I started a brief history of each of the Top 100 films on the American Film Institute’s list, and then I realized that the AFI list is problematic for a few different reasons. It represents only the opinions of film critics, stays within the confines of Hollywood and American-born cinema, and tends to flirt with classic films that were most important but do not necessarily represent the opinions of those who watch them; public release film.
So I present the same plan as the Top 100 movies from the Top 250 list of the Internet Database. The IMDB index is a much larger tool, and I’ve used one in the past because it’s dynamic. Over the years it has changed substantially by adding new films, removing old films and generally re-thinking the opinions of film-goers.
Number one on the list is Casablanca, which produced several classics. the most memorable lines in movie history. Starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, two of the biggest stars of their time, and one of the greatest couples ever filmed, Casablanca tells the bittersweet story of owner Rick Blaine in the Moroccan city. Casablanca between World War 2. After a long lost love, the woman responsible for the bitter and canine outlook on life returns to her life with her husband Laszlo, the leader of the Czech resistance, and the man hunted by the Nazi forces who are looking for the papers that Blaine has.
The story between Blaine and Ilsa slowly unfolds and is revealed to the audience. The two met in Paris when Ilsa thought her husband had died at the hands of the Nazis. When he finds himself still alive, Blaine leaves without a word to return to his resurrected husband. The film tells the story of immortal love, forbidden relationships, the imminent threat of fascism and the battle between love and duty, loyalty and conflict. film’s ending is punctuated by one of the most memorable lines in film history “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
The film itself is an adaptation of the 1938 play by Murray Bennett entitled Everybody Comes to Ricks.. i> It was renamed in favor of something more exotic, although filming was done indoors. The film was clearly shot on the lot and didn’t end in budget, executive anger, or tragedy. It was a huge success for Hollywood standards, and the release in 1942 was a huge commercial success. The Allied invasion of North Africa was released in what was supposed to be the critical and commercial success of Bogart’s production, and eventually went on to win Best Picture in 1944.
The film has been described in many ways; anti-Axis propaganda, tales of unbridled love, youthful escapism, and even “the standard cause of repressed homosexuality that underlies most American health myths” (William Donnelly). Film critics have been far and wide as countless readings and interpretations, from the Freudian to the simplistic. Rick’s opinion is nothing more than an amalgamation of all these interpretations and it is easy to accept. His name, often confused and abbreviated and changed by each character, fits together and then changes how everyone looks at him. He will observe an unexpected romance with Ilsa from the perspective, while an anti-fascist will take a strident view of Laszlo.
There is no debate about Casablanca‘s greatness and place in the ranks of the greatest films of all time. Its size is difficult to calculate. There is nothing very incredible about the movies; It’s not about technology or storytelling. It doesn’t break the boundaries of the genre, but it offers a beautiful story that no one can hate and it does so with style. Every character is likable, the story is wonderfully enjoyable, and it’s classic 1940s Hollywood action at its best. While Citizen Kane broke the boundaries of film, Casablanca walked all of those boundaries and toe the line and he sat on the top of the fence, excelling from every side with his untied skins. There is no critic in the country, there is a great deal of the internet. As Roger Ebert says, “they’ve all been in a movie and dozens of other movies have been made in similar circumstances, and the greatness of ‘Casablanca’ is a lot of luck.” The pieces simply fell together and a great movie was born.
