Theme:
The film definitely made use of strong universal themes, probably the strongest being the theme of "doing the right thing". This theme applied to both the main characters. Rick, doing the right thing in the end, by helping Ilsa and her husband, Victor Laszio get the necessary papers to have safe passage to America. Ilsa, doing the right thing by staying faithful to her husband, even though she was in love with Rick. This theme was also evident in the eventual actions of Captain Louis Renault. At the end of the film he let Rick proceed with his plans, although illegal, knowing it was the right thing to do. This universal theme is timeless and holds as true today as it did in 1942.
Focus on Ideas:
This film's focus on ideas fit well into the category of The Truth of Human Nature. Although it had very strong characters and a very universal theme, the idea itself was one that carried through many of the scenes. The idea that stood out to me was the quiet resistance to the German Nazi movement. The resistance was not overt or revolutionary it was more subdued although deliberate. The characters, each in their own way, did not agree with the German presence in neutral Casablanca. The scene from Rick's club where the German's were singing their anthem and then the French started to sing theirs until they drowned out the German's, was a very emotionally moving scene. To me, it represented the idea - the truth of human nature- perfectly. The exception to quiet resistance was near the end when Rick shot and killed Major Henrich Slasser. Even though it was an act of violence, the director framed it around self-defense, a bit more acceptable than outright murder and still allowing it to fit in with both the universal theme and idea.
Works Cited
Boggs, J. M., & Petrie, D. W. (2008). The Art of Watching Films (7th Edition ed.). Ashford University: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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