Casablanca: easy to enter, but much harder to leave, especially if you’re wanted by the Nazis. Such a man is Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), whose only hope is Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American who sticks his neck out for no one – especially Victor’s wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the ex-lover who broke his heart. Ilsa offers herself in exchange for Laszlo’s transport out of the country and bitter Rick must decide what counts more – personal happiness or countless lives hanging in the balance.
For thoughts on Casablanca, please check out my colleague Devin McGrath-Conwell’s overview of the film here.
Video Quality
Casablanca makes its long-awaited 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with a drop-dead gorgeous 2160p HDR transfer derived from a newer 4K master than the one used for the already-fantastic 70th Anniversary Blu-Ray from 2012, which is also included in this package. Thanks to this newer source and a true 4K presentation, the film looks better than it ever has by quite a wide margin, and it may even rank as one of the strongest 4K releases to date.
The sumptuous black-and-white photography shot by Arthur Edeson is provided with a more nuanced contrast than ever before. The HDR10 offers a depth and stability that is frankly mind boggling. Outside of a handful of moments, this film primarily takes place in shadowy, atmospheric locations or at night which could easily be a roadblock for detail. Luckily, this disc offers up tremendously deep black levels which retain impeccably shadow detail while jettisoning the crush and digital noise from the previous release. Also gone is the contrast boosting with the white levels perfectly healthy with no trace of blooming. Prior releases of this film did not allow you to fully appreciate the impeccable command of shadow and how much detail is in every frame.
It is this level of detail which will have your jaw on the floor thanks to the appropriate amount of natural film grain intact. The grain has not been managed in the slightest, and it resolves quite well without ever being clumpy or unsightly. The texture on display in the costumes and within the production design are not to be missed. Even facial details like the makeup of the performers present with impressive clarity. This presentation is authentic to the original look of the film without the added resolution making any settings seem out of place. The film is virtually entirely free of dirt and damage thanks to the care that has been put into preserving this one. There does not appear to be any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. This presentation is a 5-star effort from the team at Warner Bros.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a remastered DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in English that offers a delightful sonic experience. The theatrical split-mono presentation is the only way you need to hear this title, and Warner Bros. has done their best to make it sound as stable as possible. The classic dialogue holds up quite nicely, coming though clearly without being stepped on by the music or other effects. The bits of singing in the club do not falter too much when it comes to fidelity. Stability almost never waivers even at the height of the track. The environmental effects are delineated nicely including the din of certain rooms and some weather sounds. This track does not present any glaring instances of age related wear and tear outside of the expected. It is difficult to make an audio track from this era sound brand new, but Warner has done what they could to get as close as possible. There are a wide array of different subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary #1: Film Critic Roger Ebert delivers a deeply informative commentary track in which he discusses the film with barely a pause to catch his breath as he delves into the direction of Michael Curtiz, the choices of the ensemble, the arc of the narrative, analysis of certain scenes, the background of the central figures and more.
- Audio Commentary #2: Film Historian Rudy Behlmer delivers a similarly thorough commentary track in which he explores the initial title and casting of the film, the development of the script, the cinematography of the film and more. This complements the Ebert track really well.
- Introduction by Lauren Bacall: A two-minute optional introduction is provided in which Bacall discusses a bit of the history of the film and what makes it so special.
- Warner Night At The Movies
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- Now, Voyager Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer for the Bette Davis classic is provided here.
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- Newsreel: A nearly five-minute newsreel is provided which mainly focuses on war efforts.
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- Vaudeville Days: A 20-minute live-action 1942 short is provided here which gives you background on the history of vaudeville with some contemporary performers on board to help bring the experience to life.
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- The Bird Came C.O.D.: An eight-minute Merrie Melodies cartoon is provided here in standard definition in which Conrad Cat has trouble executing a delivery to a theater and subsequently tussles with a little bird.
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- The Squawkin’ Hawk: A seven-minute Merrie Melodies cartoon is provided here in standard definition in which a Chicken Hawk tires of eating worms and decides to go get some appropriate grub which comes with its own set of consequences.
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- The Dover Boys At Pimento University: A nine-minute Merrie Melodies cartoon is provided here in high definition in which three brothers have to save their betrothed from their archenemy.
- Behind The Story
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- Great Performances – Bacall On Bogart: A nearly 84-minute documentary hosted by Bogart’s wife and costar Lauren Bacall in which she and a vast array of different friends and experts reveal details about Bogart the actor and Bogart the man. This is a truly terrific and informative piece.
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- Michael Curtiz – The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of: A nearly 38-minute documentary in which Steven Spielberg, William Friedkin and other notable filmmakers, authors, biographers and experts dive deep into Curtiz, his life outside of movies and wide and varied body of work.
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- Casablanca – An Unlikely Classic: A 35-minute featurette with many of the subjects discussing all of the odds that were against Casablanca becoming a such a classic, the background of the production, the iconic performances, the look of the film, the innovative qualities of the work, its enduring music and more.
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- You Must Remember This – A Tribute To Casablanca: A 35-minute tribute to the film is provided here which is a bit older than the previous featurette and is narrated by Lauren Bacall as a rich group of individuals speak to the merits of the film complete with great anecdotes.
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- As Time Goes By – The Children Remember: A seven-minute piece with Stephen Bogart and Pia Lindstrom as they discuss how Casablanca fits into the legacy of their parents, memories of their childhood, the stardom that came with being an actor of such a high caliber and more.
- Additional Footage
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- Deleted Scenes: A nearly two-minute collection of unused footage is provided here without audio but includes subtitles from the shooting script.
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- Outtakes: A five-minute collection of outtakes from the shooting of the film are provided.
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- Who Holds Tomorrow?: A 19-minute television remake of the story is provided here.
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- Carrotblanca: An eight-minute Looney Tunes parody from 1995 is provided here.
- Audio
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- Scoring Stage Sessions: A 15-minute collection of audio sessions including alternate versions of key songs such as “Knock On Wood” and more.
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- 4/26/43 Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater Radio Broadcast: A 30-minute audio adaptation featuring the main players from the film.
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- 11/19/47 Vox Pop Radio Broadcast: Another 30-minute audio adaptation.
- Trailers: There is a Theatrical Trailer (2:16) and Theatrical Re-Release Trailer (2:52) provided here.
Final Thoughts
Casablanca is heralded as a classic for a reason: it is a knockout. There is high stakes drama, there is a stirring romance, and there are characters you fall in love with – everything is firing on all cylinders. Couple this with the peerless direction of Michael Curtiz and you cannot be beat. It is easy to take this film for granted given how iconic so many of the lines and scenes are, but to take for granted its contributions to cinematic history would be a grave mistake. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray sporting a virtually flawless A/V presentation and a staggering array of legacy special features. If you are a fan of the film, you should consider this release a must-own simply to experience it the best it has ever been shown on home entertainment. Essential
Casablanca is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.