---
title: "Casablanca"
year: 1943
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/casablanca"
fi1m_id: "casablanca"
imdb_id: "tt0034583"
tmdb_id: 289
wikidata_id: "Q132689"
fi1m_score: 93
critics_score: 84
critics_reviews: 7
published: "2026-09-12"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:12.264445+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Casablanca (1943)

Directed by Michael Curtiz · 1h 42m · MPA PG · Drama, Romance

## Identity

Casablanca

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/casablanca
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** casablanca
- **IMDb ID:** tt0034583
- **TMDB ID:** 289
- **Wikidata ID:** Q132689
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/289, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q132689

**Fi1m score: 93** · Critics 84 from 7 reviews

*In a sentence:* Humphrey Bogart makes romantic misery look like a sensible use of an evening

> We would recommend *Casablanca* without asking anyone to make allowances for its age. Bogart and Bergman make the wartime romance hurt, while the wit carries the film past some decidedly convenient plotting.

## Synopsis

Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) are caught in a wartime romance amid refugees and resistance to fascism. Their story unfolds alongside those of Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) and Major Heinrich Strasser (Conrad Veidt). Private loyalties come under pressure as the war makes remaining uninvolved increasingly difficult. Michael Curtiz directs a drama combining a love story with a wartime thriller, with Peter Lorre as Ugarte, Sydney Greenstreet as Signor Ferrari and Dooley Wilson as Sam.

## Review

*Casablanca* is worth recommending even to people who usually need persuading to watch a romance. Michael Curtiz gives the lovers our full attention and makes us consider the refugees caught up in the same war. The political urgency never feels like something attached to lend the romance importance. It affects how we judge the people in it, including the ones we like. Across 102 minutes, the jokes provide a welcome break from the worry without making anyone’s predicament seem trivial.

Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine makes sourness oddly companionable. Bogart lets us see the effort involved in keeping other people at a distance, and that makes Rick’s unhappiness convincing. Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa Lund is allowed to be troubled and difficult to read without becoming merely a problem for him to solve. Her performance asks us to give her feelings the same attention as his. Their scenes reward watching both faces, especially when one of them has finished speaking.

The screenplay, credited to Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard E. Koch, has enough bite to stop the sentiment growing sticky. The jokes sound like things these people would say to protect themselves, rather than lines inserted because the drama has become too earnest. Claude Rains, as Captain Louis Renault, is particularly good at making politeness sound suspect. He remains so agreeable that we enjoy his company even while wondering how much of what he says we ought to believe.

Arthur Edeson’s cinematography makes Bergman’s face as compelling as the dialogue. Her uncertainty remains interesting beneath the glamour, and the images keep us looking for what she might be holding back. Owen Marks’s editing is assured when the film moves between romantic distress and wartime danger, and neither strand makes us impatient to return to the other. There is a lot to fit together here. Curtiz keeps it comprehensible without having everyone explain themselves at every opportunity.

Steiner’s score sometimes presses harder than we need when the actors have already made the feeling clear. Yet the use of ‘As Time Goes By’ moved us. The tune makes the lovers’ unhappiness seem painfully ordinary, the sort of thing people endure without a film being made about them. Its sentiment is plain enough to risk embarrassment, and that is part of why it works. Curtiz does not hurry us away from the feeling.

The thriller plotting deserves the caveat. A few developments depend on our accepting an improbability because it is useful, and brisk direction cannot quite make them convincing. We stay with the film because we care about the people making the decisions, though anyone inclined to inspect the mechanics will find things to question. What distinguishes it within wartime romance is its continuing interest in the refugees and the people who would prefer to stand aside.

There is no need to approach *Casablanca* as a lesson in what films used to do well. Its humour is available without homework, and so is the hurt; nothing depends on recognising a famous line before it arrives. Give it an uninterrupted evening, and resist the temptation to recite along.

*Fi1m score 93, published 12 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics warmly endorse Casablanca, with praise clustering around its combination of romance, wartime suspense and sharp dialogue. Bogart and Bergman draw much of the attention, while Claude Rains and the supporting cast receive substantial credit. The reviews also praise Michael Curtiz’s direction for keeping the crowded drama moving, alongside the cinematography and music. Several accounts see its lasting appeal in how successfully these elements work together, rather than in the love story alone.

The differences concern emphasis as much as quality. Little White Lies foregrounds the refugees and anti-fascist politics, treating resistance to tyranny as central to the film’s appeal. Reservations elsewhere concern plot plausibility and the degree of enthusiasm it deserves: The Guardian admires the performances and momentum but questions the plotting. The New Yorker is the notably cooler voice, finding it tolerable rather than exceptional, while still crediting the screenplay and the use of ‘As Time Goes By’.

## Straight answers

**Is Casablanca worth watching?**

*Casablanca* is worth watching for almost anyone, including people who usually need persuading to sit through a romance, and we scored it 93. Bogart and Bergman make the wartime love story hurt, and the wit keeps the sentiment from turning sticky. The thriller plotting leans on a few convenient developments, which is the one caveat we would offer.

**How long is Casablanca, and what is it rated?**

*Casablanca* runs 1h 42m and is rated PG by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and romance film.

**Where can I watch Casablanca in the US?**

*Casablanca* is streaming on HBO Max, Hulu and The Roku Channel in the US. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Casablanca compare to Brief Encounter?**

*Casablanca* is the broader film, folding its romance into a wartime thriller full of refugees, collaborators and jokes, while [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) stays close to one woman's anxiety and makes ordinary obligation the whole story. We would urge a stranger to see either. Choose Curtiz for wit and company, Lean for the quieter and more frightening account of falling in love.

**What should I watch after Casablanca?**

After *Casablanca*, try [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): Another romance in which ordinary obligations make desire painfully difficult to accommodate. Then [*To Have and Have Not*](https://film.one/film/to-have-and-have-not) (1944, Fi1m 84): For more wartime suspicion, guarded attraction and Humphrey Bogart keeping his counsel; and [*The Cranes Are Flying*](https://film.one/film/the-cranes-are-flying) (1957, Fi1m 87): War disrupts another love story, with camerawork far less inclined to sit still.

### Reviews we read (8)

- **Radio Times**, Andrew Collins (5/5): The critic calls it a timeless love story wrapped in a gripping wartime thriller whose witty, meaningful script keeps it quotable decades later. He highlights Bogart's career-best performance as Rick alongside Bergman's luminous Ilsa, strong support from Rains and others, Steiner's score, and Curtiz's verve in assembling the elements into an emotional classic. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-9f0gn9/casablanca/)
- **Empire**, Angie Errigo (95/100, inferred): Everything in the film's magical, melodramatic mix of patriotic wartime sentiments, desperate refugees and star-crossed lovers works beautifully every time. It is the most enjoyable rewatchable picture ever made, a perfect blend of tight script, stylish cinematography and iconic performances. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/casablanca-2-review/)
- **Little White Lies**, Tom Joudrey (85/100, inferred): The piece praises Casablanca's enduring anti-isolationist and anti-fascist message as especially relevant today, viewing its refugee-focused plot and patriotic elements as a counter to America First politics rather than just a romance. It singles out the transnational cast of immigrants and the stirring 'La Marseillaise' scene for embodying resistance to tyranny. [Read](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/casablanca-80th-anniversary)
- **Evening Standard** (80/100, inferred): The film came out rather well despite a constantly rewritten script and a director who nearly gave up. Its lasting appeal stems from the Hollywood studio system's ability to craft something memorable from almost nothing. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/casablanca-review-7446815.html)
- **The Guardian** (75/100, inferred): The critic calls it a long and lively film bulging with acting talent and breathless with dramatic momentum. The film is expertly directed by Michael Curtiz, with standout performances from Claude Rains and Ingrid Bergman, though the climax depends on a gross improbability. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jan/15/casablanca-humphrey-bogart-film-review-1943)
- **The New Yorker**, David Lardner (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the film pretty tolerable, though not quite up to Bogart’s previous spy outing “Across the Pacific.” He notes the eternal truths in the screenplay and the effective use of the sentimental tune “As Time Goes By.” [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1942/11/28/review-bogart-and-bergman-in-old-casablanca)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, THR Staff: The critic calls it a terrific hit with inspired casting and direction that lifts audiences out of their seats. They single out the exceptional cast, Michael Curtiz's skilled direction, and strong technical achievements for praise. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/casablanca-review-1942-movie-752498/)
- **Collider**, Remus Noronha (A): The critic calls it Hollywood's Golden Age at its very best and an enduring classic that has only grown in reputation over the decades. They single out the perfect blend of romance, drama, and wartime context with strong performances from Bogart and Bergman. [Read](https://collider.com/casablana-review-humphrey-bogart-ingrid-bergman/)

## Details

- **Director:** Michael Curtiz
- **Director:** Michael Curtiz
- **Screenplay:** Philip G. Epstein, Julius J. Epstein, Howard Koch
- **Cinematography:** Arthur Edeson
- **Editor:** Owen Marks
- **Music:** Max Steiner
- **Costume design:** Orry-Kelly
- **Producer:** Hal B. Wallis
- **Cast:** Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine; Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund; Paul Henreid as Victor Laszlo; Claude Rains as Captain Louis Renault; Conrad Veidt as Major Heinrich Strasser; Sydney Greenstreet as Signor Ferrari; Peter Lorre as Ugarte; S.Z. Sakall as Carl
- **Runtime:** 1h 42m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG
- **Release (the US):** 23 January 1943
- **Genres:** Drama, Romance
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 1943); [The classics, without the homework](https://film.one/collections/classics-without-the-homework.md)
- **Budget:** $878,000
- **Box office:** $10 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF7JH_54d8c

## Where to watch in the US

- HBO Max: streaming, uhd
- Hulu: add-on, hd
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd

*Checked 2026-09-12.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, EC, GB, IE, JP, MX, PA, PE, PT, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1944: Best Actor (nominated); Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Original Dramatic or Comedy Score (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (nominated); Best Director (won); Best Picture (won); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (won)

## If you liked this

- *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: Another romance in which ordinary obligations make desire painfully difficult to accommodate. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md)
- *To Have and Have Not* (1944), Fi1m 84: For more wartime suspicion, guarded attraction and Humphrey Bogart keeping his counsel. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/to-have-and-have-not.md)
- *Le Silence de la mer* (1949): A quieter wartime encounter, with resistance expressed through the refusal to speak.
- *The Cranes Are Flying* (1957), Fi1m 87: War disrupts another love story, with camerawork far less inclined to sit still. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-cranes-are-flying.md)
- *In the Mood for Love* (2000), Fi1m 91: For restrained longing, watchful faces and feelings that cannot be spoken freely. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/casablanca