My interpretations from Casablanca by Victoria Culp

Casablanca was always a film I had on my “I’ll do it later” list.  I truly am grateful that I finally had a little pressure to sit down and watch the film and delve further into the film’s plot, characters, storyline, and etcetera. 

         There is a way that one can connect with all of the characters.  I found it easy to connect with Bogart’s character, Rick.  He seems to keep his own business to himself as one can tell from the beginning of the film.  He appears very closed off.  I first viewed his character as cold and almost rude especially with his line “I stick my neck out for nobody” which as Ebert points out is his “personal code”. 

         Not too long after that scene the viewer discovers that Rick, although he seems to have his flaws, isn’t cold, but closed off.  He buries his issues from the past and opens up to no one. 

         When the viewer discovers his past with Bergman’s character Illsa Lund it is clear that this cold man has a soft spot in his heart. It did not take long for this man to open up to Illsa even though they barely knew each other.  When Illsa leaves him with a inconspicuous note explaining nothing, my heart ached for this hopeless romantic. 

         The Dirks article points out that the film supposedly represents over 35 different nationalities at some point.  The town of Casablanca is labeled as a location for those who are “in limbo”: trying to escape from their old homes in Europe where the turmoil of World War two has struck and awaiting papers to go to America.  I sort of put these two facts in my head and thought for a while.  Could Casablanca represent a waiting room between a metaphorical “heaven” and “hell”?  Being raised in a Christian environment, I always find instances in literature that allude to Heaven, hell, and the limbo in between.  There are some in the community who claim to be “stuck” in Casablanca.  These people represent souls who are lost and trying to find their final destination.  Then there are the characters like Rick who claims to not mind it in Casablanca, but is he just not admitting his desperation to get out? 

         In the ending, Ebert points out the alternate way things could have ended.  Illsa could have stayed behind with Rick while Victor flew away to America.  This ending, though it could have made some viewers happy, does not work in Rick’s favor.  Viewers are shown some of his redeeming qualities.  No longer is Rick the character who “sticks his neck out for nobody”, but a selfless noble man who gave up love for the greater good.  This is a sacrifice some of us are faced with (realism) though this situation Rick is faced with does not happen to the common man in everyday life (formalism).  Despite some viewers’ guesses of what our main character will decide, Rick surprises and at the same time saddens us with his decision to be the bigger man.