Casablanca Film Analysis

The year was 1942, and Eastern nations were at war with each other, trying to keep Germany out of their beloved countries. America, however, stood at the side, with a neutrality proclamation clear in mind. Even with official neutrality, America started to lean towards helping the countries defend off Germany, ultimately fighting for basic human rights. Casablanca showcases a lone American, Rick, stuck in Casablanca, a French province at the time. The film was appealing to Americans, especially at the time of the war, because they were able to see a character that embodied the American spirit fighting through his spoken neutrality, into eventually giving in to the freedom cause. It was an instant hit in the box office, as the movie had casted …show more content…
Early on, there was trouble brewing on the set, as the main writers of the script, the Epstein brothers, left to go work on another project. Warner Brothers then had Howard Koch write the script, but his work was soon discarded when the Epstein brothers unexpectedly returned. Even then, the writing was not finished at the start of filming. Furthermore, Ilsa, the leading lady of the film, did not know what man she was going to end up with, thus producing a truly neutral acting job with her two lovers. While the writing of Casablanca was hectic, nearly everything else at the time was, too. With countries battling for freedom, and America keeping its isolation, people found comfort in movies, especially those they could relate to. In Michael Curtiz’s 1942 film Casablanca, he uses the harsh realities of war time to reinforce the idea of one giving up personal wants for a much larger cause, such as the war. While the element of romance in the film is evident between Ilsa and Rick, we see the growth of Rick’s character as a much more striking element, as he goes from completely neutral to being against the …show more content…
Due to a failed love attempt in the past, Rick, often seen as a cynic, repeatedly tells himself he is neutral in all aspects in the war because he tries not to have feelings. However, it is known that Rick actually does help those who need it, and his cafe is open to all, thus showing the true spirit of wartime, especially for a so-called neutral American. Rick puts on a hardened exterior, which comes off as rather harsh and pessimistic, towards the people of Casablanca. This works particularly well for him in a place such as Casablanca, with people of all different opinions; not having an opinion is a cause for no problems, and being liked by all, especially for Rick. However, he wasn’t always so cynical, and the influx of pessimism came after the war started. At the start of the war, Rick had to get out of Paris, and Ilsa did not follow him in an action Rick associates with distrust. Kellman recognizes that “the collapse of that idyll propels Rick to Casablanca and a thorough distrust of all sentiment” (Kellman 107). After