Casablanca

I was definitely surprised by how good Casablanca actually was. Its obviously a classic, and has been considered one of the greatest films for a very long time. So, I shouldn't have been caught off guard that I loved the movie (I haven't really met an old black-and-white film that I don't like), but it far exceeded my expectations.

I, somewhat embarrassingly, was quickly caught up in the drama of Rick's American Cafe, which was in the Moroccan city of Casablanca. The plot held strongly to Hollywood tradition, with a clearly intentional sympathy towards the main character (Humphrey Bogart) and his love interest (Ingrid Bergman), who were both trying to navigate through the French-occupied, and Nazi influenced, city. The characters were so sympathetic, in fact, that only halfway through did I realize how crazy it was that I was cheering for the woman who cheated on her husband while he was in a concentration camp! I didn't even realize how absurd (and horrifying) that actually was until then.

Despite that last point, I really liked Casablanca. It isn't incredibly innovative (as far as I am aware), but it is a great example of the so-called "golden age" of Hollywood. At least, it is incredibly entertaining and enjoyable.