I've watched "Casablanca" ONCE. Based on the way this played up I expected to be blown away by it. Suprisingly, I didn't like it at all.

Still, thanks for showing the screenplay scene, Scott.

Are you a big fan of "Casablanca" or any other "old" classics?

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

Here's the thing about Casablanca: it started out as a B-movie based upon a stage play. And both of those historical elements are visible in the movie. In a macro view, it's a pretty static flick, most of it taking place at Rick's cafe. However, it has some of the best dialogue ever, this scene included. I'll put together an analysis of the scene in the next few days as it is one of the most storied endings in American cinema.

That said, I can understand how you didn't connect with it. I learned long ago there's no right or wrong re reactions to movies.

Unlike "e.c. henry," I've seen CASABLANCA a number of times. With that in mind, a few things about this scene struck me:

-Both the description and dialogue are amazingly spare. No long speeches or overly detailed action. In a scene where so much is happening, both on the surface and in the subtext, it's amazing how much they communicated with so few words.

-Victor's line to Rick ("Welcome back to the fight. This time I know our side will win.") seems like it should be a lot more powerful. I always thought Paul Henreid was a little flat, and reading this reinforced that impression. He's supposed to be this stirring and inspirational figure, and he's just kind of dull. It's understandable that they wouldn't want to cast someone who would detract from Bogart or Bergman, but come on!

Thanks for this post -- it really is one of the great scenes in cinema. I look forward to your analysis.

It's a great scene, no doubt... But I really think you've missed the ball, a bit... The best scene in the movie, and possibly the greatest scene in cinema history, is the" La Marseillaise" scene..

Most powerful..