Casablanca - 7

This film was nothing like I thought it would be, considering all the famous quotes and what I had heard. It is actually a complex story told really well. Filmed in 1942, during WWII, it tells the story of those trying to flee Europe to America via the town of Casablanca in Morocco, Africa. The director, Michael Curtiz, does a good job developing the story slowly and at his own pace. When the film is finally over the audience knows the story and realizes the implications of previous choices. It may be the time that it was made, but the story seems sort of un-Hollywood, the story focuses on the wisdom of choices rather than just individual emotivist based choosing. It also has a sort of anti-Nazi feel to it, although somewhat more neutral than post-war films. Another classic to add to your list.