Casablanca, 1942.
Directed by Michael Curtiz.
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre.
SYNOPSIS:
Casablanca celebrates its 80th anniversary with a sublime 4K UltraHD presentation of the classic film. The accompanying Blu-ray disc is the same one previously issued, and it contains nearly all the bonus features, which were ported over from past editions. A code for a digital copy rounds out the release.
Has it really been 80 years since Casablanca hit movie theater screens as World War II was underway? Time does indeed go by, and today we can watch this classic film in the comfort of our own homes at a quality level unimaginable back then, nor even up through the 1990s. I try to support movie theaters as much as I can, and I agree that a theatrical viewing is always the optimal way to take in a film, but watching a movie on a decent-sized 4K TV isn’t such a bad option.
Warner Bros. has restored the film in 4K for this release, which also includes the movie on a Blu-ray platter (the same one issued in 2012 from a previous 4K scan) and a code for a digital copy. Some might think that such a level of restoration doesn’t really matter for a black-and-white movie, and they would be wrong.
Any great B&W film takes full advantage of the contrast between an array of dark and light colors, from rich, black shadows to variations in the colors of clothing (there’s a perceptible difference between cream-colored and stark white, for example), and Casablanca puts that on full display here.
Director Michael Curtiz loved to use shadows to heightened effect, something he borrowed from German filmmakers, and he does quite a bit of that in this film. And don’t just take that from me: it’s all explained in technical detail by directors Steven Spielberg and William Friedkin, among others, in the 37-minute Michael Curtiz; The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of documentary included in the bonus features here.
I’ll confess that as much as I’ve always loved movies, Curtiz is someone who never really hit my radar outside of my love of Casablanca, despite the fact that he was involved with an astounding 181 films in his lifetime. (Some of those he didn’t direct all the way through.) He was also a, shall we say, difficult man, as this documentary lays bare too. The stories related sound like he could be downright abusive to get the results he wanted — I realize that “Wow, he put it all on the line to get the shots he needed to make a great film” is an idea that’s often lionized in Hollywood, but as I get older, I’m starting to feel that nothing is worth putting one’s mental and/or physical health in jeopardy. I think it’s possible to make a great movie without abusing people and animals. Just a thought.
That documentary was ported over from a previous edition, along with the rest of the bonus features found here. The last time I took Casablanca for a spin was the old two-disc DVD set, so I’m not sure exactly how much overlap there is between this edition and prior ones, although I do know for a fact that nothing new was created here, and the Warner Bros. documentaries found on a previous Blu-ray aren’t here.
The 4K platter contains just two extras, which is fine since that allows the film maximum bit rate for the best possible quality. The first is an introduction by the actress Lauren Bacall, which looks like it was probably done for a Turner Classic Movies airing way back when, and the second is a pair of commentaries by critic Roger Ebert and film historian Rudy Behlmer, who pops up in the featurettes too.
The commentary tracks might at first glance seem to have a lot of overlap, but they really don’t. Ebert’s discussion is very scene-specific and details a lot of filmmaking techniques used to great effect; if your only impression of him comes from the short, made-for-TV reviews he gave on his old TV show, you’ll likely change your mind when you listen to him here.
The Behlmer track takes a wider view of the film, from the state of the Warner Bros. studio at the time to Casablanca’s origins as a stage play through its sometimes-turbulent production and on to its enduring legacy. It’s also well worth a listen to complement what Ebert says.
Here are the rest of the extras (I’ll skip the Curtiz one since I already talked about it):
Warner Night at the Movies (51 minutes): If you want the full 1942 moviegoing experience, this bonus feature recreates that experience with a musical short, a newsreel with World War II updates, a movie trailer, and a trio of cartoons. If you use the “Play All” option, Casablanca automatically starts after the final cartoon.
Bacall on Bogart (83 minutes): Dating to 1988, Bacall also shows up in this documentary that pays tribute to Bogart’s storied career. You’ll find plenty of clips from his films, along with some of his home movies.
You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca (35 minutes): Bacall appears again as the narrator of this featurette that was made in 1992 for the film’s 50th anniversary. Not everyone was still around, of course, but screenwriters Julius Epstein and Howard Koch were, along with Murray Burnett, who wrote the original play. Behlmer appears again, along with Ingrid Bergman’s daughter and others.
As Time Goes By: The Children Remember (7 minutes): Bogart and Bergman’s kids talk about the movie’s impact and how it affected them as the offspring of famous Hollywood stars.
Who Holds Tomorrow? (18 minutes): From 1955, this is the first episode of a 10-week Casablanca TV show based on the film. It’s a great example of how crucial casting is in any TV show or movie; here in particular, actor Charles McGraw’s turn as Rick contains none of the depth of Bogart’s version.
Deleted scenes and outtakes (8 minutes total): Consisting of nothing but silent footage, the pair of excised scenes at least have subtitles pulled from the screenplay, while the outtakes ask us to figure out exactly what happened, which isn’t always clear.
Carrotblanca (8 minutes): Warner Bros.’ cartoons have always been great at skewering Hollywood, and this one from 1995 is spot-on.
Vintage Radio Adaptation (22 minutes): The primary cast members returned to their roles for a quick radio version that cut the story down to only the essential beats. It aired in 1943.
Vox Pop (60 minutes): Another radio broadcast, this was a tribute to director Michael Curtiz that aired in 1947.
Eight audio tracks of alternate and final takes from the film’s classic songs, along with a pair of trailers, round out the platter.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Brad Cook
