SPOILER ALERT!
This review may contain spoilers. I have tried my best to leave the less obvious out of this entry, but for those wanting a "fresh" viewing experience, save any further reading until after you have seen the film.
For many film lovers, this film represents classic cinema; a representation of an era when film was pure, innocent and full of romance. There are many who like it, but don't give it a second thought, whilst there are others who think of it as an overrated piece of film history. Then there are those who view this film as the quintessential representation of what movie magic truly is. I belong to that group. As long as I live, I doubt I will ever see a film that means more to me than this one does. Read on as I attempt to explain why.
Casablanca is a story of love, loss, regret and sacrifice. Rick and Ilsa were two souls searching for love when they first met in Paris. Over time, they developed a love so free, so fun, so full of life, that they became inseparable. Because of extenuating circumstances, Ilsa left Rick on the day they were supposed to leave the country together, leaving him with a letter, an extra train ticket and a broken heart.
All the while, the story is set in the midst of the second world war, in the city of Casablanca, where the desperation to leave grew by each agonizing day. Only the rich or influential were granted exit visas to leave the country, heightening the level of despair of those not wishing to be a part of another territory of the third reich. As the story opens, we see Rick, now the owner of a flourishing night club in Casablanca, in a very advantageous position. He has enough money, power, influence and respect to be granted the ability to leave at any time. So the first question posed is, why is he still there?
By a sheer twist of fate, Ilsa and her husband Victor enter Rick's Cafe, some eighteen months (I think) since she and Rick last saw each other in Paris. After a brief reunion in the cafe, she visits Rick alone to explain her reasons for leaving him that day, but a drunken Rick insults her and adds further insult to injury.
Rick and Ilsa's initial relationship represents that "first love" that we all have experienced. Full of carefree romance, but deprived of detail, they developed a very precarious liaison (although not obviously apparent to either of them at the time). The film's mood most impressively captures both losses of innocence: Rick's loss of the innocent trust in love that he held, and the loss of the city's innocence as the Germans' oppressive hand ominously drew nearer.
I think the reason Rick chose to stay in Casablanca is because he didn't want to feel happiness again. The city's dreary semblance coincided with his feeling of dreariness on the inside, and he felt that if he blocked out every possibility of happiness, that he would not have to ever know the hurt he felt without Ilsa ever again. How many times have we put up barriers in our heart to prevent a second or third heartbreak? Rick's cynical nature, that was so perfectly portrayed by Humphrey Bogart, was only developed after he left Paris. The Rick that everyone knew was only a façade. Only Ilsa knew the real Rick - the tender, vulnerable, romantic Rick.
Casablanca also presents a fight for freedom. Rick's inner struggle to let go of the love that was, was only a secondary fight. Rick's political convictions had him joining in the fight against the progression of the third reich - a fight he had only given up since leaving Paris. Because of his lost love, his now barricaded heart had lost it's will to fight. This representation of love's handicapping power is beautifully assayed.
As Rick slowly begins his recovery, due to the presence of Ilsa in Casablanca, his true character is revealed in a number of ways - like when he helps the young man win at roulette so that his wife wouldn't be forced to make a compromising decision that could be detrimental to their happiness. This was a display of genuine compassion. He knew how much damage a broken heart could do to a person, from a first-hand experience, so he did what he could to preserve this young couple's innocence.
The film's strongest themes are presented when Rick is given the opportunity to keep Ilsa or let her go. By making the ultimate sacrifice, Rick showcases two very real aspects of human nature. The first is that when presented with a decision to choose between two things you hold dear, the thing closest to your heart almost always prevails. In this case, Rick's commitment to the fight for freedom was stronger than his love for Ilsa; and he let her go for the sole purpose of keeping her husband in the game.
The second (and least obvious) deduction, and the one that is most debatable, is that sometimes the memories we hold onto are greater than the object of those memories. Allow me to explain. Maybe when Rick finally saw Ilsa again, and everything he had ever dreamed of was given back to him, he realised that she wasn't really worth all the pain he put himself through. The abrupt departure in Paris left a big chapter in his life incomplete, and maybe all he really needed was some closure. Maybe all he needed was to see her again to be able to let go of the overbearing memory of their ill-fated affair. Whether this is true or not is up to the viewer to decide, but for me, this explanation fits in perfectly with both Rick's character, and the ending of the movie.
No film that I have ever seen has touched me on a more personal level. Casablanca is more than just a movie for me; it is a projection of all the themes I ponder on most in life; it is a showcase of the essence of life that affects every member of the human race; and it is profound without being complicated. If I had to choose one film to watch for the rest of my life, I'd take this without question. If you ask me for the reason why I love film, I'd say Casablanca.
© 2007 Kim Bartlett
This review may contain spoilers. I have tried my best to leave the less obvious out of this entry, but for those wanting a "fresh" viewing experience, save any further reading until after you have seen the film.
For many film lovers, this film represents classic cinema; a representation of an era when film was pure, innocent and full of romance. There are many who like it, but don't give it a second thought, whilst there are others who think of it as an overrated piece of film history. Then there are those who view this film as the quintessential representation of what movie magic truly is. I belong to that group. As long as I live, I doubt I will ever see a film that means more to me than this one does. Read on as I attempt to explain why.
Casablanca is a story of love, loss, regret and sacrifice. Rick and Ilsa were two souls searching for love when they first met in Paris. Over time, they developed a love so free, so fun, so full of life, that they became inseparable. Because of extenuating circumstances, Ilsa left Rick on the day they were supposed to leave the country together, leaving him with a letter, an extra train ticket and a broken heart.
All the while, the story is set in the midst of the second world war, in the city of Casablanca, where the desperation to leave grew by each agonizing day. Only the rich or influential were granted exit visas to leave the country, heightening the level of despair of those not wishing to be a part of another territory of the third reich. As the story opens, we see Rick, now the owner of a flourishing night club in Casablanca, in a very advantageous position. He has enough money, power, influence and respect to be granted the ability to leave at any time. So the first question posed is, why is he still there?
By a sheer twist of fate, Ilsa and her husband Victor enter Rick's Cafe, some eighteen months (I think) since she and Rick last saw each other in Paris. After a brief reunion in the cafe, she visits Rick alone to explain her reasons for leaving him that day, but a drunken Rick insults her and adds further insult to injury.
Rick and Ilsa's initial relationship represents that "first love" that we all have experienced. Full of carefree romance, but deprived of detail, they developed a very precarious liaison (although not obviously apparent to either of them at the time). The film's mood most impressively captures both losses of innocence: Rick's loss of the innocent trust in love that he held, and the loss of the city's innocence as the Germans' oppressive hand ominously drew nearer.
I think the reason Rick chose to stay in Casablanca is because he didn't want to feel happiness again. The city's dreary semblance coincided with his feeling of dreariness on the inside, and he felt that if he blocked out every possibility of happiness, that he would not have to ever know the hurt he felt without Ilsa ever again. How many times have we put up barriers in our heart to prevent a second or third heartbreak? Rick's cynical nature, that was so perfectly portrayed by Humphrey Bogart, was only developed after he left Paris. The Rick that everyone knew was only a façade. Only Ilsa knew the real Rick - the tender, vulnerable, romantic Rick.
Casablanca also presents a fight for freedom. Rick's inner struggle to let go of the love that was, was only a secondary fight. Rick's political convictions had him joining in the fight against the progression of the third reich - a fight he had only given up since leaving Paris. Because of his lost love, his now barricaded heart had lost it's will to fight. This representation of love's handicapping power is beautifully assayed.
As Rick slowly begins his recovery, due to the presence of Ilsa in Casablanca, his true character is revealed in a number of ways - like when he helps the young man win at roulette so that his wife wouldn't be forced to make a compromising decision that could be detrimental to their happiness. This was a display of genuine compassion. He knew how much damage a broken heart could do to a person, from a first-hand experience, so he did what he could to preserve this young couple's innocence.
The film's strongest themes are presented when Rick is given the opportunity to keep Ilsa or let her go. By making the ultimate sacrifice, Rick showcases two very real aspects of human nature. The first is that when presented with a decision to choose between two things you hold dear, the thing closest to your heart almost always prevails. In this case, Rick's commitment to the fight for freedom was stronger than his love for Ilsa; and he let her go for the sole purpose of keeping her husband in the game.
The second (and least obvious) deduction, and the one that is most debatable, is that sometimes the memories we hold onto are greater than the object of those memories. Allow me to explain. Maybe when Rick finally saw Ilsa again, and everything he had ever dreamed of was given back to him, he realised that she wasn't really worth all the pain he put himself through. The abrupt departure in Paris left a big chapter in his life incomplete, and maybe all he really needed was some closure. Maybe all he needed was to see her again to be able to let go of the overbearing memory of their ill-fated affair. Whether this is true or not is up to the viewer to decide, but for me, this explanation fits in perfectly with both Rick's character, and the ending of the movie.
No film that I have ever seen has touched me on a more personal level. Casablanca is more than just a movie for me; it is a projection of all the themes I ponder on most in life; it is a showcase of the essence of life that affects every member of the human race; and it is profound without being complicated. If I had to choose one film to watch for the rest of my life, I'd take this without question. If you ask me for the reason why I love film, I'd say Casablanca.
© 2007 Kim Bartlett
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