Love Wins Out Over War in "Casablanca"© David Macdonald
Aug 28, 2000
Casablanca is hailed as one of the most beloved romances of all time. So it`s a real shame, for me, apparently, that I never was able to view this film until my twenty-third year - I had missed out on this cultural milestone. But now I can say that I am finally in on what everybody else already knows about. This doesn`t mean that I`m suddenly enamoured of this picture, or that it has become my favourite movie. I`ve understood over time that I don`t warm up to these universal classics as well as others might. It took me a few views to truly appreciate Vertigo. I really did not love Gone with the Wind very much at all. And my experience with this movie is that it began slowly and rather confusingly for me, but picked up greatly once the full force of the central love story was utilized.
Everybody surely knows at least a part or a slight outline of the story. In Casablanca, a city in France-occupied Morocco in World War II, many people use this port as a place of transit between the horrors of Nazi-occupied Europe and the freedom of America, and hope to get the proper papers to achieve that goal. Yet, in a lot of cases, numbers of people are stuck in this corrupt town, corrupt because it is a town filled with opportunists. Many people seeking freedom are forced to buy their desired fate to others quite willing to profit from the misfortunes of others. And the officials, including Captain Louis (Claude Rains) are not exactly the most noble and ethical of people, especially since they willingly suck up to the Germans. To pass the time, many of these unfortunate souls convene frequently at Rick`s Café American, run by a man (Humphrey Bogart) who, at first impression, seems to only care about running a money-making joint, and who does not seem to care about the fates of others, including that of a man (Peter Lorre) accused of murdering German officials and stealing letters of transit useful to those seeking freedom. Rick appears to be a loner, who won`t stick out his neck for anyone, and who does not reveal his politics, if he indeed has any. But there are a few cracks in Rick`s armour. Something happened in Africa in which he was heavily involved. And the re-appearance of a certain woman brings back a flood of memories Rick would rather not deal with.
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