Casablanca Film Analysis Essay

Film analysis of Casablanca (1942)

One of the most debated topics in recent history questions if Casablanca is the best film of all time. The film was originally released in New York in late 1942, and then nationally in early 1943. Given the time period and the plot, many found this film to be controversial, yet informative, as the movie follows the story of a group of refugees during World War II. With any discussion, criteria must be set to determine this answer. In this particular review, I will discuss why I believe Casablanca is the greatest film of all time and why. Specifically, I will be comparing the following factors; Plot, music, and casting. Additionally, as this is a historical film, historical context will be compared as well. To begin with, I

Casablanca was rushed into production in December 1941, the month of the Pearl Harbor attack in Hawaii, which is also the month that the film takes place in. Just as the title implies, the setting is based in Casablanca, Morocco, where Rick Blaine owns a nightclub called "Rick 's Café Américain". As this film takes place in December 1941, the plot revolves around many refugees attempting to reach The United States, which was still neutral during that time of the war. Although, over the years, historians have questioned the historical accuracy, or lack thereof in Casablanca. A specific key to the plot is the “Letters of Transit”, a document that allows those who bear them unquestioned travel through German-controlled Europe. I must add that these papers are completely fictional in our reality. To add on, in the film it is mentioned that General deGualle was the one to sign off on these papers, but deGualle didn’t have any authority in North Africa during that time period, making the papers even more unrealistic (Janes, 2017). Moving on, it is very clear that the Nazi’s are potrayed as the ‘bad guys’ in this film. While this is true, Casablanca characterizes them as “unapologetically evil”