Browsing through the Sunday papers lazily this afternoon, I was pleasantly surprised when I came across a reference to Casablanca, albeit in a very different context.
Ashokamritan wrote, ”I am not a C-buff; there are people who have seen that film 50 times and more. I have seen it only three times……….” (The Hindu, Sunday, July 30, 2006).
Yours truly, a loyal life-member of “Casablanca Club” could not resist the urge to pen a tribute to this film.
“The course of true love never did run smooth……”
Casablanca (1942) is one of the most poignant love stories on film and will always continue to attract viewers.
It is a tale of true love and sacrifice, where losing is more glorious than victory.
The same hand of destiny brings them together again…..but will they be united and live happily forever?
Richard Blaine ( Sir Humphrey Bogart) meets the beautiful young Ilsa (Ingrid Bergmann) in Paris. They fall deeply in love.The untimely German invasion of Paris compels them to flee. They decide to travel to Marseilles. But Ilsa fails to join Richard at the station at the appointed hour. Shattered by her betrayal, he leaves Paris.
Eventually we find Richard, now known as Rick, in Casablanca (a French colony) where he runs a nightclub. Blaine, embittered by Ilsa’s betrayal now enjoys a reputation as a hard-nosed, cynical businessman.
Casablanca, is overflowing with refugees wanting to cross over to America.
Exit visas are rampantly being peddled in the black market for steep prices.
Blaine accidentally comes into the possession of stolen blank exit visas.
Enter, Ilsa with husband Victor Lazlo in tow. Lazlo, a monumental figure is the leader of the underground resistance movement in Prague. He has been arrested more than once by the Germans, but has had many a lucky escape. Their destination is America, where Victor can carry on his work unhindered.
After being denied permission by the French police to leave Casablanca, Lazlo approaches Blaine for the exit visas, but is turned down.
Ilsa then requests him for the visas, under the plea that, Lazlo’s work is the most important need of the hour.
When he is unmoved, she breaks down and tells him the whole truth, how circumstances compelled her to join Lazlo (whom she had presumed dead) in Paris, where he was in hiding. The flame of love is rekindled and Rick agrees to help her.
Torn between her duty to stand by her husband and her deep love for Rick, she is confused and tells him “ You do the thinking for both of us.”
Lazlo confronts Rick and tells him that he is aware that both of them are in love with the same woman. He proceeds to ask him for safe passage for his wife to America. Richard now consents to part with the exit visas.
The final melodrama at the airport when Ilsa leaves to board the plane, will tug at your heart strings.
This film’s dialogues gained tremendous popularity at that time.
The line, ”Here’s looking at you kid” was very famous.
And the ending line, “This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” says it all.
Apart from the three main protagonists, other characters and sub-plots are skillfully woven into the main canvas.
There’s Sam the pianist, who plays the famous “As time goes by….”;
Louis Renault, French Prefect of police, a womanizer who befriends Blaine;
Yvonne, the French girl who Blaine chooses to ignore after a fling ;
Ugarte, the visa peddler;
the young Hungarian girl wanting to reach America at any price, for the sake of her beloved husband, and so on.
The background setting of the war is very appropriate to the plot.
Bogart’s performance in this film reaffirms what a talented actor he was. His rendition of a stoical, tough guy will tug at your heart strings. He emotes ever so well with his eyes –eg.“Nobody ever loved me like that.”
Ingrid Bergmann, one of the most beautiful actresses who has graced the cinema world, is the right choice to play the role of Ilsa Lund.
They make the perfect couple on screen.
Does true love triumph in the end?
In this love triangle, who emerges the true victor?
Is it he who wins her hand, or is it he who wins her love?
This is a film that will never stale.
It can be and should be watched over and over again.