Love and Responsibility

Casablanca

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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

Character Design

Casablanca 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

Casablanca Obstacle Design

Plot Breakdown