Casablanca represents the ideal of the American WWII experience away from the battlefield. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is an American gunrunner who, along with this friend Sam (Dooley Wilson), has set up one of hottest clubs in Casablanca. That is, of course, if your definition of "hot" means illegal.
Rick's life takes an unexpected turn when Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), the leader of the Czech underground, comes to the club looking for a way for he and his wife to escape the Nazis. Rick agrees to help, but when he discovers that Laszlo is married to Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), a former lover, he is placed in a moral quandary. Should he help the couple escape, or allow Laszlo to be captured and rekindle his romance with Ilsa?
Every movie has a "point," for me the true classics are the ones that manage to make several points at the same time. For most, Casablanca is a love story - the tale of soulmates who can never be together. Yet, for others, it is the story of America before entering the war; you've got the corrupt French Official, Renault (Claude Rains), who is willing to bend over backwards for the Nazis while Rick sits idly by in his nightclub and doesn't get involved until it personally affects him. Then there's Laszlo's militant commitment to his cause. Laszlo knows about Rick and Isla's past and is willing to exploit that (to the point that he'll let Isla sleep with Rick) to reach his goal. With so much going on, there's ample chance for things to go horribly wrong, yet the amount of craft behind the film is so perfect that everything works like a perfectly-tuned watch.
Casablanca is one of the best-looking Blu-ray releases I've seen. Yes, the movie is in black and white, so instead of millions of colors, you're getting millions of shades of gray, but that's a non-issue.
If the improved quality wasn't enough to convince you of a purchase (or even a re-purchase), the Ultimate Collector's Edition also comes packed with extras. The simple white box comes packed with a Casablanca-branded passport holder and luggage tag, as well as a folder featuring reproductions of posters used to promote the movie. The real treat, however, are the replicas of the transit papers from the movie and an internal memo from Warner discussing how to transition Bogart's image from gangster to leading man, which is a cool piece of behind-the-scenes memorabilia.
For more behind-the-scenes looks, a bound photo album is included with the story behind the film's production and several on-disc extras. One is a Lauren Bacall's tribute to her husband (Bogart) and a tribute to Bogart and Bergman hosted by their children. The film's long-reaching influence is also represented by the Bugs Bunny spoof Carrotblanca, as well as a radio performance and attempt at a spin-off TV show from the 50's.
The entire deal is rounded out by a documentary about Jack Warner. The piece covers the creation of the studio as well as the life of Warner.
The only negative I can muster against Casablanca: Ultimate Collector's Edition is the box. As nice as it looks, it isn't very practical for on-shelf storage. Even if you just display the film case, the cardboard doesn't feel as secure as a snap-tight, blue case. Regardless, don't let that deter you from a purchase; Casablanca is a must-own for any movie fan.
