what is casablanca about

Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid. The film is set during World War II and takes place in the Vichy-controlled city of Casablanca, Morocco. The plot revolves around an American expatriate named Rick Blaine (Bogart) who must choose between his love for a woman named Ilsa Lund (Bergman) and helping her husband, a Czechoslovak resistance leader named Victor Laszlo (Henreid), escape from Casablanca to continue his fight against the Germans. The film explores themes of love, sacrifice, and the struggle against oppression. The story is not based on a true story, but it was inspired by real events and people. The film was made on a tight budget and released with small expectations, but it became a critical and commercial success and is now considered a classic of American cinema.