10 War Films Where Everyone Survives
2. Casablanca
Casablanca is one of the most beloved movies in the history of cinema.
While it's remembered primarily as a haunting romance and a vehicle for its two stars, the film's entire narrative and setting is defined by World War 2. The realities of death haunts Rick's bar and Ilsa's entire existence, but the film ends with optimism and catharsis, making for one of the most hopeful and reassuring films about war ever made.
Casablanca has been praised by generations for the performances of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, the impeccable screenplay and the beautiful ambience of the Moroccan setting. The film is focused on the survival of people outside of battles, of barkeeps, spies, soldiers’ wives and everyday drunks trying their best to survive the Nazi occupation.
The absence of direct war or its primary focus on the romance doesn’t make Casablanca apolitical or exploitative in its use of the setting. It’s a movie where love cannot be fulfilled because of the chaos around them, two people expressing their devotion to a cause and a man bigger than just this moment.