on the screen. Even what would normally be considered throwaway subplots like the story of the young bride who will submit to Claude Rains’ sexual advances so she and her husband can get out of Casablanca ring true and become integral to the overall development of the main characters.