Customer Reviews

Casablanca [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perhaps not in all of cinema's history has there been a movie with such brilliant writing, scoring, acting, and numbers of emotional close ups.

Casablanca is a legend of nearly 70 years, but thanks to Blu Ray technology it doesn't have to feel that way. Watching this classic in 1080p is truly an experience, and I have to praise Warner for providing us with the absolutely best possible transfer this film has ever seen. There's not a trace of grain or flicker or anything you'd expect from a film this old, and the result is stunning. If you've seen the movie before, it's time to relive with this remarkable new technology. If you've somehow missed it on TCM, get cultured and experience one of the greatest films in our history in a way no generation has ever been able to do. Blu Ray. It not only improves the viewing experience, but it invites the viewer right into the moment. With clarity as perfect as this, you forget you're even watching a film and instead feel as though you've tapped into the memories of the characters portrayed.

I don't feel the need to mention the movie's plot, as most I'm guessing have either already seen it before or can find that out elsewhere, so I want to end this review with what you are probably most wondering about anyway. Is the Blu Ray transfer worth buying this for? If I haven't made it clear enough already, YES. I've seen some poor Blu Rays transfers, but this is not one of them. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's one of the best I've seen. The extras, though I haven't experienced them yet, look interesting, including an audio commentary by movie critic Roger Ebert. All in all I'd say that this release is definitely worth getting even if Casablanca isn't your favorite movie of all time. It is a classic, and it is an experience, and with Blu Ray it's better than ever before.

Side by side comparison with the Toshiba HD pressing (remember those?) proves identical to the naked eye. Looks like true high def. A good buy for those like myself who didn't want all the toys in the box set costing nearly three times as much. Be advised the night scene in Rick's cafe when he asks Sam to play 'As time goes by' is somewhat lower in contrast, but since it's the same way on my old HD I presume it's the source material. As for the film, a lesson in love...it's all about self-sacrifice.

We have the standard DVD version but wished to try the blu-ray format. Being black and white, we thought the improvements over the previous version would be minimal. Not so! Differences are remarkable. One can see details in the artists' dresses, for example, that are entirely missed in the DVD version. Strongly recommended, especially for Casablanca fans like us who never miss a chance to seeing it again!

I am a home video addict, like millions of others. The Blu-ray version of Casablanca was a validation of the HD format for me, as the improved visual quality of the cinematography produced a prolonged movie-lover high as the ususal suspects acted out the well-known story. This Blu-ray edition of a classic black & white film of the 1940s has proven to me that hidden riches are waiting to be mined (remastered) from the catalog of classics.

This is moviemaking at it's finest, even though no one knew at the time (1944) that "Casablanca" was destined for greatness. The Blu-Ray presentation seems like the film had just been released and the transfer was done with care. A fun, over-the-top Warner Bros. cartoon, "Carrotblanca" is included as well as other features found on an earlier standard-def DVD release. The audio is cleared-up as well without changing the mono "roots" of the soundtrack.

I'm amazed how younger audiences ignore classic B&W films. A Nephew of mine once told me that he had never seen a movie NOT in color! They are missing out, but you don't have to. Get "Casablanca" Blu-Ray today.

The visual quality of the Blu-ray edition is absolutely terrific, almost unbelievably good. I doubt anyone has seen Casablanca this well since its original cinematic release in the 1940s.

This story is one of the greatest of filmlands romance movies. It has many of the most memorable lines ever said on screen and it has influenced everything that came later. It is a story of a cynical antihero who must sacrifice for what's right and the message was aimed directly at the American public who were then engaged in total war. This movie is a true classic movie but that doesn't mean it's boring; after all it has Bogart and other greats in it like CLaude Rains, Ingrid Bergman, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre. Of course the line 'play it again sam" was never actually said in this movie but this movie has been played into the hearts of anyone who enjoys classic romance films. The print on blu ray looks spotless! It's a example of what needs to be done before a older movie is put on blu ray. It actually looks almost as good as a masterprint here; with NO LINES, spots, and other defects. This looks alot better than what the critirean collection did with 'The third man" another black and white landmark movie. Although I would recommend buying that one if you can get a cheap copy. The blu ray also has many other features including a tv version of the movie from the 1950's. Plus A story of Bogart who came from a uppermiddleclass family and was a brilliant actor by any standards. Anyways This movie is one of the eternal romance movies of all and it's wartime themes of sacrifice and desperation still appeal to the average person struggling to do the right thing in a tough world. After all watching this movie for the first time is like 'the beginning of a beautiful friendship" as the character Rick would say.

As a true classic should be, this movie is so good that you actually look forward to viewing it again and again just so you can be sure you didn't miss anything the last time you viewed it. The cast is excellent, the acting sublime, the soundtrack is inspired and the screenplay is also exquisite. Special mention should be made for actors like Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet and Claude Rains who are excellent here just as they were in other film classics such as "The Maltese Falcon" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". Although this is not Bogart's best performance (for that you'll need to see "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre"), he still puts in an excellent performance here.

Unfortunately, this Blu-ray version is a mixed bag especially so for the sound quality which is only slightly better than the dvd release. The volume levels are very soft for some scenes so that you can scarcely hear the dialogue while for others the levels inexplicably increase. Unlike the great work they did with The Maltese Falcon [Blu-ray] where they used DTS HD MA for the sound here they used just Dolby Digital which just didn't cut it and so overall is a disappointment and an opportunity lost in doing justice to a great film.

After waiting so long for the Blu-Ray release it is an anti-climax that we get this mixed bag release with very good picture but poor sound quality albeit both are better than in the dvd release.

Since this is a must have item in any serious film collector library, one can only hope that the Blu-Ray edition is on a par with the film elements. In fact, it is one of my best looking transfers, with a pristine and sharp picture, from beginning to end. Warner could have improved the sound a bit, but it is not that bad for a film this age, anyway.

In earlier days when I had this movie on VHS I didn't think it was all great. But then about 5 years ago I got the 2 disc S.E Casablanca on DVD and really enjoyed it. And I realized why about 15 minutes into the movie; I could hear every single word clearly for the first time. And for a movie like this, it's an absolute necessity. You know how it is - if you can't keep up to speed with the movie you don't get the most out of it. I think this movie does deserve 5 stars, even though this rating is thrown around somewhat carelessly here in all the reviews