Directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman,
and Claude Rains, Casablanca is set in unoccupied Africa during
World War II. It tells the story of Rick Blaine (Bogart), an American
expatriate, who meets a former lover, Ilsa Lund (Bergman), leading to
complications.
A lot has been written about this film, which deserves its reputation
as a classic. Every aspect of the production deserves praise, from the
script to the acting to the cinematography, costumes and sets. Through
excellent craftsmanship, the director and cast raise a simple, personal
story into a universal story on larger than life issues.
If you watch Casablanca again, put it into its historical context.
The movie came out while the United States was fighting World War II,
when countless movies, such as another Michael Curtiz film, Yankee
Doodle Dandy, lauded patriotism and urged viewers to support the
war effort.
So to make a film starring an anti-hero of sorts, a man who had essentially
run away from the troubles, in a corner of the world where some form
of hedonism still existed, was a pretty stark contrast. As much as Casablanca
is a film about romance, a film about intrigue, it's also a film
about facing global political realities.
I believe I won't spoil anything by mentioning the famous airport scene,
where Bogart sends his love away to be with her soldier boyfriend. He
does it for her own good but also for the good of the world. So in a
sense, this is the sneakiest of war effort promotion movies, making
the subtle argument to do what you can, however great the personal sacrifice.
Rating (out of 5): *****
Now to turn once more to Going My Way, which is definitely not
about the war. But it is about a man who tries to save the world, except
in his case he does it through one small neighborhood. Its competitors
in the 1944 field were Double Indemnity, Gaslight, Since You Went
Away and Wilson.
Directed by Leo McCarey, a former silent film director, the film stars
Bing Crosby as Father Chuck O'Malley, an easy-going, musically-talented
priest who is sent to save a troubled parish, run by the cranky, world-weary
Father Fitzgibbon, played to perfection by Barry Fitzgerald. In order
to save the older priest's dignity, Father O'Malley doesn't mention
that he's there to take over. Instead, he acts as his assistant, gently
pointing out and then correcting the parish's problems.
Among the problems: the neighborhood boys, who have become miscreants,
in part because they're bored. At the same time, the church is threatened
with foreclosure due to a bad loan with a local banker. So the solution
to both problems, Father O'Malley decides, involves starting an after-school
choir for the boys, who then hold a benefit concert to raise needed
funds for a loan payment.
This sounds like a hokey premise, and it might have been an intolerably
saccharine movie if handled differently. Bing Crosby, however, has a
talent for delivering even the most hackneyed lines as if he truly means
them. The friendship between Father O'Malley and his older colleague,
Father Fitzgibbon, becomes more than a young man correcting an older
man's foibles. Throughout it all, the kindness in Crosby's eyes suggests
that, far from just helping the parish, he aims to heal his friend's
emotional hurts, to cure his cynicism. By the end of the film, the two
men are as much family as they are colleagues.
This is why I say Going My Way is the best musical up until
that date to win Best Picture. While there are many musical numbers
scattered throughout the film, the film focuses just as much on the
story. There are many moments of wry humor, plus moments that are touching
or even sad. Crosby handles both well.
If his young supporting cast is less believable as street toughs, they
are remarkable singers, which should be no surprise, given that they're
the Robert Mitchell Boy Choir! One of the few who gets a speaking role
is Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, renowned for his rols in the Little
Rascals shorts, who despite the bad singing he displayed in that
series, was actually a talented singer.
The only flaw in the movie is a weak subplot which was clearly designed
to introduce a female singer, Carol James (Jean Heather). She enters
the story as a teen runaway who comes to seek asylum so she can escape
her home life. Of course, if this were a modern film, they might have
given her a better reason to have run away than the fact that her parents
put a curfew on her and try to boss her around, which is her given reason
in the film. In the process of talking to her, Father O'Malley discovers
that she wants to be a singer, and they engage in an impromptu singing
lesson at the piano.
But when the older priest hears her plea, he tells her to go back home,
give up her silly dreams and wait for the right man to come along. Kindhearted
Father O'Malley gives her ten dollars to tide her over, knowing she
doesn't plan to return home. She disappears from the movie for a while
and reappears later in the film, conveniently, close to the time of
the benefit concert. Carol has gotten herself into trouble: staying
in an apartment she can't afford, by the good graces of the banker's
song, with whom she's in love. The neighborhood gossips are starting
to talk, saying that she must be repaying him by doing something that
proper girls don't do.
Father O'Malley visits her and discovers the young couple is in love,
so in order to fend off the gossips, he marries them then and there.
This was a bit frustrating, he had been the one who encouraged her to
pursue her dream, and yet, he solves her problems by marrying her off.
But I guess the audience at the time wouldn't have seen it that way
but simply as a young romance brought to fruition by the kindly priest.
Still, it seems a mixed message.
And there's an even more obvious wrenching of the plot in order to
bring in another singer. Father O'Malley pays a visit to a professional
stage actress and singer, Genevieve Linden (Risë Stevens) whom
he used to date. Of course, he'd never bothered to tell her that he
had since become a priest, which might have forced the average woman
to cope with conflicting emotions. Not so with Genevieve, who cheerfully
accepts his new status and offers to help with the benefit concert.
How convenient.
Despite some plot issues, the film tells a cohesive story with some
surprisingly thoughtful moments. It's not just a light, fluffy, little
piece. If you wonder why America fell so much in love with Bing Crosby,
it's a good one to see, because it focuses on him, more so than the
ensemble film White Christmas, for example. Here, he's really the star,
and this film aptly demonstrates his appeal.
One more note about this film: it makes interesting use of lighting.
Usually, a comedy or a musical is lit very brightly, looking very much
like a theatrical stage. In this movie, the sets, in combination with
more realistic lighting, make the film seem as if it really is taking
place inside a neighborhood church. The first time he meets with the
choir is in a somewhat dimly lit basement. This only adds to the movie's
charm: as improbable as the story seems, it feels a bit more plausible
when shot in a more realistic way.
If you want to discover for yourself the charm of Bing Crosby, rent
this movie.
Rating (out of 5): ***
Musings
on Best Picture Winners
