I'll start off by saying this: It's surprising how LITTLE actually happens in Casablanca in terms of plot. Rick gets letters of transit. Ilsa and Victor show up. Rick bitter, flashes back to Paris with Ilsa. Victor goes to a secret meeting of the underground. Rick connects with Ilsa. Rick gives letters of transit to Ilsa and Victor, making sure they escape. Shoots Major Strasser. There are some other subplots and bits of business woven into the narrative, but as far as the main plot is concerned, it's an extremely simple, straight-ahead story. So why does the movie cast such a wondrous spell? * Great characters: Unique and entertaining in their own way which masks the fact that each of them has a specific narrative function which they pull off in a seamless fashion. * Sparkling dialogue: This is one of the most quote-worthy movies of all time. Yet the lines aren't entertaining just to entertain, rather they derive from each character as a reflection of who they are in the context of the specifics of each scene in connection with the overall plot. * Universal themes: Loss, Love, Hope, and a central theme as played out with Rick's character: Idealism vs. Cynicism. Post Paris, Rick had turned into a bitter, cynical, loner. When Ilsa returns, Rick's angry response - the night he gets drunk and says some really spiteful things to her - gives us a clear portrait of the depth of his bitterness. But the influence of Ilsa, who awakens his heart, and notably, too, Victor, who awakens Rick's idealism, 'resurrects' Rick to become - in the end - a hero. And yes, I mean that specifically. Joseph Campbell says a hero is someone who gives him/herself over to a cause bigger than themselves. That's precisely what Rick does, sacrificing his love for Ilsa for the greater good represented by Victor and the cause of fighting Fascism. Of course, that's all wrapped up in authentic feelings at the end. We understand why Rick makes the choice he does, however we can also identify with those questions of did he do the right thing in this moment right here. Look at that face, as Rick watches the airplane take off. Gone are the letters of transit. Gone is his lover. And he did all that by choice. We can see everything on Bogart's face there: loss, uncertainty, but finally hope and the knowledge he did the right thing. I remember watching this movie for the first time with my parents in their living room in the early 70s. Completely blew me away. I've seen it a half-dozen times since, once in a movie theater which was an absolutely transcendent experience. Love to hear what you have to say about Casablanca!

First saw Casablanca in my sixth grade class in the late 80s. Teacher was shocked to find out we hadn't seen any classic movies and took it upon herself to fix the problem. She showed us Casablanca first. I remember collective groaning when the movie started and we realized it was in black-and-white. Eventually the groans stopped. Then silence. A lot of silence--especially for a sixth grade class. Next sound I remember hearing was my best friend softly crying when the movie ended. Lights came on, and there were red eyes all over. The teacher passed tissues to my friend, a few other kids--including the fastest boy in the class--and kept one for herself. I remember feeling like someone had hit me with a brick and thinking, "Wow. Why'd they hide that one in the black-and-white section?" Without a doubt, Casablanca cured us all of our aversion to black-and-white films. We were coming up in the 80s blockbuster age, so it was the first time most of us had a chance to really "feel" a movie, listen to snappy dialogue that went somewhere, respond to the conflict playing out between and within the characters, rather than just react to the overwhelming sensory experience of the movie. I'm overdue to re-watch.

Wow, great story, Rashonda! Such a terrific memory to associate with a great movie. And kudos to your 6th grade teacher for taking it upon herself to expose you to some classic movies. I feel the same way with the History of American Screenwriting course I teach each spring to my university students. They get to watch Mary Pickford in a silent movie, Clark Gable and Myrna Loy in "It Happened One Night," Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck in "Double Indemnity," the classic 50s sci fi film "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," and many more. All of these are black and white. And yes, they grown when they realize that's what they'll be watching. But by the end of the semester, they will have grown to embrace the beauty of black-and-white filmmaking. In some ways, I think black-and-white films really force young people out of their comfort zone, where they expect eye-popping computer generated spectacle. As you say so eloquently in your last paragraph, movies like "Casablanca" zero in on characters and make us really "feel" the story. In an era when so much of what passes for entertainment is surface level, "Casablanca" reminds us that movies can be powerful emotional motivators. Thanks!

>>It’s surprising how LITTLE actually happens in Casablanca in terms of plot. More than offset by all the drama in the "B" story, the relationship(s). Primarily betweeen Rick and Ilsa, of course, but there's also a lot of chemistry and dynamic between Rick and Renault.