Every Best Picture Oscar Winner Ranked Worst To Best

In the end, there could be only one, and of every Best Picture winner, only one was ever Casablanca. That Michael Curtiz’s romantic war drama was released with little fanfare, almost as an afterthought by a studio hoping to capitalise on WWII and its ensemble cast, only makes its status as a masterpiece that much more impressive.

That being said, this acclaim seems almost obvious in hindsight, because it has everything that ever made classic Hollywood so great: a sweeping war story; two stars as embattled lovers unable to escape the horrors of conflict; and a galvanising ode to human connection in the face of fascism.

At the centre of the tale, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman give heartbreaking performances as a former couple torn apart by a war neither wants a part in. This tragic emotional core, mixed with its timeless dialogue, brisk pace, and rousing finale, makes Casablanca the greatest Best Picture winner of them all.