Opening narration is always a roll of the dice. It walks a fine line between lazily moving events along for the convenience of the filmmaker (“It’s a Wonderful Life”) or trying to force us into the minds of characters rather than make our own assertions (“Sin City”) and sparing us hours of tedious backstory (“The Fellowship of the Ring”) or establishing a clearly biased and one-sided perspective (“Goodfellas.”). From a purely selfish standpoint I am eternally grateful to “Casablanca” for streamlining historical information that I am not particularly interested in and establishing the importance of the Moroccan city during World War II in just a few sentences. I’m sure they could just as easily have explained how the city became a sort of limbo for European refugees waiting to get into America in a few exchanges of dialogue, but in this case, the narration eliminates the risk of bogging down the film’s pace.
One of the more unique elements of this picture is the fact that, since Casablanca was ruled by the French, the people asking for papers and hauling away innocents in paddy wagons are the French police rather than S.S. troops. In one particularly symbolic scene, a man with expired papers attempts to flee the French police and is shot dead. His body collapses next to a wall where a portrait of Philippe Petain, the French Chief-of-State who all but handed France over to Hitler, eerily looms over him. A search of the man’s body turns up papers indicating he is part of the French resistance movement against the Nazis, grimly foreshadowing the years to come.
Since Casablanca is considered the layover point, often times for years, for refugees waiting to obtain visas and escape to the Americas, air travel is synonymous with freedom in this film. At one point, a lineup of rounded up refugees are cheered up at the mere sight of a plane flying overhead. However, this is yet another dark prophecy, as the plane is actually carrying a Nazi officer Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt) who is in Casablanca to investigate the murder of two German couriers carrying sensitive documents. Veidt is frighteningly authentic in this role due to his real-life German heritage as well as the fact that my personal knowledge of his work extends to his incredibly frightening roles in expressionist horror films like “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” “The Man who Laughs” and “Waxworks.” He is greeted by French police captain Renault (Claude Rains, another horror film alum from movies like “The Wolf Man” and “The Invisible Man”) who assures him the man who killed the couriers will be brought to justice that night at Rick’s Café Americain.
Enter the two most important aspects of the film, Rick’s Café (a setting that is the backdrop of so much of the story that it is just as if not more important than any of the characters) as well as the proprietor himself, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart). The introductory scenes of the restaurant/bar/casino all help set the stage for how sketchy of a place it is, including dialogues between smugglers, thieves and swindlers. With the rapid cuts between undesirable people, the stucco interior of the café and the ever-present music in the background played by the bandleader Sam (Dooley Wilson), it is evident just how much of an homage the Cantina scene in “Star Wars” is to “Casablanca.” Substitute the varied ethnicities for different types of aliens and it is essentially the exact same scene- all the way down to the “you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy” description.
The actual reveal of the character of Rick is done with such drama and fanfare that it is obvious we will be meeting a significant character. The guests discuss him as if he is some mythical figure, the wait staff keeps him closely guarded and even the camera hesitates to show him, first zooming in only on his hands as he signs a check, then panning upwards to show him for the first time as a surly loner, a point that is exacerbated by the fact that he is playing chess by himself. He has very curt conversations with a series of patrons and hangers-on, however his first in-depth conversation, with Captain Renault, is among one of the finest ever committed to film. Their rapid-fire repartee and snappy one-liners effectively depict a strong mutual respect despite a complete difference of politics.
Though Rick often seems nonplussed at any kind of big news, he finally shows a visible reaction when Renault informs him that a fugitive named Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) is en-route to Casablanca. Though Rick likes to project himself as an indifferent mercenary, Renault knows his backstory and fears that Rick may be sympathetic to Laszlo’s cause, as he is a French freedom fighter who has escaped from a Nazi concentration camp and Rick himself has a history of being an idealistic crusader. Renault implores Rick not to help Laszlo escape Casablanca, knowing he has access to falsified exit visas, and Rick insists that he will not intervene but that Laszlo will make it out regardless.
After the killer of the two couriers (who has left two visas out of Casablanca in Rick’s care) is arrested, Strasser questions Rick about his loyalties in the war and is not convinced when Rick again repeats his indifference. In the very next scene, Laszlo arrives at Rick’s along with his wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). Though their arrival is rather understated, Sam’s reaction to seeing them underscores not only their importance to the plot, but also a significant and unpleasant history. Moments later they have their first exchange, confirming their implied past. Ilsa pressures a reluctant Sam into playing the Broadway tune “As Time Goes By” which prompts a reemergence of an enraged Rick, who has instructed him to never play that song again. As soon as Rick recognizes Ilsa it is obvious that the song is linked to a romantic history between them.
Later that night, after the bar has closed, Rick drunkenly stews over having had to face Ilsa again. Rick’s memories of Ilsa spill out in the form of a flashback montage documenting their relationship. Despite the fact that the Nazi occupation of Paris is escalating, Rick and Ilsa’s love life is growing more serious, adding an element of lightheartedness to a serious situation, as well as illustrating how deep Rick’s love for Ilsa runs, as what should be dark times are heavily romanticized in his mind. After agreeing to flee together, with loyal sidekick Sam, Rick waits at a train station in Paris for Ilsa. Sam informs him that there is no sign of her but that she left a note. As Rick reads what is essentially a Dear John letter, we see the note from his point-of-view, amidst a heavy rain the ink begins to run off the paper. I get the distinct impression that some of the drops hitting the page are implied to be Rick’s tears. Sam and Rick escape Paris and relocate to Casablanca, thus ending the flashback and bringing the narrative back to present times. Ilsa returns to the deserted bar to explain her actions, as well as her entire life story to Rick but he is too angry and hurt to hear her out and the conversation ends abruptly.
“Ricky, I'm going to miss you. Apparently you're the only one in Casablanca with less scruples than I.” (Captain Renault, “Casablanca”)
The next morning, Laszlo and Ilsa meet with Strasser and Renault to discuss possible terms of their being able to leave Casablanca. Strasser’s attempts to bribe Laszlo into naming names as to who is involved in the resistance movement fall flat, as do his veiled threats on Laszlo’s life, as killing him would be hard to get away with in unoccupied, essentially neutral territory. Laszlo’s defiant and noble attitude complicate the potential love triangle between him, Ilsa and Rick for the viewer, as Laszlo is so honorable that it is hard to root against him, more-so when Ilsa reveals that she was married to him even when her and Rick were wrapped up in their affair.
The latter-middle portion of the film focuses on Laszlo and Ilsa attempting to get the coveted exit visas from Rick, to little avail. Rick maintains that he is not willing to stick his neck out for anyone politically, though it is evident that his resentment for Ilsa runs so deep that he is indifferent to whether or not they escape Casablanca. One incredibly climactic turning point though, gives us glimpses into Rick’s well-hidden loyalty. As the reveling Nazi troops led by Strasser loudly and obnoxiously sing German propaganda songs, Laszlo instructs the band, with the encouragement of Rick, to drown them out with the French National Anthem. A sort of duel erupts between the Nazis and the far numerically superior allies. Angry about being symbolically defeated, Strasser orders Renault to close Rick’s.
In a last-ditch effort to get the visas from Rick, Ilsa resigns herself to having to sleep with him, but even that fails. Desperate, she pulls a gun on him and demands the papers. When Rick responds by pressing his chest right up to the barrel and telling her that killing him would be doing him a favor, Ilsa finally realizes how badly she hurt him and the depth of their feelings for each other. Rick agrees to help Laszlo get out of Casablanca but declares that he is keeping Ilsa for himself.
The final moments of the film are filled with twists and turns; Rick decides Ilsa should leave with Laszlo rather than stay with him, Renault attempts to prevent them from escaping only to have Rick turn the tables again by holding him at gunpoint and ordering him to call the airport to give clearance for their flight to leave. Instead he calls Strasser’s office and tips him off to the attempted escape. Rick then has another change of heart and convinces Ilsa to leave with Laszlo, realizing that their affair will never be anything more than their temporary fling in Paris. Ilsa seems reluctant, almost disappointed to be leaving with her husband but Rick knows that she is too virtuous to leave him for another man. Strasser arrives just as the plane is leaving and is killed in the ensuing gunfight with Rick.
When Renault’s officers arrive seconds later, his respect for Rick wins out, as he informs the men to “round up the usual suspects,” effectively letting Rick off the hook. It is suggested that the two men both realize their love of country/disdain for the Nazis and plan to leave Casablanca in order to take up the cause, or that they will just move on to their next adventure together realizing that they are perfect for each other as they are both fundamentally flawed people but with a mutual admiration. Unlike the stereotypical old movie ending with the hero riding off into the sunset, two questionable heroes walk off into a foggy mist; almost as if to imply a lack of clarity of their own personalities.
It’s almost a shame that “Casablanca” has so many famous quotes in it, because I think those one-liners tend to overshadow the really clever lengthy dialogue. However, besides that, one of the most memorable aspects of this picture is the sets. The crowded street markets, airport tarmacs and interior shots of Rick’s all convey the claustrophobia and desperation of the desert even though they were all shot on sets.
Also, the complex relationship between Rick and Renault is unintentionally timely in today’s ugly political climate as a nice reminder that our ideological differences should not dictate the company we keep.
