Casablanca

Casablanca is a 1946 film directed by Michael Curtiz. Although the subject seems to be a love story between a man who manages a bar, his ex-lover and her husband, it actually tells about people who fight against racism, the Nazis and people who do not give up on their ideals.

Rick is a character who appears very selfish, cold and distant from the outside, and says that he acts only with his own interests in mind. Ilsa is a very beautiful, proud and loyal woman to her husband Victor. Victor, on the other hand, is a man who is extremely devoted to his ideals, is an enemy of the Nazis and defends free France, and is in love with his wife.

In the scene where Rick sees Ilsa at the beginning of the movie, we understand that something happened between them in the past. After Victor secretly marries Ilsa, he is captured by the Nazis and taken to a concentration camp. Ilsa thinks her husband is dead. She meets Rick and falls in love with him, and they spend wonderful days together in Paris. Then she finds out that her husband is not dead and leaves Rick. Rick does not know whether Ilsa was previously married or why she left him. He learns about these later. He respects Victor very much. At the end of the movie, he puts Ilsa and Victor on the plane and stays in Casablanca, because he thinks ideals are more important than his own love.

Casablanca is a film full of political metaphors. In the movie, Rick actually represents America. Rick playing chess alone shows the power of America. Although he has a self-interested and neutral attitude at the beginning of the movie, at the end of the movie he shows his side by helping other characters and stands against the Nazis. Victor is the representation of France and his name means victory. Ilsa represents Europe, ideals cannot be realized without the help of America. Although the movie seems like a love movie, it is actually a very political movie.

The best thing about the movie is that all three leading characters have their own merits. While watching the movie, we cannot take anyone's side. Finally, I would like to end the article with the message of the movie. There is something more important than love in this world: ideals.