Considered one of the greatest films of all time, Casablanca turns 80 years old today. The romantic drama came out during the height of World War II. The film, set during the global conflict tells the story of a Czech resistance leader escaping from Casablanca, under the control of the Vichy puppet government and the Nazis.

The film had a star-studded cast including Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Heinreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre. No one had thought that the film would do amazing and instead, would just be a drop in the sea of movies. In fact, the whole film was rushed because they wanted to release as soon as possible. That is because the Allied Forces had invaded Northern Africa a few weeks prior. The film was released in New York City on November 26, 1942. Casablanca would then be released later to the full United States on January 23, 1943 on the same day as the Casablanca Conference, an important meeting between Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

It would go on to win many awards such as the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was later added to the Library of Congress in 1989 as one of the first films for the National Film Registry because it is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Related: Here Are the Most Romantic Classical Hollywood Movies

Casablanca Today

Casablanca
Warner Bros.

The film Casablanca has several political allegories to it. For example, the biggest theme of the movie is neutrality. No matter what the context is, whether it be war or love, it is difficult to maintain.

The film starts with Rick, apolitical, jaded, and uncaring of the refugee crisis that is all around him. However, the audience learns that Rick had been involved in failed political causes against the Fascists. As the film continues on, Rick starts to soften on hus jadedness when he meets Ilsa.

It is then, the film cumulates into one of the most famous scenes in cinema history. At Rick's café, many begin to sing the song La Marseillaise in defiance of the Nazi officers singing the German national anthem.

The café then became to resemble the war that was fighting outside. During this time, American's were wary of entering the war and the scenes in the film helped the audience understand the need to fight against intolerance, oppression, and hate.

While the cast and crew are long gone, the film remains to be an icon in the movie industry. As of this year, it is ranked third on the American Film Institute's 100 Best Movies of the Last 100 Years.

The film gave us memorable lines such as "Here's looking at you kid", We'll always have Paris", and "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

The film was lightning in a bottle and as Italian novelist Umberto Eco once wrote, "not just one film. It is many films […] it is a phenomenon worthy of awe”.

In our current day and age, perhaps this film is more prevalent than ever. It is the simplicity as well as the depth of the film that will continue to inspire us for another 80 years.