A Stylistic Analysis of Casablanca

Casablanca is a film that is heavily driven by its characters. It is, at first glance, a
powerful love story; to merely call it a love story, however, would be to ignore the
larger ramifications of the actions of its characters. Rick especially is placed in the
middle of not one, but two conflicts: a complicated love triangle, and a global battle
between the Axis and Allied powers. As we see, Rick cannot take part in the latter
without first overcoming his issues with the former. Through various stylistic
elements, Casablanca draws parallels between Rick’s personal struggles with
neutrality and the necessity to take action in the larger context of World War II.
The setting of Casablanca plays a key role in the dichotomy between Rick’s personal
life and a larger societal issue. A town ripe with refugees, Casablanca provides the
perfect backdrop for the struggle of freedom against the newly-empowered Nazi
regime. Rick’s Cafй Americain similarly serves as a microcosm for the events in the
world. The use of “Americain” in the title of Rick’s cafй is significant, in that the
Americain cafй can provide refuge and salvation much in the same way America
could for the conquered French. Like America, however, Rick must first break his
neutrality. The fact that the action takes place in December of 1941, the same month
in which the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor took place, provides a further parallel
between Rick’s and America’s struggles with neutrality.
It is this struggle which drives Rick’s transformation and thus the film as a whole.
Rick is presented as a very mysterious character at the beginning of the film. We hear
his name and some minor details about the man before we actually see him, lending
an aura of isolation to his character; he doesn’t, for example, ever drink with any of
the customers at his bar. At this point in the film, the range and depth of knowledge
are quite narrow and shallow, respectively. We’re not quite sure why Rick is the way
he is, but he states several times that he “doesn’t stick his neck out for nobody!”
Slowly but surely, however, the viewer begins to see that perhaps there is more to
Rick than meets the eye. While he may claim to not risk his well being for others, we
can identify a bit of a leaning to one side or the other. He still offers papers of transit
to refugees, albeit at a price, and at one point prohibits a man from a Deutsch bank
from entering his bar. Rick, however, is almost embarrassed of these actions, refusing
to acknowledge Louis’ claim that deep down, he is a “sentimentalist.” Perhaps most
significant is the fact that Rick had fought twice, both times on the losing side, against
the Nazis. A sense is conveyed to the viewer that Rick was not always as he is now,
and that something had happened to him to change his entire outlook on life. If there
is to be any hope for both Rick as a person as well as Laslo’s struggle against the
Nazis, his character must change back to what he once was.
Ilsa’s entrance, then, acts as the catalyst for Rick’s eventual breaking away from that
impartiality, much as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor would end America’s
stance of neutrality. The role of music in Ilsa’s entrance ought not to be ignored. As
she tells Sam to “play it,” an extremely long take of a close up on her face invites the
audience to ponder the significance of the song. Representing a time that Rick wishes
he could forget, he is rightfully distraught upon hearing it and even more shocked to
see Ilsa.
This leads to the first step in Rick overcoming his neutrality. Alone with Sam in his
bar after hours, Rick tells Sam to “play it!” The fact that this line of dialogue is
repeated is rather significant. When Ilsa says it, we get the sense that she has come to
terms with the results of her relationship with Rick. She may not be proud of what she
had done, but she can at least be reminded of it. Now Rick, too, begins to come to
terms with his heart-break, as he is able to listen to the song while remembering the
time they spent together. The flashback sequence is then used to not only reveal more
information to the audience, but also to represent the first step in a very long and
emotional transformation in Rick’s character.
While Rick is dealing with this conflict by choosing not to deal with it, distinct sides
begin to be drawn in the larger struggle against the Nazi-controlled Morocco. When
contrasted with Victor Laszlo, Rick’s neutrality is all the more apparent. Here is a
man who is clearly committed to his political cause first and everything else second.
Although he appears to love Ilsa, the scenes in which they are together lack passion.
In fact, they do not share a single kiss outside of a few minor pecks on the cheek.
Victor’s passion does become evident, however, in one of the most emotionally
moving scenes in the movie. As the German officers are singing their national
anthem, Victor commands the band to “play it!” A “battle of the anthems” then
ensues, with the French national anthem eventually overpowering the German
anthem. Again, the repetition of the line “play it!” ought to be noted. This time, the
line is said with such conviction and yields such a powerful result as to show what can
be accomplished once a commitment to a cause has been made.
As great a leader as Laszlo appears, he is still heavily dependent on Rick getting him
his papers of transit. Rick’s isolation, then, becomes not merely an issue of remaining
neutral in his romantic affair with Ilsa, but an issue of importance to the anti-Nazi
movement on a whole.
Eventually, Rick cannot remain neutral any longer. Through a passionate scene with
Ilsa, and after some time to reflect, Rick breaks his neutrality by helping Isla and
Lazlo escape Casablanca. For this, he needed the help of Louis Renault, who also
serves an important function in the film. Although his duties as Captain should imply
a compliance with the German officers, we see that Louis too must overcome the
conflict of being on the “wrong side.” Throughout the film, Louis is similar to Rick in
that until the end, he does not take an active stance on matters of importance. For
example, he sees the illegal gamblingat Rick’s, but does little to stop it. In fact, some
comic relief is derived from his acceptance of gambling winnings that he should be
putting a stop to. At a crucial moment, however, he tells the other German officers to
round up the “usual suspects” and thus saves Rick from arrest for murdering Major
Strasser.
By the end of the film, Rick’s transformation is complete. After finally overcoming
his personal demons with Ilsa, Rick breaks his neutrality and proves a great help to
the anti-Nazi movement. An air of uncertainty, however, closes out the film. The use
of heavy fog in the final scene indicates this uncertainty, as Ilsa and Laszlo take off
into an unsure future. And yet despite being shrouded in doubt, the movie ends on a
positive note. Rick has finally chosen a side, and will continue to help in the anti-Nazi
movement. This is indicated in the final, and classic, line of the film: “Louis, I think
this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”