Casablanca

[School of Movies 2026]

'The Lies of Casablanca'. That was going to be my original title for this episode. When I got to sit down and watch this impeccable film on the big screen, it struck me how often the main characters lie; to each other, to themselves, to us... and yet we as the audience are almost always in the advantagous position of being able to clearly discern each lie.

So, Sharon and I delved into a true classic, venerated throughout the second half of the 20th Century, but now somewhat in decline on lists of Greatest Films of All Time, unseated by the works of Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve. However, there is something so very fitting about going back to something powered by nostalgia, its original audience now long-dead, but its central message; 'For the love of god, we must defy Nazis' delivered at a point in history that Hitler still hadn't been beaten, feels more relevent than ever.