The flashback explains how Ilsa and Rick were split up which broke Ricks heart and gives a perfect explanation to why optimistic Rick turned into the withdrawn and cynical Rick we see at the beginning. In the flashback we even see that Rick is called Richard which could be associated with his happier side while when he is in Casablanca he is just known as Rick.
(3.)
“Explicit Meaning is the sum of the things that a movie presents on its surface.” (Barsam 318)
“Implicit Meaning is an association, connection, or inference that a viewer makes on the basis of the given (explicit) story and form of a film.” (Barsam 318) Implicit Meaning (paraphrased) – Implicit meaning is basically associated with the idea of “reading between the lines.” To make a simple inference or to compare two characters to something is a type of implicit meaning. Another common type of implicit meaning is themes. Themes are not always made obvious in a film but an observant viewer will pick up on it. The explicit meaning in Casablanca is the representation of WWII and the conflict between Germany and France. Another explicit meaning is simply love and