Why is Rick Blaine portrayed to be a lonely depressed man at first? Is there something or someone that changes his emotions?
Throughout Casablanca I picked up on the character change of Rick Blaine from a tough, self-centered man to a sentimental and loving man. At the beginning of the film when we are first introduced to Rick you see him sitting alone drinking and playing a game of chess. Maybe it symbolizes a game he can't ever win. We are also told that Rick "never drinks with the costumers" and maybe thats because he's more important than most people sitting in that bar because he has a lot more privileges than the others sitting in his bar. He's from America and could probably leave Casablanca when he choose, he has a lot of money, and he seems to know a lot of highly ranked people. I believe that they try to portray Rick as a type of lonely, self-dependant character is because he really is a lonely character because he has nobody, not since Ilsa. He is upset about what happened in Paris and this is how he's choosing to cope with it. Rick Blaine is very similar to the character Jay Gatsby in the since that they both use money, power, and alcohol to cover their pain. They both are also trying to play at a game of winning over a girl when they both know that they're going to lose.
I really like the connection you made to Jay Gatsby. I had never thought about comparing the two before you mentioned it. I wouldn’t, however, go on to compare Ilsa with Daisy because Ilsa cares for others around her unlike Daisy. I think that in the beginning of the film, Rick is portrayed as a sad and lonely character because there needs to be a change in his character throughout the movie. If he was portrayed as a character that actually stuck his head out for people for the whole duration of the film, there would be no character development and the movie would rely solely on plot to appeal to audiences. But instead, the writers developed him as a character that has many different sides. His emotions change when Ilsa arrives in Casablanca. After she arrives, the whole atmosphere of Casablanca changes along with Rick’s demeanor, which shows good characterization on the writer’s parts.
ReplyDeleteI too thought of Gatsby throughout this film as being a similar character to Rick. They both are introduced as very mysterious characters, ones that everyone talks about, some never see, and both have a love for a woman they cannot have because she is in another relationship. I think that Rick was first introduced in that way so that the audience could get a feel of his mindset without Ilsa in his life: dull and lonely. It helps steer the audience alongside Rick and makes you feel as though you are living through his emotions. Then when Ilsa comes back, you see a shift in him automatically and flashbacks of how he used to be. I think the director is commenting on how powerful the presence of a lover can be and how it can alter ones state of being dramatically.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you mentioned about Ilsa bringing out the best in him. Rick, from the beginning is seen as a character who has no emotion, and whenever anyone tries to hold a conversation with him, they are immediately shut down. I also really liked how you connected Rick to Gatsby, because as seen in both scenarios, Rick and Gatsby use alcohol to relieve their pain. In Casablanca, whenever Rick is at the cafe, he is never without a drink in his hand. I also liked how you pointed out the character change we see in Rick as Ilsa enters his life. He goes from an emotionless person to a loving, caring guy.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the comparison of Gatsby. The entire movie actually reminded me a lot of Gatsby's house waiting for Daisy to show, because Rick owning this club hoping one day for Isla to find it and once she does all will become happy ever after. There is a difference in Rick and Gatsby though. Gatsby and Rick both shared some corrupt habits but Rick's transition in the film from lonely drunk to the hero is far from Gatsby. Rick realized that his memories were too good to mess around with for both his sake and Ilsa's but Gatsby got selfish and this ultimately lead to his death. This says a lot about a possible negative outcome if Rick decided to turn over Laszlo. It's almost like Gatsby is a bad alter ego to Rick.
ReplyDeleteWoa great comparison to Gatsby! I never would have thought of that but I completely agree, they both became totally different people when they were in the presence of their loved one. Jay Gatsby took the blame for killing Myrtle while Rick killed a man to help Ilsa. Both characters made huge sacrifices in order to save their lover, something completely out of the ordinary for these two successful men. Both men also fell for women who were taken, which makes me wonder if Ilsa and Daisy loved Rick and Jay as much as they led on. I think the two characters are a little different because Rick did the things he did out of love for Ilsa, while Jay's actions seemed like they were driven more by obsession.
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