Casablanca: After 80 Years
Rick (Humphrey Bogart, L) and Sam (Dooley Wilson), in “Casablanca.”
Commentary
There is something fitting about the movie “Casablanca” having its 80th birthday while the world teeters on war over Ukraine and Taiwan—and the Iranians work overtime to get a nuclear weapon that can be delivered by missile.
We may be in the most dangerous pre-war environment since the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, when the United States and the Soviet Union came periously close to a military collision.
In this period of tension, it is fitting that we are celebrating one of the greatest films ever made.
“Casablanca” was the great movie from World War II. More than that, it was a truly historic movie in a way that its creators were probably surprised by.
I have seen “Casablanca” more than 20 times. Whenever I am in a place with a piano player, I ask if they can play “As Time Goes By,” the iconic song which haunts the film. The lyrics always get to me. Just read them and see if they don’t get to you too:
You must remember this,
A kiss is just a kiss.
A sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply,
As time goes by.
And when two lovers woo,
They still say “I love you.”
On that you can rely.
No matter what the future brings,
As time goes by.
Moonlight and love songs,
Never out of date.
Hearts full of passion,
Jealousy and hate.
Woman needs man,
and man must have his mate.
That no one can deny.
It’s still the same old story,
A fight for love and glory,
A case of do or die.
The world will always welcome lovers,
As time goes by.
As you read these words and remember they were sung about all people –
but with the backdrop of a world war—you can begin to sense the timelessness and personal scale of the movie.
“Casablanca” works because it is both big and small. In the background is the evil of the Nazi machine and the reality of a worldwide war that will determine whether civilization or barbarism is the future. In the foreground is the story of two lovers who desperately want to live out their lives together but find historic reality of the world they are in makes it impossible.
The movie is helped of course by Ingrid Bergman’s breathtaking beauty and extraordinary focus on Humphrey Bogart so that her love seems to come through the screen. Bogart is totally believable as a former romantic (a gunrunner to the Ethiopians against the fascist Italian invasion and a fighter for the pro-western Republic during the Spanish Civil War) who has become bitter because in Paris he found true love and then lost it when Bergman disappeared without explanation.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Bergman loves Bogart but her husband, who she thought had been killed in a German concentration camp, had survived although severely hurt. She had gone to his side and was now trapped between her love for Bogart and her duty to help the resistance leader in a world war against Nazi tyranny.
A great deal of the power of “Casablanca” comes from the juxtaposition of two lovers against the backdrop of a world war. The reality of that world war is driven home by the fact that the movie was released just weeks after the allied invasion of Northern Africa (known as Operation Torch).
The supporting actors are all amazing. Only three members of the cast are American. Virtually all the rest were refugees from Nazi occupied Europe.
So, in the stirring scene in which “La Marseillaise” is sung to drown out a group of Nazis singing “Die Wacht am Rhein,” the cast members have authentic tears running down their checks, because they were all real refugees who were deeply emotional about being forced out of their homelands by real Nazis.
Appreciation for “Casablanca” and its place as an extraordinary movie, perhaps one of the greatest of all American films, has grown over time. It won numerous awards upon release and was almost universally considered an instant classic. If you have seen the film, you will recognize how worthy it is of these accolades.
If you have never seen “Casablanca” now is the time to get out the popcorn, pull up the movie, and settle in for an extraordinary experience.
Entertainment aside, it’s important to watch because our generation may find itself tested as our grandparents were. “Casablanca” is a good reminder that freedom and patriotism won in the past—and freedom and patriotism can win now.
From Gingrich360.com
Categories
S&W 44 Russian (44 Special)
This year at SHOT Show 2022 I had the chance to check out the NEW Mk5 Micro Fight Chassis by Spiritus Systems. Based on lots of use and feedback, they have updated the design in both materials and pattern.
If you aren’t familiar with Spiritus Systems, they’re a manufacturer of tactical gear made here in the U.S. They make hard-use gear for today’s warfighters, law enforcement, as well as the tactically-minded consumer. They have been making their chest rigs for a number of years now and the design, while slowly changing, has stayed pretty much the same — until now!
For starters, the material used has changed. While the previous Micro Fight Chest Rig was made out of cordura, the new Mk5 is made out of a special laminate that gives it greater strength and durability, as well as the ability to be laser cut. This opens the door for more attachment points and more overall flexibility when it comes time to set it up.
The design has changed quite a bit, too. Rather than two open pockets on the Mk4, where you could either put magazine inserts, flaps or other accessories, the Mk5 is simply one pocket for inserts.
Based on feedback, the front pocket on the older design wasn’t used that much. So by doing away with it, they created a more streamlined chest rig and were able to cover the front with female velcro. This lets you attach the cummerbund on your plate carrier across the front of the Mk5, such as the LV-119.
But there is still tons of modularity. Even though the Mk5 only has one pouch for magazine inserts, thanks to the PALS compatible front, you can mount other pouches, magazine or otherwise, on the system. Or, you can use the new CCS Pouch. The CCS Pouch covers the front of the Mk5, similar to the old second pouch. But the CCS has two zippered compartments. This lets you keep all those smaller items secure, rather than using a velcro flap like on the older Mk4.
Overall this expansion of the Micro Fight Chest Rig line is one more option that lets you, the user, configure your gear however you see fit for the mission at hand. Expect to see the Mk5 Micro Fight Chassis and CCS Pouch in Q1 of 2022.
Price-wise, the Mk5 and CCS will be around the same price as the Mk4 Chassis. And like the previous Mk4, all of the components can be purchased individually. So you can use your harness, back-strap and inserts from your other chest rig and just upgrade the Chassis.
