At Film Underground the thought that we might screen a film that may have been shown on campus within the past four years -- whether by us, MUSO or a class of 100 or 10 people -- is enough to slam on the brakes and force us to not screen that film for an appropriate amount of time. We strive to show you something new at our screenings, something that you should see, and perhaps haven't even heard of, much less seen. But sometimes we're compelled to forego the obscure and dust off the tried-and-true. Next Thursday, February 12, Film Underground will, for the fifth year in a row, present the classiest among classics: "Casablanca".
That is how important we feel Casablanca is. That is just how much we believe you should see it. That is how much we want you to see it. It's one of the greatest love stories ever put on film.
The seminal classic revolves around Rick, played by iconic '40s legend Humphrey Bogart, and Ilsa, played by the equally illustrious Ingrid Bergman -- jilted former lovers who had met in Paris before the War. Rick is the owner of a popular nightclub in Casablanca, Morocco in 1941, a city that served as a waiting point for Europeans escaping from the Nazis' long arm.
When Rick and Ilsa meet up in Casablanca they are light years apart. Both have been running from each other ever since Paris. Neither is much pleased to see the other. What makes the ensuing love story so remarkable is how it develops and, in the end, how Rick shows his love for Ilsa. Understandably, he is driven to depression upon first seeing her. After all, she had left him so suddenly and unexpectedly. Over time he comes to understand why she left, and his feelings rekindle. However, the iconic choice he makes in the end is not what is expected. He does what is best for her, showing his true love for her, even though it is to his own detriment; he chooses to be true to his love, even if it causes him heartache.
The film stands in contrast to many modern love stories. We barely ever see the characters together, whereas even in a film like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (a film where we know the lovers are doomed to be apart from one another from the get-go), we still get to see them together and happy for some time. "Casablanca" treats us to only a glimpse of Rick and Ilsa in the form of a flashback, where we mostly see them planning to get away from the imminent threat of the Nazi invasion of Paris. However, we never doubt the love that these two still have for each other, nor do we doubt that Rick would do anything for Ilsa. It's a classic argument about love that "Casablanca" hones, and which many films since have recreated: that the mark of true love is a willingness to suffer for its sake; that the truest love is tragic.
Casablanca will be showing in MUB Theater 1 this Thursday the 12th at 7 PM, free for the public.
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