Ques. 1- Rick and Lazlo can be said to represent two different types of heroism. How would you categorize each one as a hero? What qualities, of any, do they share? How do they most differ from each other? Ans: Rick was a hero of friendship. He had been in a long mourn situation because of Ilsa. He loved Ilsa a lot but she did not accompany her from Paris to Casablanca, which became the reason of mourn for Rick. After some time in the movie, Rick came to know the truth about Ilsa not coming with him from Paris to Casablanca.
Victor needed letter of transit so that he can reach America and continue his revolutionary movement and Rick agreed to give letter of transit to Ilsa on a condition that she will stay with him and only Victor will fly and she agreed because she loved him more than Victor. But in the end Rick asked Ilsa to go along with Victor because he thought that it was right for him and Victor, so that after some time she does not regret her being staying with Rick and not flying with Lazlo who was her husband. In this way, Rick thought of Ilsa and did what a true friend would have done.
Lazlo on the other hand was a patriotic hero. He was a Czech Resistance leader who escaped from a Nazi concentration camp and came to Casablanca to get the letter of transit so that he can go back to America and work for his movement. Rick fought for his country before coming to Casablanca and Lazlo does the same. Both have the feeling of patriotism in them. (National Anthem in the club where Rick nodded the band and Lazlo lead it. ) Lazlo have been shown patriotic throughout the movie while Rick broke when Ilsa was not with him. And also, Rick loved Ilsa more than his country while Lazlo loved his country more.
Ques. 2- Casablanca has become something of a cult film, in part because of the personality of Humphrey Bogart. What is it about Bogart as a performer that makes him interesting? Ans: Humphrey Bogart was perfect for his role. He had all the qualities Casablanca needed. We could see a serious character while in the club, see a romantic and happy character in the Paris scene, we could see love even at the end of the movie both towards the country and Ilsa. Some great lines (“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine”, “Tell me, who was it you left me for?
Was it Lazlo, or were there others in between? Or… aren’t you the kind that tells? ”) in the movie caught attention and the way he expressed those lines was a reason for his appraisal. He played real and had the quality to perfectly represent him towards the camera. Ques. 3- The story in Casablanca takes place in two worlds, Paris and Casablanca. How are these worlds compared and contrasted in the film? Ans: Paris is resembled as a place of love and romance, while Casablanca a place of conflicts, war corruption and fight.
Casablanca was a place of hatred; Rick was seen mourning throughout the movie because of hatred towards Ilsa. While, at the other hand when everything was clear between Rick and Ilsa, they remembered their Paris days and even at the end of the movie when Ilsa was flying Rick said that “We’ll always have Paris. We didn’t have it before… we’d… we’d lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night” which again shows the resemblance of Paris, a sign of love forever. Ques. 4- Why is Casablanca considered a great film (a classic)? Discuss.
Ans: Casablanca casts a hardboiled male actor and beautiful demure heroine which make it a paradigmatic film from Hollywood’s golden era. It is thrilling on the first view, and so richly textured which makes viewer to watch again and again. The story represents a great love story with suspense at the end. The movie is clearly a metaphor for American involvement in World War-II. Michael Curtiz plotted and directed the movie at his best for which he even won the Best Director Oscar. As time is passing by, it still does not show a sign of diminishing.
