Casablanca is still such a classic because it is has many strong themes that stand out. Some of these are: good vs. evil, doing the right thing, and putting the needs of the many before the needs of the few. It's about principles and morality. Those ideas never go out of time; if anything, they become more relevant. The tale of those people, in that time still matters.
Rick says that he "sticks his neck out for nobody," but ultimately, his better nature comes to the fore, and he does indeed stick his neck out. When he shoots the Nazi Colonel Strasser, he not only allows Lazlow, to escape to America.
Rick also selflessly sacrifices the love of his life. Walking away with Louis, the cop who knows what Rick did but still instructs his men to "round up the usual suspects," He's joining the fight against the Nazis.
Rick is a complicated man. He's a loner, but his friends love him. He claims to be just a saloon keeper, but he has the integrity of a guy who stands up for the little guy. You see the pain he has over having lost Ilsa in Paris. What do you think was Rick's "turning point" in Casablanca?
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ReplyDeleteI agree that the themes you mentioned are not only timeless, but morality is among the most prevalent in Casablanca. It's why Rick pick and chooses when to stick his neck out and for whom: Is it the moral thing at the time? This is why he eventually helps Ilsa escape with her husband even though she was the love of Rick's life. He doesn't let his heart rule his head, allowing him to always make the better choice and be the bigger person, a character that will always be relatable- a key element in a timeless film.
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job in listing the themes that were used in the movie and I agree with you on why. My favorite was "doing the right thing" as it was something that, for most people, could've been overlooked. Rick does the "right thing" a lot, subtly, throughout the movie (as you listed) with sticking his neck out for certain people, selflessly giving up the love of his life for her safety and life, and "standing up for people".
ReplyDeleteI like that you pointed out that even though Rick says that he "sticks his neck out for nobody" but proved that he really does. He was selfless and always helped out the underdog as long as he felt it was the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteI like how you pointed out all the themes in the movie and I agree with all of them. I also like how you talked about Rick and how Rick will do the right thing but people don't always realize it because he's quiet.
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