You're a rank sentimentalist

As you may or may not know, last evening, I attended a special 70th Anniversary screening of Casablanca. Upon entering the theater, I was instantly struck by how many people there were. I mean, the theater looked just about full, and even after my friend and I took our seats, people were still filing in. And the best part about it all was the range of ages that were in attendance. I noticed that some people had brought along their kids, which made me want to high-five them. Hell, I wanted to high-five everybody that was there.

The lights dimmed, the room hushed, and the audience was treated to an introduction to the film by none other than the host of Turner Classic Movies, Robert Osborne. The introduction included some background information about the film, reminiscences by those who worked on it, and some famous faces discussing what Casablanca means to them.

And so the movie began. Watching it, I felt almost as if I was seeing it for the first time. And at the end, I felt so satisfied. It's been a long time since I've felt that way after seeing a movie. My favorite part was the collective applause (and I may or may not have spotted a standing ovation out of the corner of my eye) when the picture ended. Although I was kind of hoping for some applause at the beginning, when the title came upon the screen,  some applause for Humprey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman's first appearances, and for Victor Laszlo's rousing rendition of La Marseillaise, alas, there was none.

The only setback was when some asshat's telephone rang...and he actually answered it and had a conversation! However, there was basically nothing that could have went down during that screening that would have dampened my spirits. I paid $11.50 for my ticket, but honestly, and I don't really give a damn how lame this sounds, it was a totally priceless experience. What a night.

Next week, they are screening the 1927 silent classic Wings, starring Clara Bow. I may or may not be going.

Welcome back to the fight. This time I know our side will win.

Casablanca, 1942

My list of 15 films continues with Casablanca. I was first shown this film in my tenth grade film class and I was instantly in love with it. I got so lost in the story and completely swept away and involved in the love triangle. I honestly had no idea who Ilsa was going to end up with, and I totally felt for her, because I had fallen for both men as well.I was drawn to Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and his smart-ass remarks, and I thought that Victor (Paul Henried) was such a good, brave man. By the end of the picture, I had to quickly wipe my eyes and pretend that I hadn't been crying.


Also, I remember thinking that the girl in the movie was very pretty. Only later did I learn her name was Ingrid Bergman and that she was an Academy Award winning Swedish actress. (She's now one of my favorite actresses). I think she's especially beautiful in this film. She's absolutely luminous- especially when Rick sees her again for the first time in years:

The part that stands out to me the most isn't the famous goodbye scene, but when Victor leads all the people in a chorus of La Marseillaise, much to the annoyance of the German soldiers. In this scene, Paul Henried is so brave, and so handsome, and Ilsa is so proud of him. It's such a beautiful scene. Observe:








Casablanca is true escapist cinema, and I can just imagine what it did for people during World War II. I've always wanted to talk to someone who was around during that time and ask them what it was like seeing that film back in 1942, and how they reacted to it.

With its great story, love triangle, endlessly quotable lines, and great performances by all involved, Casablanca is s treasure of a movie that everyone really should see.

PS- I'm sorry about the video, I didn't realize that it couldn't be embedded. It's going to take you straight to the youtube page.