Casablanca notes

How to depict the French as an ally after the disastrous surrender in 1940? Henry Luce’s March of Time—1942 (which we are not watching…you just have to take my word on it) and Casablanca—1943…both released at t time when allied forces were either preparing to attack French territory in North Africa, or were preparing to invade Europe through France.

The March of Time film “The Fighting French,” made at the same time as Casablanca told Americans that there are two versions of France:

1. The Vichy French—pro-Nazi with Petain and Laval in charge
2. The Free French—resisting Nazi terror with De Gaulle as their leader

1940—France, riddled with fascism and defeatism, surrendered and the Vichys took over

Americans often wept at the news. Paris had never fallen in WWI.

But America recognized the new Vichy French government until April 1942.

By the time Casablanca was released, we had broken with Vichy.

The film shows Capt. Renault abandoning Vichy for the Free French side.

FDR disliked de Gaulle (Free French)—saw him aloof and arrogant (which he was), but Americans preferred de Gaulle to Vichy.

Casablanca is one of the most popular films ever made

The setting is French North Africa. Maybe a year after the fall of France, with the Germans and their agents swarming around the city.

When France surrendered, the German Gestapo was allowed to arrest foreigners in France, so foreigners flee. Our main characters: Rick and Ilsa are in love, fighting against the Nazis, but they have to leave. She is supposed to meet him after they get out of France, but she never does. He goes to Casablanca to set up a bar, convinced he’s getting away from the war…and from the woman he loved.

The French government had surrendered to Germany, with French North Africa in Vichy Hands (like Casablanca)

In North Africa, the French rule and collaborate with the Nazis.

Capt. Louis Renault is a French official, who collaborates with them. He pursues women, bribes, and power, and befriends anyone he can use, but is going to convert in the end to the Free French and symbolically pours out a bottle of Vichy water.

The film is a tribute to the underground resistance, to the Free French, and it came out just in time (late 1942) when the Allies took over French North Africa and de Gaulle installed himself as Free French leader despite FDR’s hostility.

Rick is a cynical American club owner, but we find out he is a secret anti-fascist who ran guns to Ethiopia and helped the Spanish Republic

But some French refuse to go along with the Vichys…They are the Free French loyal to General Charles de Gaulle. The Free French movement’s symbol is the Cross of Lorraine.

The café singer in Rick’s club is one woman who is sympathetic to the Free French movement. One famous scene has the Nazis singing the Watch on the Rhine (famous German patriotic song) at the top of their lungs, but then the French singer and the crown drowns them out.

Major Strasser and the Gestapo want to arrest and torture the head of the Czech resistance, Victor Laszlo.

Ilsa (played by Ingrid Bergman) was married to Laszlo, but thought him dead. They were separated by the events of the war. She met Rick in Paris and they had an affair, but then she’s separated from Rick and doesn’t meet him at the train station. We later find out it’s because she got word that her husband was alive.

Interesting image of Laszlo as a refugee…Americans had been ambivalent about them but this film is a plea for helping him.

Ilsa is trying to help Laszlo to get Lisbon so he can flee to America. At the end of Casablanca, Rick finally embraces decent values and decides to help Laszlo and Ilsa escape, though he still loves her.

Rick awakens and begins to help in the resistance again (notice the line in the movie where Rick wonders if “Americans are still sleeping”—direct reference to right before Pearl Harbor when Americans were ignoring to plight of Europe and trying to stay out) Rick is a metaphor for America awakening from its slumber in late 1941. The conversion to love and anti-fascism comes before Pearl Harbor, but it is validated on December 7, 1941.

Rick’s awakening is selfless. Salvation for the refugee couple (Laszlo and Ilsa). Helps get them a flight to the Congo, and de Gaulee, and presumably to America after Pearl Harbor.

Rick finally embraces decent values and decides to help Laszlo and Ilsa escape though he still loves her.

Ilsa—the heroic woman—is a symbol for all the women in war plants and in the auxiliary armed forces. Role models: virtuous, strong.

Sam is also an unusually prominent role for a black actor. Something not seen in most wartime films. Even though he’s Rick’s employee, he talks back to Rick a bit and gives the impression that Rick views him as his equal. What do you think??