A Classic beyond Classic

Casablanca - THE Classic

I am so happy that I've finally gotten the chance to watch Casablanca. I had always heard that it was a classic and there were so many quotes I had heard from it. But for one reason or another I had never gotten around to actually watching the movie. So finally having the chance to see it I was not disappointed. It was really interesting to see the situations that resulted in the quotes I had always heard. While I do not like to watch movies involving World War II aspects, mostly due to frustration, I did not take too kindly to the movie at first, but gradually began to like it more and more. I absolutely love the main characters and how their roles were played.

Going by the four elements of the Film Form, the referential meaning of Casablanca is that a couple in hiding of Nazis is aided by the woman's ex lover, who helps get them on a plane to Lisbon from Casablanca, on their way to America. The explicit meaning is to almost symbolize the entire World War II. Implicitly, the main character, Rick, represents America and the nation's reluctance to join the war at first. Renault represents occupied France and their divided actions of both working with and working against Germany. In the end, Rick finally joins the battle, so to say, and Renault finally decides to aid him instead of working with the Germans. Symptomatic meaning is all about the war. (Although I'm have a hard time really getting the difference between explicit, implicit, and symptomatic down, to be honest...)

There are a few things that were repeated in the movie. The song, As Time Goes By is quite often repeated, though various occasionally by who requests it to be played, when it's being played and whether of not the lyrics are being sung along with the song. Another repetition is Rick's saying to Ilsa, his ex lover, “Here's looking at you, kid.” While the wording never changes, what he means by it does. At first, he's basically saying, “I love you” but later on the meaning changes. Particularly at the end of the movie, Rick says it meaning “I'll miss you”. (These however, are purely objectionable.)