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By
NICK ZEGARAC
What more can be said about "Casablanca" -- the quintessential WWII melodrama about an embittered saloonkeeper, Richard "Rick" Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and his chance reunion with the only woman he ever loved, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman). After their rendezvous in Paris that ended badly, Rick has resigned himself to managing his own nightclub in Morocco. But when Ilsa resurfaces on the arm of a handsome stranger, Rick's ancient passion is stirred into visceral disdain. Paul Henreid is Ilsa's secret husband and Czechoslovakian freedom fighter, Victor Laszlo. Like so many of Warner's wartime melodramas, style is just as important to the film's success as substance. The studio backlot Moroccan settings are pure magic, really setting the tone, the look and the feel for this memorable adventure/drama. The supporting cast is outstanding, from Sidney Greenstreet's maniacal Senior Ferrari to Conrad Veidt's murderous Major Heinrich Strasser. Dooley Wilson, Claude Raines and S. Z. Sakall also costar.
Warner Brother's 2-disc special edition of "Casablanca" has been upgraded from the previously issued single disc, though in truth the latter wasn't too shabby looking either. However, this new DVD is flawless, exhibiting a gray scale, black and contrast levels that are absolutely bang on. The soundtrack has also been cleaned up and sounds crisp, vibrant and extremely well balanced. Extras include, on disc one, two distinct audio commentaries and an intro from Lauren Bacall that was recorded nearly a decade earlier. Disc two features the previously available "You Must Remember This" documentary hosted by Bacall. Bacall also hosts a new tribute to Bogie. There are outtakes, deleted scenes, and two rarities; the Bugs Bunny spoof "Carrotblanca" and the pilot episode of "Casablanca" a television spin off from the mid-60s. There's also a stills gallery to explore. The video quality of "You Must Remember This" is far better than as it appeared on the previously issued DVD. Edge enhancement and aliasing, which plagued the former, has almost been eliminated on this transfer. The rest of the supplements have also been impeccably remastered.
An aside: I don't usually recommend buying reissued discs because it's simply a studio's way of making more money on a title you already own. But in the case of this 2-disc set, I have to say that you will be making a great mistake if you don't junk your previous DVD and snatch this one up. It represents the most definitive version of "Casablanca" ever and "as time goes by," you'll want to "play it again." Trust me! |
