as [time] goes by

i've always considered myself somewhat of a movie buff. there's just something about that form of storytelling that i love. movies are a chance to forget about what ever drama is going on in your own life and be taken to another place and time for a few moments. last night i ventured to casablanca. now being the huge fan of movies i claim to be, it's difficult for me to admit that i've never seen this movie in it's entirety. now i've seen bits and pieces, and it's almost impossible not hear it referenced or quoted in other movies, but i've never sat down, and really watched it. so last night i bought it, hoping to figure out why this movie is what it is.

now i'm always skeptical when i hear that something's a classic. what really makes something a classic? why is this movie so great? well after watching it, i have to join the club. this truly is an amazing movie, and i think i know why. it's theme is timeless. although it takes place at the beginning of WWII, that is just a backdrop for this story. the movie is all about what you will and will not do for love. now this theme has been used in countless movies, but this movie, shows the passion and feeling better then any that i've seen. this timeless theme of the difficulties of being in love is something everyone has had to deal with sometime in their life.

it also doesn't hurt the movie that bogart defined cool with every phrase he spoke, and ingrid bergman has a classic beauty that you don't find in the plastic filled hollywood hills of today.

i went into this movie almost hoping that i wouldn't enjoy it, and i left feeling that it was better then any movie that i'd seen on the big screen. it is truly a classic, which to me means quality and timelessness. also, for anyone that's a fan of quoting movies, this movie is a gold mine. which leads me to the only way to end this post. here's looking at you kid.