JACK'S BACK and this time it's personal
DATE AND STATUS: Thursday, August 30th, and I'm in alot of pain
I had a bad fall early this morning which has put me in severe pain. It also forced me to go to the hospital as I required stitches to my knee. After the doctor had sewen in over fifty stitches, he stopped counting. It really was quite a painful nasty gash, still is, but at least they didn't have to amputate!
In order for my knee to heal properly, and to avoid breaking open all those stitches, (I'm already dreading the day that they have to be removed,) the doctor advised me that I need to keep my leg as straight as possible, and to facilitate this, I am wearing a brace that runs from my thigh to my ankle.
The problem I have is with the brace: it makes walking, sitting and using my computer very awkward! Consequently, I am jumping right into a mini review of that romantic drama film, "Casablanca!" I apologize now for it's brevity, it just can't be helped.
If you don't know already, "Casablanca" stars Humphrey Bogart, as Rick, a man torn between love and virtue.
Set during World War II, the movie focuses on Rick who must choose between his love for a woman, Ilsa Lund, played by gorgeous Ingrid Bergman, and helping her Czech Resistance leader husband, Laszlo, played by Paul Henreid, escape from the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Nazis.
The plot involves two letters of passage that will allow people to leave Casablanca for Portugal and freedom. Rick has obtained these letters from the wheedling little black-marketeer Ugarte, Peter Lorre, who is always fun to see and is rather wonderful in this small, albeit important part, isn't he always?
The sudden reappearance of Ilsa at Rick's Cafe Americain, reopens all of Rick's old wounds, (didn't I mention that they were previously involved with each other when they lived in Paris?,) and breaks his carefully cultivated veneer of neutrality and indifference.
That night, Ilsa confronts and threatens Rick with a gun, and then confesses her love for him. Ilsa explains to Rick that when they first met, and fell in love in Paris, she believed that her husband had been killed attempting to escape from a concentration camp. Later, while preparing to flee with Rick from Paris, Ilsa learned that Laszlo was in fact alive and in hiding. Consequently, she left Rick without explanation to care for ill husband.
The lovers are now reconciled, (totally Hollywood, ) and Rick wants to use the letters to escape with Ilsa. In a sustained sequence that combines intrigue and romance (as they have rarely been brought together on the screen,) Rick contrives a situation in which Ilsa and Laszlo escape together, while he and his friend the homosexual police chief, Claude Rains, get away with murder.
Confused? So was I the first six or seven times I attempted to watch Casablanca, but when you do experience the complete movie, everything makes sense! No wonder that "Casablanca'' is one of the most popular films ever made. It is about a man and a woman who are in love, and who sacrifice love for a higher purpose.
I especially enjoyed the dialogue throughout the entire movie which combines the cynical with the weary; there are wisecracks with epigrams. For example, Rick moves easily in a corrupt world. "What is your nationality?'' a German Strasser asks him, and Rick replies, "I'm a drunkard.'' His personal motto: "I stick my neck out for nobody.''
DATE AND STATUS: Thursday, August 30th, and I'm in alot of pain
I had a bad fall early this morning which has put me in severe pain. It also forced me to go to the hospital as I required stitches to my knee. After the doctor had sewen in over fifty stitches, he stopped counting. It really was quite a painful nasty gash, still is, but at least they didn't have to amputate!
In order for my knee to heal properly, and to avoid breaking open all those stitches, (I'm already dreading the day that they have to be removed,) the doctor advised me that I need to keep my leg as straight as possible, and to facilitate this, I am wearing a brace that runs from my thigh to my ankle.
The problem I have is with the brace: it makes walking, sitting and using my computer very awkward! Consequently, I am jumping right into a mini review of that romantic drama film, "Casablanca!" I apologize now for it's brevity, it just can't be helped.
If you don't know already, "Casablanca" stars Humphrey Bogart, as Rick, a man torn between love and virtue.
Set during World War II, the movie focuses on Rick who must choose between his love for a woman, Ilsa Lund, played by gorgeous Ingrid Bergman, and helping her Czech Resistance leader husband, Laszlo, played by Paul Henreid, escape from the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Nazis.
The plot involves two letters of passage that will allow people to leave Casablanca for Portugal and freedom. Rick has obtained these letters from the wheedling little black-marketeer Ugarte, Peter Lorre, who is always fun to see and is rather wonderful in this small, albeit important part, isn't he always?
The sudden reappearance of Ilsa at Rick's Cafe Americain, reopens all of Rick's old wounds, (didn't I mention that they were previously involved with each other when they lived in Paris?,) and breaks his carefully cultivated veneer of neutrality and indifference.
That night, Ilsa confronts and threatens Rick with a gun, and then confesses her love for him. Ilsa explains to Rick that when they first met, and fell in love in Paris, she believed that her husband had been killed attempting to escape from a concentration camp. Later, while preparing to flee with Rick from Paris, Ilsa learned that Laszlo was in fact alive and in hiding. Consequently, she left Rick without explanation to care for ill husband.
The lovers are now reconciled, (totally Hollywood, ) and Rick wants to use the letters to escape with Ilsa. In a sustained sequence that combines intrigue and romance (as they have rarely been brought together on the screen,) Rick contrives a situation in which Ilsa and Laszlo escape together, while he and his friend the homosexual police chief, Claude Rains, get away with murder.
Confused? So was I the first six or seven times I attempted to watch Casablanca, but when you do experience the complete movie, everything makes sense! No wonder that "Casablanca'' is one of the most popular films ever made. It is about a man and a woman who are in love, and who sacrifice love for a higher purpose.
I especially enjoyed the dialogue throughout the entire movie which combines the cynical with the weary; there are wisecracks with epigrams. For example, Rick moves easily in a corrupt world. "What is your nationality?'' a German Strasser asks him, and Rick replies, "I'm a drunkard.'' His personal motto: "I stick my neck out for nobody.''
Another intriguing feature of the movie is that none of the major characters is bad. Some are cynical, some lie, some kill, but all are redeemed. Through Bogie's bravery and heroism, the audience get to feel those features; it doesn't matter a whit that it is only vicarious.
From a modern perspective, the film reveals interesting assumptions. Ilsa Lund's role is basically that of a lover and helpmate to a great man; the movie's real question is,which great man should she be sleeping with? Laszlo or Rick?, therein we have the dichotomy of Casablanca!
I loved Casablanca for subjective reasons, it was my first delightful, appealing primer in a problem that is, to me,endlessly fascinating, never fully resolved, the one of balancing the demands of the heart and the dictates of belief. Bless "Casablanca" for its sincere, and slightly kitschy heart, and for undertaking a sobering task with wit and style, and grace under commercial pressure, for somehow transcending the conventions of its cinematic moment at the same time it seemed to summarize them! Well, what do you know, it wasn't such a mini review after all!
MOVIE TIMETABLE
Friday: "Romance on the High Seas." This is Doris Day's first movie which I have to confess, I'm kinda curious as to how she'll make out, regardless of Ms. Day, I always enjoy romance movies, whether it's on the high sea or low sea. And yes, I'll be watching it on the Turner Classic Movie (TCM) channel, where I enjoy many, many great movies.
Saturday: "Gold Diggers of 1933." Because gathering new tips on building wealth is always motivational, but somehow I think there may just be another element here. Otherwise, why is TCM running it and not some financial channel?
Sunday: "Rachel Getting Married." Anne Hathaway managed to get a Best Actress Oscar nomination for this movie, but I'm really anxious to see Debra Winger in it. Miss Winger plays Ms. Hathaway's mother. I'm glad I have pay television so I can see the film for free, well, sort of.
Monday: "Strangers on a Train." I don't know if I want to see this movie because I enjoy mysteries of if it's because I like train travel, regardless, I'll be travelling on TCM, first class of course.
Tuesday: "Elmer Gantry" Both Burt Lancaster and Shirley Jones received academy award nominations for their work here. I want to see if they deserved them, you know how the Academy can be.
Wednesday: "Four Sons." This movie stars Ingrid Bergman and Susan Hayward, two of my favourites, and that is reason enough for me to watch this movie. But I bet I end up liking this movie for all sorts of reasons, and not just because of Miss Bergman and Miss Hayward.
Thursday: "Blow Dry." For no other reason that when I saw the title of this movie in the television guide, it intrigued me.
Films Coming Soon: Exodus, The Sand Pebbles, An American in Paris, The Jack E. Taylor Story. What a lineup!
Casablanca often evokes a discussion of why it was such a successful movie. To me it is the very cool combination of great romance with grave danger. When Bergman's great beauty and famous allure is mixed with Bogart''s rugged looks and witty charm the cool factor is multiplied by many times. How could such a movie possibly fail? I'm amazed it took you so long to finally see it in its entirety but your assessment is bang on.
ReplyDeleteAs always, a wonderful review, you put incredible detail into it without making it boring, and I enjoy that you put your opinions in it. :)
ReplyDelete