Casablanca analysis
The ending scene of Casablanca, begins with Rick Blaine, Victor Laszlo, Ilsa Lund and Captain
Renault arriving at the airport to supposedly send Victor Laszlo off to Lisbon, Portugal. Rick
Blaine meanwhile plans to send Ilsa off with her husband. The night before Ilsa had confronted
Rick in his deserted cafe about the letters of transit and tries to force him at gunpoint to give them to her, but gives up saying she’s unable to due to her still loving him. She explains why she left him without explanation which was because she felt she had to tend to her ill husband who she had believed to have died escaping from a concentration camp. Rick agrees to help leading her believe she will stay with him when Laszlo leaves. Laszlo shows up after narrowing escaping a police raid, and tries to persuade Rick to use the letters to take Ilsa to safety. When
Renault arrives with an arrest warrant, Rick convinces him to release Laszlo by promising to set him up for the more serious crime of being in possession of the letters of transit. Rick then forces him at gunpoint to assist in their escape. Upon arrival to the airport, Rick doesn’t give Ilsa much of a choice to either board the plane with Laszlo or stay with him believing that she would regret it and that she needs to help Laszlo with his work. This choice is set up as her either sacrificing her love with Rick & leaving to be honorable for staying in her marriage or staying with him for uncertain future. The former option is emotionally satisfying as an end to their relationship as it’s filled with honor, grace and dignity. It’s the ultimate resolution to their dilemma after having the perfect affair in Paris and then their bad timed reunion. Ilsa’s “choice” at the end of the film is not a matter of right or wrong. Whether or not Ilsa chooses to stay in her marriage should not be a matter of it being the right or wrong choice, rather it’s her own personal decision whether or not
to
Renault arriving at the airport to supposedly send Victor Laszlo off to Lisbon, Portugal. Rick
Blaine meanwhile plans to send Ilsa off with her husband. The night before Ilsa had confronted
Rick in his deserted cafe about the letters of transit and tries to force him at gunpoint to give them to her, but gives up saying she’s unable to due to her still loving him. She explains why she left him without explanation which was because she felt she had to tend to her ill husband who she had believed to have died escaping from a concentration camp. Rick agrees to help leading her believe she will stay with him when Laszlo leaves. Laszlo shows up after narrowing escaping a police raid, and tries to persuade Rick to use the letters to take Ilsa to safety. When
Renault arrives with an arrest warrant, Rick convinces him to release Laszlo by promising to set him up for the more serious crime of being in possession of the letters of transit. Rick then forces him at gunpoint to assist in their escape. Upon arrival to the airport, Rick doesn’t give Ilsa much of a choice to either board the plane with Laszlo or stay with him believing that she would regret it and that she needs to help Laszlo with his work. This choice is set up as her either sacrificing her love with Rick & leaving to be honorable for staying in her marriage or staying with him for uncertain future. The former option is emotionally satisfying as an end to their relationship as it’s filled with honor, grace and dignity. It’s the ultimate resolution to their dilemma after having the perfect affair in Paris and then their bad timed reunion. Ilsa’s “choice” at the end of the film is not a matter of right or wrong. Whether or not Ilsa chooses to stay in her marriage should not be a matter of it being the right or wrong choice, rather it’s her own personal decision whether or not
to