Love and War in Casablanca
Casablanca takes place during war in a past time. The main character Rick takes on the role as the ideal American gentlemen; manly, stoic, ethical, and kind. Naturally playing the role as past war affiliated man running a joint in the most unlikely of places. The story itself is that of a classic love story filled with tragic past and sticky situations. However, it is much more than a basic love story with a complicated ending; and a subtext within that represents America’s situation in World War II. Casablanca represents classical American cinema with a lost love, a happy ending, and going as far to represent America itself.
The scene in the beginning sets in French controlled Casablanca, Morocco. The streets
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are filled at an overcrowded rate with various Europeans trying to leave Casablanca for the United States of America and Lisbon, Portugal; Desperate to get away from the collateral damage of World War II. A man is being searched for murdering two German officers by French Captain Louis Renault and German Major Strasser, the antagonist. It is apparent that there is strong tension between the French and Germans for the Germans being in command of France occupied land. The scene shifts to Rick’s, the protagonist, Rick’s Café Americain featuring Rick. Here the viewer sees that the main character runs a tight ship but has a soft spot for those he cares for; also, being the role of male stereotype. They, the audience, meets Sam, which scores the film beautifully by filling the space with a more natural and complementary way than just a track. He plays the piano in the café giving that authentic feel to both the café setting and time period. Tonight, is the night that Strasser and Renault make the arrest of the murder. Ugarte, the culprit, gives letters of transit, or the way out of Casablanca, to Rick who in returns hides them for safe keeping inside of Sam’s piano. Major Strasser and Renault shows up to make the arrest on Ugarte and there is a dramatic show of evading arrest which leads to a round of shots being fired. After all is done the story moves on to a more important section of the movie which revolves around Victor Lazlo.
Earlier introduced by Renault, Lazlo is made out to be an important character in the story line as well as important to the Germans. He appears the day after the arrest at Rick’s Café along with a pretty girl that appears to be close to him. The viewer learns that Lazlo is wanted for escaping a concentration camp and publishing writings about the destruction inflicted by Germany. For this reason, the Germans desperately want to see him arrested. Lazlo leaves the girl alone at the table where she approaches Sam. Here there is a clear connection between Sam, Rick, Paris, and this girl; the viewer can tell in her eyes that there is a past she is lost in and that this woman is named Isla. Sam is asked to play “As Time Goes By” by the lovely Isla and there is a glimpse at the love and heartache that was found and lost once upon a time in Paris. Rick sees the scene and after a drink with the couple leaves the café; here he drinks away the nostalgia when he had previously confessed to not do so anymore. A flashback takes place in Paris some view years prior where Rick and Isla fall in love under the threat of war. It is passionate, but they never really communicated with each other which probably caused a huge majority of their problems. When Paris is taken over by Germany and Isla is asked to leave with Rick there is clear distress and the viewer can see that although she is agreeing to depart with her love, her nonverbal communication is saying she wants to run and hide. As they have their last kiss a glass of water is hit, and the content is spilled out on the table. Which is probably a metaphor, but I have not figured that out yet. The glass is not full anymore? Glasses can be spilled? Anyway, Rick is left at the train station alone standing in the rain classically and the flashback ends like being pulled out of a dream; Rick being left alone one
again. The story moves on quickly after this. Rick is left with the letters of transit that can very well put him in trouble. With need to get them off his hands he tries discreetly to find a way to get rid of these papers. In convenience Lazlo catches wind of Rick’s letters of transit, with the witch-hunt for his arrest he tries urgently to compel Rick to give him the letters. However, Rick had just heard from Ilsa that their love had been infidelity on her part causing a loss of pride and trust; leaving him in no mood to grace Lazlo. Hopelessly Ilsa tries alone to convince her lost love for the letters of transit or her and her husband will be killed at worst by the Germans. Approaching Rick directly to get the letters she tries for empathy but when that does not work pulls a gun however this only causes her to breakdown and confess her love for Rick. The full story finally comes to light and the audience finds out that Ilsa had thought Lazlo was dead when she had met Rick; only to find out he was very much alive before the attack on Paris. Love or understanding is realized once again however Germans arrest Lazlo in the same night losing the hope that was just been touched. Rick tries to plea with Renault to get Lazlo on a more serious charge and use the letters of transit for Ilsa and himself. Everything is set, and Rick sells his café since he will no longer be needing his possessions. However, when he shows up to the airport it is revealed that Rick never intended to leave with Ilsa and makes sure that the plane will leave without a hitch. But, as the plane departs Strasser shows up to make sure there is no happy ending for this couple. Trying to call the radio tower for assistance but in interfered by Rick shooting him dead. However instead of getting Rick getting the backlash he expected, Renault throws the Germans off Ricks trail and tells him a plan involving the both of them escaping Casablanca. They stroll of the airplane landing together forming a new friendship. Then the credits roll.
Martin Guerre from Artigat had left his wife Bertrande and their son Sanxi and their inheritance to seek adventure in Spain as a mercenary. After leaving his family for nearly nine years a man claiming to be Martin returns to the village to claim his wife and land. Bertrande accepts the man as being her husband and they have another child together. Martin has a dispute with Pierre over the management of the family estate and ownership of the rents from Matins land during his absence. During their dispute a passing by veteran had claimed that "Martin" is not who he claims to be. He said that Martin had lost a leg at the battle of Saint Quentin and that he really was Arnaud de Tihl from a neighboring village. Both Martin and Arnaud had soldered together in the war, where they had became friends. The Guerre family was very divided over the story. Pierre and his sons-in-law believe the soldier's story, and Pierres daughters and Bertrande continue to believe "Martin" is Martin. As their ca...
Casablanca was directed in an era almost entirely dedicated to propaganda, as far as the film industry is concerned. The movie promoted America and the Allies similar to most films of the time, but it did so in a much different manner. The story told in Casablanca follows the main character, Rick, through his personal affairs and love tango with another lead character, Ilsa Lund. The film begins with Rick alone running his saloon based in Casablanca, in which he seems very indifferent to other people’s affairs, and comes off as very exclusive. He is delivered letters of transit by a man named Ugarte, which are nearly priceless to any refugee desiring to flee to the United States or another unoccupied country. Rick continues to act disinterested, reluctantly agreeing to hide the documents. He holds onto them even after Ugarte is killed for having stolen the letters, although there did not seem to be an...
In Janet Lewis’ “The Wife of Martin Guerre,” the author illustrates the family dynamics of the sixteenth century. Martin would legally remain a minor for the extent of his father’s lifetime, and women’s identity and importance were only known through their husbands. However, Bertrande de Rols, the wife of Martin Guerre, is known as herself in this novel, which expresses that the novel was written according to her experience as the wife of Martin Guerre. Even though it wasn’t acceptable for women to go forward with such accusations, Bertrande de Rols did the right thing by pursuing Arnaud as an impostor because she knew he was not her husband, despite what everyone else said. In sixteenth century France, women were not independent and treated as equals as they are today.
In the film Casablanca, directed by Michael Curtiz, a clear juxtaposition exists between Rick and America. Despite Rick’s numerous similarities to America and his deep longing to be part of the country, a physical and psychological barrier separates the two. With America practically being on the opposite end of the world, Rick understands that he cannot abandon his responsibility to aid and influence others in Casablanca. Rick is willing to sacrifice his personal comfort and well-being for the greater good of society. This juxtaposition between America and Rick foreshadows that the United States would soon become involved in the war by overtly displaying Rick’s transformation when he confronts his troubled past.
The Comradeship of War in All Quiet on the Western Front War can destroy a young man, mentally and physically. One might say that nothing good comes out of war, but in Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, there is one positive characteristic: comradeship. Paul and his friends give Himmelstoss a beating, which he deserves due to his training tactics. This starts the brotherhood of this tiny group. As explosions and gunfire sound off, a young recruit in his first battle is gun-shy and seeks reassurance in Paul's chest and arms, and Paul gently tells him that he will get used to it.
In the essay “Beautiful Friendship: Masculinity & Nationalism in Casablanca”, Peter Kunze lavishly explains the magnificence of Michael Curtiz’s 1942 film Casablanca. Kunze focuses on how the movie not only highlights an exchange of relationships, but how the film has an underlying meaning between these relationships. He also implies that there is a more complex meaning behind every character in regards to their gender, economic, and social roles. The overall thesis of his reading is “the patriarchal ideology underlying the narrative commodifies Ilsa, leading Rick to exchange her with other men in an act of friendship and solidarity as well as to dissuade any perception of queerness between the strong male friendships in the narrative” (Kunze
The film Casablanca, indeed, involves problems that Rick faced and he finally solved that problem, ending in a satisfying way. Risk’s equilibrium is disrupted when he is going to leave Paris with his girl friend Ilsa because Ilsa doesn’t showed up at last. Risk becomes a boss of a cafe in Casablanca but he never imagines that he would encounter Ilsa again. Ilsa walks into Risk’s life again by accident when she is planing to get a letter of transit in Casablanca in order to escape to America with her husband. At the same time, Nazi Major Strasser arrives in Casablanca and tries to stop Ilsa’s husband from leaving Casablanca. Risk’s equlibrium is disrupted again. Risk still loves and hates Ilsa, and moreover, he gets the letter of transit. Even though Risk wanted to stay with Ilsa and let her husband go to America alone, Risk finally let Ilsa and her husband go and killed the Nazi Major Strasser. That is a satisfying ending.
Robert B. Ray categorizes Casablanca as "the most typical" American film. Ray uses Casablanca as a tutor text for what he calls the formal paradigm of Classical Hollywood as well as the thematic paradigm that addresses the conflict between isolationism and communitarian participation. The film is typical in its appropriation of an official hero Laszlo, who stands for the civilizing values of home and community, and an outlaw hero Rick, who stands for individu...
In early modern Europe, the 16th century presented a turning point in history where identities and values were challenged. Given the fluctuating state of identities, could the crisis of power centralization precipitate skepticism on the heroes of The Return of Martin Guerre? Can the monumental epistemological changes of the time (e.g. The Reformations and Counter Reformation, the rise of Protestantism, rational individualization in thought) be adequately conveyed or fully reflected using micro-histories?
The 1942 movie, “Casablanca” portrays a World War II era enclave where refugees fled Nazi Europe and used this unoccupied city as a safe haven while pursuing their dreams of coming to America. The main character is Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, who owns a nightclub and casino in unoccupied Morocco during the Nazi era. Blaine, whose sole purpose appears to be money, illuminates a sense of arrogance and self righteousness as he assists in retrieving the necessary immigration documents for those who are willing to pay the price for their freedom. Hidden deep within his memory are the reflections of a women that he once loved, Ilsa Lund, played by Ingrid Bergman. The third leading role was that of Paul Henreid who played the Ilsa’s husband in the movie. Victor Laszlo, a Jewish activist who was on the run from the German Regime was once believed to be dead after being captured and placed in a concentration camp, during which time his wife (Ilsa) fled to Paris and ultimately had an affair with Rick Blaine.
The song “As Time Goes By”, plays a specific role in connecting the past of Rick and Ilsa in Paris. The first time Ilsa walks into Rick’s cafe she asks Sam to play that very song. Sam at first seems hesitant because he knows the pain the song can put on Rick. The song brings him back to when they were happily in love, and the pain he felt when she didn’t show up at the train station. Just like the other guests, Rick tries to forget that pain by trying to never hear that song again. Sam eventually decides to play the song, and it turns out for the best. Rick even though remembering the hurtful past experiences, remembers the good ones as well. They eventually become reacquainted with each other. This allows Rick to keep his life moving because when Ilsa ditched him, he has been in halted state. Now that Rick had his life back up and running, he could setout to be the hero depicted towards the end of the
...t it is clearly obvious what is about to happen using an establishing shot. Casablanca also uses camera angle specifically portraying Captain Renault and Strasser as less powerful people in the office scene. Editing allows for smooth transitions between shots and allows for us as viewers to experience the scene like we are seeing through the characters eyes. Lighting provides us a mood of the scene, specifically when Rick first sees Ilsa for the first time since Paris. The Music plays a role in how we as audiences should feel while watching the movie. And without production design movies would not flow correctly. Every setting is specifically chosen to depict the location where the scene takes place. Casablanca is a quintessential film because it ties up all the formal elements of classical Hollywood. Without this movie Hollywood may be a completely different place.
Several individuals in this course displayed ideas that were different from the norm in their society. The dominant group or worldview in their society marginalized them, but they found ways to defy the dominant group or they created an alternative environment where they could pursue their goals without being affected by others. These individuals have utilized the past to base their actions for the goal of transforming the social order, however, there were problems that arose from the usage of the past. In The Return of Martin Guerre, Bertrande de Rols used her unfruitful marriage to start a new life based on her own choices, but her past life became mediated by the law and she could not continue her masked story when the truth was evident.
In 1982, the journalist Chuck Ross, in an experiment for Film Comment, mailed the script of Casablanca to 217 agencies under a different title and under a different authorship name. Although many rejected it for external reasons, eighty-one agencies read it and of those, fifty-three did not recognize it as the classic. But here’s the cherry on top: forty-one agencies criticized the iconic, Oscar-winning script with harsh words. One wrote, “Story line is thin. Too much
Theme is a literary element used in literature and has inspired many poets, playwrights, and authors. The themes of love and war are featured in literature, and inspire authors to write wartime romances that highlight these two themes. Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms deals with the collective themes in the human experience such as love and the reality of war. A Farewell to Arms is narrated from the perspective of Fredric Henry, an ambulance driver in the Italian army, and pertains to his experiences in the war. The novel also highlights the passionate relationship between Henry and Catherine Barkley, a British nurse in Italy. Henry’s insight into the war and his intense love for Catherine emphasize that love and war are the predominant themes in the novel and these themes contribute to bringing out the implicit and explicit meaning of the novel. Being a part of the Italian army, Henry is closely involved with the war and has developed an aversion to the war. Henry’s association with the war has also made him realise that war is inglorious and the sacrifices made in war are meaningless. Specifically, Henry wants the war to end because he is disillusioned by the war and knows that war is not as glorious as it is made up to be. The state of affairs and the grim reality of the war lead Henry towards an ardent desire for a peaceful life, and as a result Henry repudiates his fellow soldiers at the warfront. Henry’s desertion of the war is also related to his passionate love for Catherine. Henry’s love for Catherine is progressive and ironic. This love develops gradually in “stages”: Henry’s attempt at pretending love for Catherine towards the beginning of the novel, his gradually developing love for her, and finally, Henry’s impas...