Casablanca

“We will always have Paris…” Rick tells Ilsa—and we will always have Casablanca. Humphrey Bogart, in his most iconic role, leads a brilliant cast in a film that could easily claim the title of the great melodrama of all time. Yet Casablanca is also a profoundly political work, conceived as Hollywood’s wartime battle cry during World War II.

The story of Rick and Ilsa—lovers torn apart by fate and reunited in a studio-built Morocco, a transfer point for wartime refugees, drifters, and schemers—still astonishes with its effortless perfection. Ingrid Bergman’s eyes alternate between tears of sadness and joy, Claude Rains twirls his mustache and looks at the world through the eyes of a Frenchman-sybarite, and a gallery of Hollywood character actors scrolls in the background. Under Michael Curtiz’s elegant direction, the film moves with precision and grace, never losing sight of its purpose. This was Hollywood at a time when it knew exactly what it had to say to the world. We never tire of repeating: “Play it again, Sam.”

The screening will be a special celebration of Krzysztof Mętrak’s birthday.

Michał Oleszczyk

Michael Curtiz (1886–1962) was one of the greatest directors of Hollywood’s Golden Age, a master of storytelling and visual elegance. Born in Hungary, he gained renown for his remarkable versatility, crafting masterpieces across multiple genres. Casablanca (1942), which won him an Oscar, remains an iconic film blending romance and political intrigue. His classics also include The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). With his dynamic style, meticulous attention to detail, and ability to build tension, Curtiz became one of cinema’s most influential filmmakers, inspiring generations of directors.

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