1. Casablanca is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time. It is a timeless tale about a love triangle set within the backdrop of early World War II. Humphrey Bogart stars as Rick, the owner of a café in Casablanca, Morocco. Ingrid Bergman co-stars as Ilsa, who was Ricks’ love interest before the war in Paris. Paul Henreid co-stars as Victor Laszlo, who is the leader of the underground resistance and also husband to Ilsa. The movie focuses on the interactions between these characters and their past a good deal. It all ties into the main themes of the movie. The themes were lost love, honor, self-sacrifice in war, and romance within a chaotic world. The lost love is noticed when Ilsa first appears in Casablanca. There was an initial loathing from Rick towards her after she left him Paris. It is also noticed when Ilsa is not able to decide who she still loves toward the end of the movie. She is torn between the love she once had for Rick and the devotion she needs to show Victor. Honor is noticed in many of the subtle actions that Rick makes among the movie obvious ones. He keeps his whole staff on pay when his café is shut down. He also helps the young bride and her husband win back their money so that the perverted French Policeman couldn’t bribe her for sex with visas. The most notable honorable thing done by Rick was when he convinced Ilsa that she needed to go away with Victor in order to keep him motivated. Rick could have very well left with her or even kept her, but instead he does the chivalrous and honorable thing of keeping Ilsa and Victor together. This also ties directly into self-sacrifice in war. Rick took a huge gamble with the stunt he pulled off at the end, and eventually it paid off with no repercussion except for losing the girl he loved. Again, this also ties in the last theme of love in a chaotic world. The fact that people are still able to love and hold relationships during the hardships of was extraordinary.
2./3. For further reading on Casablanca, there is an excellent webpage that provides factual information and even the story itself. The link is http://www.filmsite.org/casa.html.
The page is part of AMC’s “Greatest Films” information site. It is written and edited by Tim Dirks. The page opens up with giving the reader a run-down on the basic plot of the movie. It tells how the movie takes place in either 1942 or 1943 to coincide with the start of World War II. The page also gives examples of why the movie is so revered and cherished and some of the reasons include the quotes which are regarded as extremely memorable. It also notes all the movies that pay homage to Casablanca and how they reference a good portion of the lines. This was mentioned particularly in class in that many of the lines are found throughout cinematic history. The page then gives some background on the characters and the people who play them. It was actually the first time Bogart and Bergman had worked together; ironically it was also their last. Before ending the article with the actual script and story, Dirks offers some facts on awards and playtime of the movie. An interesting fact was that the movie was released in 1942, but was only eligible for the 1943 Academy Awards because it didn’t play in Los Angeles till January of 1943.
4. I personally did not enjoy the movie. Romances are not exactly something I enjoy watching. However I do appreciate and understand why the movie is so well regarded. Even though the “play it again Sam” isn’t accurate, I have ties with that particular quote at my job. The staying power of some of the lines are incredible. I also respect the production side of the film. Almost all of the film was filmed in studio. The sets look so real with the realistic town setting that was bustling with a bunch of people.
