Casablanca: an American Classic

Casablanca: A True American Classic

The movie Casablanca has long been hailed a king of American classic movies. It incorporates both impressive lighting effects to produce its notable “film noir” style as well as actors that are truly perfect for the roles in which they are cast. This film, critically acclaimed to be one of the best ever created, does deserve its position as one of the top three American movies within the 1998 and 2007 “Top 100” lists. The opinions in this list of all 1,500 film industry leaders aside, there are other clear reasons for this film deserving such an honor which are based on my own viewing of the film.

Perhaps it is just my love for old-style dialogue that makes me say Casablanca’s script alone is grounds for its honorable position in the Top 100 list, and true though this may be, I would still say it is true. Many people would agree that the director took into great consideration how to emphasize the speech in this production in order to convey to the viewer the time that it was set in. When watching the film, one can clearly see the differences in social standards that the World War II era and surrounding times were built on, this clarity adds detail crucial to the flow of the story being told. The quick, witty responses and cynical humor from Rick and the classic, almost stereotypical way in which Ilsa speaks and reacts to things do nothing if not add to the immersive quality of this cinema classic. The viewer, if appreciative enough of such cinematic genius, is drawn into the story as it progresses, showing much relation to an interesting book that is difficult to put down. These are just a few of many prime examples of this movie’s excellence.

Another reason that caused me to have a personal liking of this film is its renowned lighting effects. In a way, the lighting was more a part of the entire story than simply illumination for the purpose of filming. The way in which the makers of Casablanca mastered this elusive...