[ubermonkey]

First, don't put words in people's mouths. You'll find that doesn't usually engender reasonable discussion.

Casablanca is a good film, but its pacing, storytelling, acting, and direction are all very dated to a modern viewer.

Acting in good films since the 1970s has tended to be far more naturalistic and less stylized, which makes older work feel fake and cloying. That's not always a dealbreaker, though, as you note. It just puts a gulf between a modern viewer and the work that the work has to do more work (so to speak) to bridge.

GWTW didn't have to do that work in 1939.

[hilbert42]

What words?

There's no point arguing with you as we're miles apart, except to say I find most modern films—and many, many old ones unwatchable (usually for different reasons). I just turn them off.

The reasons are many including those that you've mentioned and others especially the pace and horribly tight editing of most modern films/videos—boys let loose with video editors/switching toys instead of the patience and pace of a Moviola. (Incidentally, I've used both.)