Yes I will admit that I probably was the only person who had never seen Casablanca. A movie so highly regarded by critics and fans alike, I don’t think it needs an introduction. With A List stars of its time, and seemingly endless amounts of quotable phrases it is quite a surprise I haven’t seen it yet.
Set during World War II in Casablanca (current day a city Morocco) the story’s main focus is the love affair of Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). They had met in France just before Nazi…occupation with a promise of running away together. Rick is let down upon receiving a note from Ilsa at the train station stating that she will not be joining him. Heartbroken life goes on for a now cynical and bitter Rick the owner of an upscale club in Casablanca. Until one-day fait would have it Ilsa enters the club with her husband Laszlo (Paul Henreid) a famous Czech resistance leader. Rick is furious with her and wants nothing to do with her, until later on when she tells him the story behind it all. Ilsa was under the assumption that her husband had been killed in action when she met and fell in love with Rick, when she soon found out he was alive she abandoned Rick. Whether Rick likes it on not, he believes what she has to say and wants to help her and Laszlo to get to America.
To be honest, I don’t like old movies and I didn’t think this would be an exception. But was it ever, now I understand why it is so critically acclaimed. The movie was more about telling a love story, not an over budget special effect type movie we are used to seeing, it is completely story and dialogue driven which is a rarity nowadays. The acting was great all around, but most notably by Humphrey Bogart. After watching this movie, it makes me think that Hollywood has somehow strayed from its simple yet climatic and classic approach to filmmaking. As well as not liking older movies, I don’t usually sit well with romantic ones either but again I was surprised on how good this film was. I guess this movie really has something special too it, because it went against all my preconceived notions of how a movie of this genre should play out.
Video
Casablanca is presented in a 1080p 1.33:1 aspect ratio and really does look fabulous. After being disappointed with some of Warner’s prior HD-DVD restores I was shocked to see how good they cleaned this title up. Right from the start you will notice the film doesn’t have a lot of dirt and grain which usual plagues older releases like this. Black and whites look crisp and clear. Facial detail also looks fabulous with the new HD presentation. The only thing I can find wrong with the overall picture quality is that at times it looks a little soft, but that didn’t take much away from the overall presentation.
Aside from the occasional softness this is a near perfect transfer, Warner should be proud of the work they did on this one.
Audio
Casablanca could have sounded terrible had it been slapped together fast, thankfully it does not. Presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 the film sounds good for a film released in 1942. The dialogue is clear with no apparent pops but lacks depth due to the mono presentation.
The audio isn’t the high point of the disc but that’s not saying it is bad. Warner clearly tried their hardest restoring the audio track as best they could, and while they will never make sound as good as Batman Begins, they did a fantastic job given the source material.
Special Features
I was pleased to see this disc come with some many extras. They are all definitely worth checking out for a fan of the movie. Each feature brings something interesting and unique to the overall experience. Personally I liked the documentary on Bogart, I found it entertaining and highly interesting to see the history behind this great actor. Roger Ebert also provides an insightful commentary worth checking out when you watch the film a second time. Warner pulled out all stops for these special features and if you’re a fan of this film you will enjoy every one of them.
- Commentary by Roger Ebert
- Commentary by Historian Rudy Behlmer
- Introduction by Lauren Bacall
- Additional Scenes and Outtakes
- 2 Documentaries: “Bacall on Bogart” & “You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca”
- Featurette: “As Time Goes By”
- Production Research Gallery
- Homage Cartoon Carrotblanca
- Who Holds Tomorrow?: Premiere Episode of TV Series Adaptation
- Scoring Session Outtakes
- Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Production with the Movie’s 3 key Stars
- Theatrical Trailers
Final Thoughts
If you are a fan of this movie in any way, then it’s no choice to pick it up as soon as you can. For someone like me who has never seen it before, I would also recommend it. I didn’t think I would enjoy this movie, thinking it would be more of a chore to watch than anything. Low and behold when I was done watching it I walked away surprised and pleased. The picture looks great and the audio sounds good as well. If Warner can keep releasing classic titles that look as good as this, HD DVD owners will be in for a treat.
Special Features List
- Commentary by Roger Ebert
- Commentary by Historian Rudy Behlmer
- Introduction by Lauren Bacall
- Additional Scenes and Outtakes
- 2 Documentaries
- Featurette: “As Time Goes By”
- Production Research Gallery
- Homage Cartoon Carrotblanca
- Who Holds Tomorrow?: Premiere Episode of TV Series Adaptation
- Scoring Session Outtakes
- Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Production with the Movie’s 3 key Stars
- Theatrical Trailers
