But all these years later, the story of a man (Rick) and a woman (Ilsa) sacrificing their love to support a higher purpose (defeating the Nazis) remains timeless.Ĭasablanca won three Academy Awards for best picture, director, and screenplay and is still one of the most popular films of all time, ranked at the top of many movie critic lists. The movie and its theme song, 'As Time Goes By,' have become pop culture icons. Set during World War II, the producers of Casablanca (1942) couldn't have known that the film would become a classic.
