When it comes to romantic dramas, no other movie encapsulates those words more than Casablanca (1942). Filled with interesting characters and settings, witty dialogue, relevant social commentary, a fantastic soundtrack, and a beautiful romance; this is not a film that you just watch, it’s one that transports you.
The film takes place during World War II and is about the antisocial American expatriate Rick Blaine who owns a café in Casablanca, Morocco where Vichy French and Nazi Germany officials, European refugees and petty criminals all converge. From the start, I could tell that this was very fast paced. You understand the setting very quickly; the players, the socio-economic system, and the time of the events are all revealed in quickly cut sequences and clever writing. I particularly like the scene where the petty thief is explaining what is going on with the German soldiers to the European refugees. He tells them to be careful of the “vultures” in Casablanca, while simultaneously robbing the couple of their money. There is also excellent visual storytelling at the beginning when the Nazi plane lands in Casablanca and the refugees all stare at it in awe like the angel Gabriel has descended upon them. It actually reminded me of the record player scene in The Shawshank Redemption, both scenes representing hope in the minds of confined people.
My level of investment in the ex-lovers’ romance was completely unexpected. I think like most people my interest arose once we see the flashback of her leaving him in Paris. However, the reason for her sudden departure – which is her finding out her thought-to-be dead resistance leader husband was alive and in hiding, is so well-explained and connected to the socio-political aspect of the story. Most conversations about the film are about the Rick and Ilsa’s relationship, and to be fair, it does make sense as most people you encounter today would relate more to a forbidden romance than to the ravishes of war. Because of these conversations, however, I was expecting a straightforward romantic drama. As mentioned before, the romantic and socio-political aspects are tied together so well that I think it’s a shame more attention isn’t given to the latter. For example, I read an article that explains the metaphorical relationships of the characters, whereas Rick represents all Americans and the arrival of Ilsa represents the bombing of Pearl Harbour. A more obvious analogy is that of the international alliances that took place during the war, represented by Rick and Captain Renault’s friendship. For most of the movie Renault had been a neutral antagonist to Rick. In other words, Renault, just like Rick, is a neutral player in the war but he takes it a step further and associates himself with the side that is currently in authority. The German officials are that authoritative force during the movie, until the climax of the film when Rick helps Ilsa and Laszlo escape. As the couple is jetting off, Rick shoots the head German official, Strasser as he tries to call for backup. Instead of reporting Rick, Renault says to the other officers, “Round up the usual suspects” signalling the start of their ‘beautiful friendship’. This is very emblematic of the sudden and often called ‘Strange Alliance’ between the US, UK, and the USSR. The US and UK’s capitalist systems often clashed with the USSR’s communist regime, but Nazi aggression in the USSR in 1941 forced them to turn to their western counterparts for assistance.
Give this one a watch if you haven’t. You’ll laugh, you’ll learn, you may even cry.
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