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“Play La Marseillaise. Play it!”
A few weeks ago, I was arguing with a friend about a movie. I was strongly in favor; she was apathetic, to say the least.
Some of you, like my friend, may not be fans. It’s possible you are offended by the many continuity gaffes. Perhaps you can’t get past the clunky, rather claustrophobic, sets. Maybe you’ve never liked Bogart, even in The African Queen. (Gosh. I hope that’s not it. Really.) Possibly, you can’t abide the fact that they used ¾-scale cardboard airplane models in the final airport scene and that they hired a gaggle of midgets in overalls to run around on the tarmac, to make the planes look bigger.
Or perhaps you consider yourself a fashion maven, and you simply despise that absurd flying-saucer hat thing that Ingrid Bergman wears on her visit to the market.
I forgive it all. And more.
Casablanca is my favorite movie of all time.
And it sports the only scene, in the entire world of moviedom, that makes me cry every single time I watch it (probably at least fifty times and counting).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTsg9i6lvqU
There’s no kissing. There are no promises of eternal love in the face of impending death. There’s no sex. There’s no violence. There’s no real action of any sort.
There’s hardly even any dialog. As with much good acting, most of it is done with the eyes.
And so we see first, Captain Renault’s knowing glance up to the balcony where Victor Lazlo stands, outraged, and where Rick is realizing, for the first time I think, that his days as a bystander in this particular fight are over. And as Lazlo stalks down the stairs and over to the musicians and orders them to strike up La Marseillaise in opposition to the Nazis singing of Die Wacht Am Rhein, and Rick permits it, we see Ilsa’s beautiful and troubled face, etched with worry, fear, and pride, as she contemplates the two men she loves in such very different ways.
Yes. It makes me sob every time.
Because, for me, in the simplest way, and without any special effects or action heroes, it’s the story of one man who understands the consequences, because he’s already lived them, standing up for what he believes in, against the odds and in the face of evil.
And, for the people he touches, he changes everything.
Paul Henreid, who played Victor Lazlo in Casablanca, died 25 years ago today, on March 29, 1992.
Published in General
Wow, no, I have not read that–I’ll check it out!
Here is a funny story, sorry to go off-topic. As many know, I work in I/T, and part of my team is in Bangalore India to handle my “night shift”, which is daytime for them. Last year one of them, Bhasker, came to visit. I was showing him around Central Texas and I went by some building… I think it was a church so I’ll say ‘church’… and I said to him, “this is the oldest church in Central Texas, it was built in 18-something.” I looked at him, and, being a typical India gentleman, he didn’t say a word. But written on his face was, “1800’s? We have outhouses older than that in my neighborhood.” I then said that out loud, and he tried not to laugh, but it was too much for him, because it really was exactly what he was thinking.
I remember when I did a tour of Vienna Austria long ago, the tour guide mentioned that Alexander The Great marched on the very street on which we were standing. My knees almost buckled from the weight of the history around me. We really are the New Kids On The Block here in the USA.
Of all the gin joints in all the world why did she have to walk into mine?
There are places I have to go where you can’t be. Things I need to do you can’t be any part of.
I draw a bit of the same from a later scene:
Rick Blaine: “I’m saying it because it’s true. Inside of us, we both know you belong with Victor. You’re part of his work, the thing that keeps him going. If that plane leaves the ground and you’re not with him, you’ll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.”
Not the catchiest quote, but one that sums up the sacrifice Rick is making.
Did Rick really believe Ilsa would regret it? I took it that he said she would in order to prevent her from later regretting not sticking with Rick.
Thus, there are two ways of reading it: 1) He’s sacrificing his happiness for hers; 2) He’s sacrificing his happiness for the success of Lazlo’s mission while trying to keep her happy. I lean toward the latter.
As Bryan hints at, that may be me reading it as a Man’s movie.
Yeah, I’ve never understood how the Star-Spangled Banner is a drinking song. Not that people would repurpose a drinking song for a national anthem (heck, “What Child is This?” was originally a song about a prostitute!) but people can’t sing it while sober!
Thanks for this. For years we watched Casablanca on New Years Eve with the kids. Then machines broke, discs were bad – or worse, in color. and we’ve gotten away from it. I may have to see if we can start this one up again.
I imagine most of the people commenting on this post already know this, but I’ll mention it anyway (I only became aware of it a few years ago even though I’ve seen the film dozens of times). The actor (Conrad Veidt) playing Major Strasser has an interesting backstory. He was strongly anti-Nazi and a fairly major star in the German film industry when Hitler came to power in 1933. He fled Germany, first to Britain and later to the US because he feared for his Jewish wife’s safety. He continued his acting career (almost always playing a Nazi villain once the war started) donating much of his earnings towards the war effort against the Axis. And he played a very convincing Nazi.
Citizen Kane is overrated.
Casablanca deserves its reputation.
Off by, what? Two? Three years? ;)
I read a review, I think in Maxim, that wondered how a film that involved Nazis, gangsters, and Humphrey Bogart, and took place primarily in a bar became known as a chick flick.
I can’t believe there are people who don’t love this movie. For me, it’s the scene when Rick is getting on the train in the rainstorm, and he reads the letter, and throws it down.
In this and the part where he says “Play it! You played it for her, play it for me,” he’s just on the ragged edge of crying. Superb. All of it.
That movie is worth seeing just for the apartment building.
Oh, gag me with a spoon:
‘Casablanca’, The Classic Love Story & Refugee Saga, Takes On New Meaning In Era Of Travel Bans.
“If she can take it, I can.”
Write your review. We are of the same [mind]–he’s one of the few really complex characters and performances in the movies.
@amyschley, funny clips! But “Hail to the Chief ” has GREAT lyrics, so American! I wrote about it not long ago in a post called “Our Song”.
Um, not to quibble, but I think they lost all their colonies, didn’t they? But they are tops when it comes to sinking unarmed ships!!
The Spartans? (I’m reading Paul Rahe’s second book on Sparta).
P.S., I blew the quote.
S/B
Of all the gin joints in all the towns is all the world, why did she have to walk into mine?
In the 80s, Mrs. Smith and I were on a bus tour of Europe (if this is Tuesday, this must be Belgium kind of thing). The tour was supposed to be made up of English-speaking people between 18 and 35: mostly Americans, Canadians, Brits and Aussies, and a few South Africans. On the 4th of July we were in Spain and in a hotel with substantial balconies and the Americans all gathered on one of the balconies to celebrate – along with all our friends. After a few beers the subject turned to national anthems and I don’t remember how it got started, but the Americans sang the Star-Spangled Banner. Not wanting to be rude, we asked the others to sing their national anthems – no one could. The Australians sang Waltzing Matilda which they insisted was their National Anthem (it isn’t, though I didn’t know better at the time and I think they were being sincere).
The original topic was the French.
Yes, I know, my comment was a complete non-sequitor. But at least the Spartans won.
Compare and contrast with that tripe “Pearl Harbor”. In Casablanca, a great war interrupts a romance – self sacrifice and heroism ensues. Rick’s speech on the tarmac sums it all up. PH on the other hand goes almost 180 degrees the other way — wasting such an opportunity. Dori Miller (Cuba Gooding jr) should have been the entire story.
Casablanca, what a movie!!!
She,
Hello there sweet She. I’m sorry I haven’t been attentive and didn’t comment on your excellent post until now. First, what I think makes a great movie is an economy of style. Each scene is so perfectly crafted, expressing the full character development of the central players and important themes of the story, that it is a small masterpiece in and of itself. Often the budget or special effects aren’t that important. If the story is good and the characters are brilliantly presented by talented actors then the movie is an unforgettable classic from the start. Casablanca, High Noon,..etc. are small budget films in which the story is told quickly but with a delightful flair. Each scene is a gem.
This is a great scene from Casablanca. In very short order you get an insight into Rick’s twin frustrations. One with the girl who left him at the train station and two with the world asleep to the threat from the Axis. (Sorry, I can’t seem to get rid of the Greek subtitles. The Greeks must like Casablanca too.)
Regards,
Jim
I just posted a piece on how I’m sure progressives would like to “improve” Casablanca.
One of my favorite quotes goes something like this:
Europeans think 100 miles is a long way. Americans think 100 years is a long time.
I like you
GAH Men have also said this to me. Where did I go wrong.