I thought it was pretty good the first time I saw it, but I loved it the second time around. I've seen a few comments around the internet that this happened to a few people. Has it happened to anyone here?
I wonder why this is?
A similar thing happened to me, although in the case of Casablanca it’s probably been 25+ years ago now. The film seems to be one of those rare ones, the sort which imparts something new with almost every viewing.
shareand you'll like it even more on the twenty second viewing. it's just one of those movies that keeps getting better.
i think that's because so much of the enjoyment is that has heart and it's so well made, instead of relying on surprises that get boring once you know what they are. still, la marseillaise gets me every time....
Thats good to hear because I just watched it for the first time and was not as impressed in it as I thought I would be or as much as I was for other classics that are considered the best films; Citizen Kane and Lawrence of Arabia were amazing films when I saw them for the first time a couple years ago. So, I will have to watch it again soon to see if I liked it better because I have had that happen to a few other movies I have watched.
---
Due to current economic conditions, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.
expectations can be a dangerous thing.
or maybe you just appreciate different things in movies - kane & lawrence are both more famous for their cinematography, while casablanca simply has the best script ever written executed to perfection. i don't think there's a single shot in casablanca where you'll just go "wow" (unless it's ingrid bergman alone on screen), though the camera work is also excellent.
Very true. I did have a bit of expectations on how good it was going to be because of how its been listed at the top of numerous 'best of' list. To me, Lawrence just felt very exciting the entire time because of the war; Kane was great because I knew he would end up rich so how he got there was the exciting part and Dr.Strangelove to me is the funniest movie ever. The camera work, acting and story were all very very good but it just felt something was missing that kept the excitement or entertainment low in the middle of the movie because the beginning and ending were very exciting/captivating.
---
Due to current economic conditions, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.
Might be hard to digest all that wonderful dialog with just one viewing.
~Sig~
Proud member of the Facebook Let Me In group, DoYouLikeMe.proboards, abbyandowen.webs.com
very witty, indeed.
🎄Season's Greetings!🎄
I remember hearing all the praise about this movie as a child; when I first watched it (I was about 12), I thought it was just okay, but I didn't get what
all the fuss was about (all that boring dialogue!) Over the years, I watched it
a few more times and gradually fell in love with it--chiefly because of the great
dialogue. Now it's my all-time favorite. That's why it's the definitive classic--
it gets better and better with each viewing.
I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!
Hewwo.
Likewise.
It's not in my top five films from the 1940s or anything, but it sure is great.
Hey there, Johnny Boy, I hope you fry!
I went through the same experience. I thought it was pretty boring on the first viewing. I thought it was ok.
Have been watching it more and more, a few times in the theater, and I've really started to appreciate it more and more.
me too, I liked it when I first saw it, but subsequent viewings have raised my level of appreciation each time.
Just imagine what it was like for audiences to watch it in 1942: This was before Midway, Stalingrad, ElAlimain. The Nazis controlled all of western Europe, eastern Europe, Norway, Greece, north Africa and most of Russia. They were on the gates of Leningrad, Moscow, Stalingrad and Alexandria, and looked undefeatable. The Japanese had conquered all of southeast Asia, most of China and most of the Pacific. They were knocking on the gates of India, Australia, and as far as most Americans knew, it seemed like they would invade the west coast soon too.
Very, very dark times.
When the cafe crowd sang La Marseillaise, to drown out the Germans, singing that song on French soil was illegal. The act of defiance puts real tears of pride in my eyes, and I still think it is hokey but that doesn't matter, still it puts a lump in my throat.
So many great lines, too. Interesting that a movie made as a quickie, throw-away wartime film would turn out so great!
Normkerr-
I agree with your sentiments about the impact of the movie, but your facts are off. The movie had a limited release in late 1942, but was released more widely in early 1943. At the time of its release, Midway (June 1942) and el Alamein (July 1942) had already occurred and the battle of Stalingrad was ongoing - ending in February 1943. So the times were perhaps not the darkest. There were signs of hope and Allied success, although the outcome of the war was still very much in doubt.
The setting of the movie, though, is during those darkest times. France had fallen and the US had not entered the war. And perhaps that's what's so inspiring about the movie - the heroism in the face of impending doom. The Battle of the Anthems gets me almost every time I see the movie - and I've seen it a lot.
Added thought - the film was shot between late May and August of 1942, so those turning point battles occurred during the shooting.
just saw it in it's entirety today and i get the feeling i will enjoy it just as much if not more next go as well.
R.I.P. Star Trek
1966 - 2009
Smile and wave boys...Just smile and wave...
I have seen this movie thrice, each time appreciating it a bit more.Classic Hollywood romances always get better on re watching.
shareI also had this experience. Watched it when i was maybe 16 and wasn't too impressed, and turned it off halfway through. Watched it maybe a year or two later and absolutely loved it. Don't know why. Don't know why I ever thought it was boring, when I would say it is a near-perfect film.
share