Exploring the Appeal of the Movie, Casablanca

Michael Curtis' film Casablanca, one of the best films of all time, was marketed to be a deep and impressive love film. Was Casablanca really a love movie? Casablanca wasn't just a love movie. Considered as a war-era masterpiece, the film was also full of many political symbols. In the first scenes, the person who was chased by the police for missing documents, was shot in front of the poster of Marshal Philippe Pétain, the head of the so-called Vichy France government established during the German invasion of France. The fact that the film is clearly opposed to Nazism, with the presence of the cross of Lorraine, the symbol of the resistance organization it established, and the fact that Marshal Pétain's attempt to change the concepts that the French flag symbolizes, as well as drawing attention to the writing on the wall “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” at the entrance of the police station. So we can say that Casablanca represents a strong perspective against Nazism.

In a region independent from Europe and the United States, Rick Blaine represented his own country, the United States, with a completely apolitical outlook with his cafe. The cafe, shortly known as “Rick’s” had a multi-national image with its clients of all kinds and opinions just like its country. Rick's words, “I would not put myself at risk for anyone” were perfectly acceptable to America's neutrality. Victor Lazzio, who dreamed of a free France and entered into dangerous duties for this cause, represented victory as his name implies. The ideal of free France, independent of Nazi Germany he was advocating, was described as a “victory'. Ilsa, on the other hand, was representing Europe who could not forget her dreams and expectation of victory even though she entered close relations with America in a desperate moment. At that point America should understand that Europe must exist independently of it, with its own beliefs. This would only be possible if the United States was involved in the war for the benefit of Free France, that is, Rick used the paperwork he had for Ilsa and Victor's escape. The Free French Movement’s, Victor’s, thanks to the United States, Rick, was 'Welcome to the war. This time our party will win”was hidden in his sentences. Western imperialism, which claims to be scarce in resources, has started a direct colonialist movement with the aim of increasing the capital of the bourgeoisie by plundering the underground and surface riches in every corner of the earth, enslaving the peoples and taking the mercantilist mentality one step further. This movement deprived of dignity, which has been engraved as a black mark on the history of humanity and has no other example in history, has resulted in the plundering of the earth by a handful of Europeans. Hollywood, which serves as the discovery arm of today's imperialism, continues to follow the same line through characters such as Indiana Jones. It is clear that the 'invisible hand' theory invented by Adam Smith, one of the theoreticians of bourgeois economics, pursues his own interests to break apart peoples by using the assumption that the selfish movements, if not a conscious intervention, will contribute to progress and social welfare. It was clearly understood in the movie. I believe Casablanca's lack of Jewish genocide and Soviet resistance is a serious shortcoming.

The most impressive moment of the film is the scene in which Sam plays ’As time goes by’ to Ilsa. Sam is hesitant and knows that nothing can ever be the same. He knows Rick will hear it, but he can't stand Ilsa's insistence and starts playing the track. In this hearty, touching and glorious scene where we can feel the love, longing and despair because of the wonderfully beautiful Ingrid Bergman, it is impossible not to break a part of you. I don't think there are any people in the atmosphere of the film who do not fill their eyes while listening to this song. Regardless of the viewer’s perspective, Casablanca is a masterpiece that deserves all the positive reviews about it. Considering the financial impossibilities of the period, I think that its success will be better understood. With the magic of black and white tones, successful light usage, visual atmosphere and great acting, Casablanca will always be among the most popular films. I think that it is a great achievement that it is an excellent propaganda product appealing to both the American and European public, and even over time, this aspect is thrown back and marketed with a love film label.