CTVA 215 Week 6 - Casablanca (1942)

It’s hard to have a unique perspective on a film as widely beloved, and widely discussed, as Casablanca. However, looking at this film through the lens of cult cinema has caused me to think about Casablanca and its place in pop culture differently. Umberto Eco’s essay “Casablanca: Cult Movies & Intertextual Collage” argues that Casablanca can be seen as a cult film, the ultimate classic Hollywood film with every trope you can think of and a fan culture obsessed with every little detail and quotable line. It’s hard for me to fully agree with his analysis, since Casablanca has had such a different legacy from any other “cult” film. It’s a hyper-mainstream film, packed with superstars of the era and was an instant hit that was almost immediately considered one of the greatest films ever made. It’s also not a very Weird film in the sense that it’s not trying to go against mainstream conventions or challenging the audience, making it very different from other cult films like El Topo or Rocky Horror Picture Show. While the textbook classic Hollywood filmmaking and warm contemporary reception to Casablanca make it hard for me to call it a cult film, its lasting legacy and fandom surrounding it can certainly be compared to the reception of beloved cult films, and provides an interesting way to look at one of the most iconic films of all time. 

As a film itself, what is there left to say about Casablanca? It’s classic Hollywood distilled into one film, with charming performances and a fun score and an atmosphere that’s just unmatched. I could spend hours in Rick’s Cafe, bouncing from one table to another, seeing all the people from every corner of the world and getting small glimpses into their lives. It’s impressive that a film about WW2-era geopolitics manages to also have some of the best vibes of any movie I’ve ever seen. Even though I don’t fully agree with Eco’s reading of this as a cult film, I can’t help but be like the audience he describes in his essay, wanting to cheer any time we hit a “Here’s looking at you, kid,” or “We’ll always have Paris.” The film adds up to an excellent tone piece that captures the fun glamor, danger and romance of early American film. It’s the movies!!