Casablanca

1942 American romantic drama starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Story by Murray Burnett and Joan Allison. Screenplay by: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch. Details on IMDB and Wikipedia.

Love and Responsibility

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1          Synopsis
2          Analysis
3          Narrative Structure
4          Character Design
5          Thematic Design
6          Obstacle Design
7          Plot Breakdown

Synopsis

Central Idea

True love cannot compromise values and responsibilities.

Summary

Rick is the owner of a cafe in the transitional town of Casablanca in North Africa during the end of the Second World War. He lives an isolated life and refuses to take sides in the war even though he has a history of fighting against the Nazis. Years ago, Rick was in Paris with a young woman named Ilsa. The two were deeply in love but didn’t know much about each other (they chose to keep it that way). On the eve of the German invasion of Paris, they had planned to leave the city together but Ilsa never showed up. Rick has lived in bitter resentment in Casablanca ever since. One day, Ilsa arrives in Casablanca with Victor Laslo, a leader in of the French Freedom fighters against the Nazis. They are searching for exit visas to escape to America. Rick has the exit visas but refuses to help on account of his painful past with Ilsa. Rick and Ilsa fight over their painful memories and Ilsa finally reveals that Victor Laslo is her husband but she had thought him dead while in Paris. She found out that he was alive prior to her planned escape with Rick and chose to return to Victor and help him with the freedom fighting cause. Ilsa reveals that she is still deeply in love with Rick and leaves her life in Rick’s hands. Rick arranges to escape Casablanca with Ilsa but in the end sends Ilsa off to America with Victor Laslo, sacrificing his chance to be with Ilsa to become a patriot fighting against the Nazis again.

Analysis

ILSA                        But what about us?
RICK                      We’ll always have Paris. We didn’t have, we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night.
ILSA                        When I said I would never leave you.
RICK                      And you never will. But I’ve got a job to do, too. Where I’m going, you can’t follow. What I’ve got to do, you can’t be any part of. Ilsa, I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you’ll understand that.

CASABLANCA is a great film because of the weaving together of the three plots at climax that gives Rick’s final action simultaneous meaning on the personal, interpersonal and social levels. At climax, Rick chooses to give up the chance to be with Ilsa by coming to terms with the civic and patriotic responsibilities in a world in upheaval. The film would have been good enough if it ended with that. But with one more twist it reaches greatness by completing Ricks’ internal journey from bystander to patriot. Rick has tricked Renault into freeing Victor Laslo, but Renault places a last minute call to Strasser, putting Ilsa and Victor’s escape into final jeopardy. Rick shots Strasser to complete the two sub-plots: Victor and Ilsa are guaranteed to escape and Rick has sealed his fate as a patriot. These two sub-plots reach a positive climax as the main love story between Rick and Ilsa plummets to its classic anti-climax. He sacrifices the chance to be with Ilsa to become a true patriot of the world. We are touched by the great story because of what has been won by Rick’s noble sacrifice.

Plot Structure

PLOT TYPE	PLOT	CENTRAL IDEA	ARC
MAIN	Rick-Ilsa Love	Love cannot last if values and responsibilities are compromised.	Rick is living in isolation and resentment of having been abandoned by Ilsa. They meet and their love is rekindled. Rick sends Ilsa off with her husband for the greater good.
SUB-PLOT	Ilsa-Victor Escape	Civic responsibility is empowered by personal love.	Will Victor Laslo and Ilsa escape Casablaca to help the Allies win the war?
SUB-PLOT	Rick-Renault Rick Patriot	Rick’s relationship to the war effort.	Rick goes from only watching out for himself to becoming a patriot against the Nazis.

Character Design

RICK
Desire: To be independent.
Secret Desire: To make a difference.
Fear: Giving someone the chance to hurt him.
Traits: Self-sufficient, strong, socio-political savvy, sensitive
ILSA
Desire: To be inspired.
Secret Desire: To be in love.
Fear: To not make a difference.
Traits: Strong, capable

Themes

1) Love is hope through dark times.

2) Responsibility is what gives a person’s life its value (civic, moral, ethical).

Obstacle Design

Plot Breakdown

	PLOT	ACTION < REVELATION > PAYOFF ? GAP OF EXPECTATION	VALUE (+) pos (-) neg	CHARACTER
1	Ilsa-Victor	Exposition of state of war and refugee path through Casablanca. State of city in transit. < refugees	(-)
2	Ilsa-Victor INCITING INCIDENT	Exposition of murdered German couriers.	(+)
3	Ilsa-Victor	Usual suspects being rounded up. Exposition from couple waiting for visa and pickpocket. < freedom fighter symbol	(-) Safety
4	Ilsa-Victor	Renault welcomes Strasser to Casablanca.	(-)	Renault sucks up to Strasser.
5	Rick-Ilsa	Exposition setting scene at Ricks. Rick denies German banker entry to gambling. < black market bartering		Rick doesn’t drink with clients. Rick personally declining access to German client.
6	Rick-Renault INCITING INCIDENT 10 min	Rick hides the exit visas from Ugarte. < exit visas	(+)	Rick gives cold shoulder to Ugarte. But accepts package.
7	Rick-Ilsa	Exposition Rick denies business w/ Ferrari. < refuses to sell		Sam stands up for Rick. Rick gives cold shoulder to Yvonne. Rick sends Yvonne home.
8	Rick-Renault	Renault warns Rick not to help Laslo. < wager about Laslo’s escape < Laslo traveling with lady	(-)	Renault and Rick share moment about women and their status in Casablanca. Renault gesture of friendship to Rick.
9	Ilsa-Victor	Strasser arrives at Rick’s. Renault arrests Ugarte in front of Strasser.	(-)
10	Rick-Renault	Rick refuses to help Ugarte.	(-)	Rick sticks his neck out for no man.
11	Rick-Renault	Strasser warns Rick not to interfere. Rick assures Strasser he doesn’t care.	(-)	Rick can understand point of view of the hunter.
12	Rick-Ilsa INCITING INCIDENT 25 min	Ilsa arrives at Rick’s.	(+)
13	Ilsa-Victor	Renault and Strasser force Victor to go to police station.	(-)
14	Ilsa-Victor	Berger informs Victor.	(+)
15	Ilsa-Victor	Renault breakups up Victor and Berger.	(-)
16	Rick-Ilsa	Ilsa asks Sam to play old song.	(+)	Sam tries to lie to Ilsa for Rick’s sake.
17	Rick-Ilsa	Rick berates Sam for playing song.	(-)
18	Rick-Ilsa	Renault introduces Rick to Ilsa. Rick and Ilsa talk about the last time they met.	(+)	Renault tries to sell Rick. Rick joins them for a drink. Renault is surprised at Rick’s humanity in front of Ilsa.
19	Rick-Ilsa	Victor takes Ilsa to leave.	(-)
20	Rick-Ilsa	Rick picks up the bill.	(+)
21	Ilsa-Victor	Renault sees them off, puts a tail on them.	(-)	Victor asks about Rick.
22	Rick-Ilsa	Rick waits for Ilsa.	(+)
23	Rick-Ilsa	FLASHBACK Rick and Ilsa in love in Paris. < Ilsa’s dead husband < a “no questions” relationship	(+)
24	Rick-Ilsa	FLASHBACK Ilsa abandons Rick at train station.	(-)	Sam ushers Rick onto train.
25	Rick-Ilsa	Ilsa visits Rick is told off by Rick and leaves.	(-)	Ilsa tries to explain. Rick calls her a whore. Rick cries after Ilsa leaves.
26	Ilsa-Victor	Strasser asks Renault to search Rick’s.	(-)
27	Ilsa-Victor	Strasser threatens Victor to rat on other leaders. Victor refuses with passion.	(-)
28	Ilsa-Victor	Strasser threatens Victor with Ugarte’s death.	(-)
29	Rick-Renault	Rick visits Ferrari to give Renault a chance to ransack Rick’s. Rick refuses to partner with Ferrari over letters of transit. < Jan / Annina looking for visa	(+)
30	Rick-Ilsa TURNING POINT	Rick apologies to Ilsa. Ilsa tries to say goodbye. Rick propositions Ilsa. Ilsa says she never loved him.	(-)	Merchant tries to sell Rick to Ilsa.
31	Ilsa-Victor	Victor approaches Ferrari for help. Ferrari points toward Rick for Ugarte’s visas.	(+)	Ilsa refuses to leave Victor by getting her own exit visa.
32		Exposition: pickpocket finds another prey at Rick’s. Humor.
33	Rick-Renault	Renault apologizes for ransacking Rick’s. < the police didn’t find the papers	(+)	Friendship.
34	Rick-Renault	Renault admits to Strasser that he has no conviction about which side of war.	(+)	Renault honest in his immorality.
35	Ilsa-Victor	Strasser hints to Renault that they should kill Victor.	(-)
36		Exposition: Carl celebrates with Jewish 37couple. Humor.
37	Rick-Ilsa	Rick refuses to help Annina.	(-)
38	Rick-Ilsa	Ilsa and Victor arrive at Rick’s.	(+)
39	Rick-Ilsa Rick-Renault	Rick helps Jan and Annina win money. Renault suspects Rick of being a sentamentalist.	(+)	Rick says it’s a gesture to love. Renault warns Rick not to do it again, but does not go further.
40	Ilsa-Victor	Victor offers money for visas. Rick refuses.	(-)	Rick tells him to ask his wife.
41	Rick-Ilsa	Rick refuses to help Victor and Ilsa.	(-)
42	Ilsa-Victor	Victor asks the orchestra to play “Le Marsailles” against the Germans singing.	(+)
43	Rick-Renault TURNING POINT	Rick agrees to let them play.	(+) (+)
44	Ilsa-Victor	Strasser tells Renault to close Rick’s.	(-)
45	Rick-Renault	Renault closes down Rick’s.	(-)
46	Ilsa-Victor	Strasser threatens Ilsa with Victor’s death.	(-)
47	Ilsa-Victor	Victor risks his life to attend a meeting. Victor tells Ilsa of Rick’s refusal. Victor asks Ilsa about Paris but then takes it back.	(-)	Victor rests in his trust of Ilsa.
48	Rick-Ilsa	Rick keeps everyone on salary.	(+)	Rick keeps everyone on salary.
49	Ilsa-Victor	Ilsa begs and threatens Rick to help the cause. Rick refuses.	(-)	It used to be Rick’s cause too.
50	Rick-Ilsa TURNING POINT	Ilsa admits her love.	(+)
51	Rick-Ilsa	Ilsa tells Rick the truth of what happened. Ilsa tells Rick she will stay with him.	(+)
52	Ilsa-Victor	Ilsa asks him to help Victor escape alone.	(-)
53	Rick-Renault	Victor asks why Rick doesn’t help cause.	(+)
54	Ilsa-Victor	Victor asks Rick to help Ilsa escape.	(-)
55	Ilsa-Victor TURNING POINT	The officers arrest Victor.	(-)
56	Rick-Renault Ilsa-Victor	Rick asks Renault to release Victor so Rick can help him with a better charge. Rick tells Renault to arrest Victor at his café.	(-) (-)
57	Rick-Ilsa Ilsa-Victor Rick-Renault	Rick tells Renault he will leave with Ilsa.	(+) (-) (-)
58	Rick-Ilsa	Rick sells café to Ferrari.	(+)	Rick tells Ferrari to take care of staff.
59	Rick-Renault Ilsa-Victor	Renault comes to café for Victor’s arrest.	(-) (-)
60	Ilsa-Victor Rick-Renault	Renault arrests Ilsa and Victor at Rick’s.	(-) (-)
61	Ilsa-Victor TURNING POINT	Rick points a gun at Renault. Rick tells Renault to call the airport.	(+)
62	Ilsa-Victor	Renault calls Strasse.	(-)
63	Rick-Ilsa CLIMAX REVERSAL	Rick tells Renault to fill in Ilsa and Victor’s names.	(-)
64	Rick-Ilsa RESOLUTION	Ilsa confronts Rick. Rick tells him they both have jobs to do. He will always love her.	(-/+)	Rick says he will always have their love.
65	Ilsa-Victor	Rick tells Victor that Ilsa’s love is for Victor.	(+)
66	Ilsa-Victor	Ilsa and Victor leave to plane.	(+)
67	Rick-Renault	Renault calls Rick a sentamentalist.	(+)
68	Rick-Renault	Strasser threatens to call off flight.	(-)
69	Rick-Renault CLIMAX Ilsa-Victor CLIMAX	Rick shoots Strasser.	(+)
70	Rick-Renault RESOLUTION	Renault doesn’t arrest Rick. Calls him a patriot.	(+)