Question
for Discussion: Do you think that
Casablanca can be considered Propaganda
for American entry into World War II?
Reading: Mintz and Roberts, pp. 18-20, 129-143, 329-339;
Levine and Papasotiriou, pp. 1-5, 13-19;
Quart and Auster, pp. 13-19
Video: Casablanca; DVD: The Studio Style
Writing films reviews
for this class
1. What does Rick Blaine mean when
he says that his personal code is: ``I stick my neck out for nobody"?
2. Do you think Ilsa Lund really loves
her husband Victor Laszlo?
3. What role does the song, "As
Time Goes By," play in the movie? What does the song really mean?
4. Is the relationship between Rick Blaine, Ilsa Lund, and Victor
Laszlo a classic love triangle? Or is this relationship much
more complicated?
5. Do you think Victor Laszlo really loves
his wife, Ilsa Lund? Does Laszlo love the larger cause of fighting
Fascism more than he loves his wife? What does Laszlo mean when he
says: "Apparently you think of me only as the leader of
a cause. Well, I'm also a human being. Yes, I love her that much."
6. What makes Rick Blaine so cynical and
bitter and hard-edged in the early parts of the movie? Why has
he appeared to have given up his fight to stop the Nazis?
7. Why does Ilsa come back to Rick's bar
late at night to explain herself?
8. Do you think that Ilsa has always loved and still loves Rick?
Does she mean it when she says, "If you knew how much I loved
you, how much I still love you"?
9. What does Rick mean when he says: "I'm
not fighting for anything any more except myself. I'm the only cause
I'm interested in "?
10. How do you explain the last scene at the airport. Does Ilsa
still love Rick, and does Rick still love Ilsa?
11. What do you think Rick mean when he keeps
on saying, "Here's looking at you, kid," to Ilsa?
12. What is Rick planning on doing when he says to Ilsa:
"But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow.
What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. Ilsa, I'm no
good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems
of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy
world. Someday you'll understand that. Now, now... Here's looking
at you kid"?
"As
Time Goes By": Words and Lyrics
You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As Time Goes By.
And when two lovers woo
They still say, 'I love you'
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As Time Goes By.
Moonlight and love songs never out
of date.
Hearts full of passion, jealousy and hate.
Woman loves man, and man must have his mate.
That no-one can deny.
It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die.
The world will always welcome lovers as time goes by.
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