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Screenplay: Casablanca

Holds up. Argument can be made that Rick Blaine is the quintessential American hero. Our heartbroken drunk Odysseus. It isn't that the audience wouldn't respond to such a film today - it would. Moreso than any film from its time, I'm comfortable showing the film to cynical depressive 20-something film students -- it can still melt hearts. The sad part is that we are institutionally incapable of making such a film anymore. It should disgust anyone who loves movies that we can't even bother to try. 

Storytelling notes:

-surprisingly long set up of the world prior to meeting Rick.

-transit papers a strong macguffin. set up very clearly their value and importance. notice rick is indifferent to the macguffin (ie no emotional connection to it), but it serves to make him the focus of the story because everyone wants the papers from him.

-nice foreshadowing of lazlo's introduction along with his "wife," who of course turns out to be a key character

-a great number of four character scenes. in particular, where the central drama is between rick, lazlo, and ilsa, renault often shows up in the scenes and adds wonderful off-handed commentary. what a jolt of energy and dynamism to the scenes! 

-a lot of small characters get little arcs within the film - no character is wasted or throwaway, many get great lines and moments. plenty of rich dialog to go around. 

-third act is emotional twist after emotional twist. filmmakers on fire. on one version of the screenplay I looked it, it seems they were rewriting up to the very last moment in the middle of production -- what a minor miracle -- the story feels so inevitable. 

-world building at the beginning and the flashback to paris aren't the greatest standalone parts, but boy do they pay off--