Theme of Casablanca

Theme of Casablanca

Sometimes, one needs to give up something they cherish in order for things to turn out for the better. In the movie, Casablanca, this theme is distributed throughout. Each character has many decisions to face. Their reasons and motivations are very interesting and relate to the theme of the movie. Such as choosing between two people, letting go of a loved one, or going against their beliefs.

Ilsa, a woman in the movie, has to choose between two men: Rick, whom she once loved in Paris, and Laszlo, her current husband. At the end of the story, Ilsa wants to stay with Rick, but only out of selfishness. "I don't think anymore. You have to think for the both of us." She says. This shows how she depends on Rick, and does not necessarily love him as she thinks. She uses this trust when listening to his advice about not staying with him in the end. He suggests that she is better off getting on the plane with her husband and she agrees to do so. His suggestion was hard to do, but Rick was smart about his decision.

Rick, despite his feelings towards Ilsa, sends her on the plane. The reason for this is the fact that he has a high regard for Laszlo, and wants what is best for Ilsa. He thinks in a general viewpoint of how the whole thing will turn out in the future. He says, "If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it- maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life." By this, Rick simply proves a new perception. Ilsa needs to forget about him and look at how going with Victor Laszlo will be a better decision in the end. Renault, a Nazi captain, also makes a tough choice. Renault has to face various decisions, one being whether or not to arrest his friend for the shooting of Ugatti Strasser, being an acute offense. Throughout the storyline, he habitually refers to Rick as a "sentimentalist". For example, he says, "Well, Rick, you're not only a sentimentalist, but you've become a patriot." Renault, being Rick's friend, helps him because of this. He ends up not arresting Rick due to his desire to emulate him. This act adds onto the many cases in which people let go of something in this movie.

In conclusion, the people of Casablanca made many sacrifices. Ilsa, undecidedly loving two men at the same time, chose one her least interested her at the time because of the trust she had of Rick. He, on the other hand came close to keeping Ilsa to himself, but had too much respect for Laszlo to do it. Renault, with his passion of sentimentalism, gave up on being a spiteful Nazi, and went with what he felt was good. Generally, all three of these characters make true the theme of sacrificing for the best, and that a key to selflessness.