CQ,+Nana+Park

Thematic Elements Viewing Questions

Film Facts: List the main characters and write a short description about each one.

Rick Blaine - The owner of Rick’s Café Americain. He turns down drinks from customers and seems careless about the war. In the beginning of the film, he declines a entry of a member of a Deutsche Bank to a private back room, even though he allows to others. This is a hint that he still has some compassion with the allies. From the beginning of the film, he is mysterious and sophisticated. When he sees his lover, Ilsa, again the past feeling arouses again. He heroically helps Ilsa and Laszlo to escape to America. However, in the film, he does not return to America. Through out the movie we get to know about Rick’s complicated life. However we don’t know why he can’t return to America.

Ilsa Lund - She has a complicated love relationship. In the film, she claims her love to Victor and Rick.

Victor Laszlo - He is married to Ilsa. He asserts to understand the relationship Ilsa had with Rick. He is handsome, direct, and a good man. He willingly scarifies himself for Ilsa to escape.

Captain Louis Renault - Rick and him become friend at the end. He becomes a self-sacrificing idealists by helping Victor and Ilsa escape to America.

What is the central conflict? Even though the main conflict seems to be Ilsa and Victor escaping to America, the central conflict of the story is relationship between Ilsa and Rick. Ilsa and Rick were once passionate lovers. Ilsa left Rick in Paris but however she returns to him for a help. Rick troubles over love and justice. He chooses justice to save his lover by helping her and her husband, Victor, to escape to America.

Describe the setting (both time and place) of the film. The setting of the film is during the World War II. And the place of the film is at Casablanca.

What is the general mood of the film? Be detailed! The general mood of the film is tensed because most people in Casablanca have mainly one purpose, to get the exit visa. From the beginning of the film, soldiers were capturing people with illegal visa. The people in café create an invisible tension of atmosphere. For example, later in the film, a group of soldiers sing their national anthem and other group of people started singing their own anthem too. The mood is very tensed since it was during World War II. You don’t really know what is really going to happen during that time of period.

Briefly summarize the plot. During World War II in Casablanca the main character Rick Blaine, the ex-freedom fighter, runs a Café Americain. He was once passionately in love with Ilsa Lund, a beautiful lady, in Paris. He proposed to her and promised to meet her in the train station. But she does not show up leaving only a letter. Back in the café, Rick meets Ilsa again with her husband, Victor Laszlo. Ilsa and her husband ask help to Rick because they wants to escape to America. Eventually Rick helps them.

From whose point of view is the story told? The story is told in Rick’s point of view because when Ilsa left him, Rick had no idea why she left as we did.

What was the structure of the film? In the beginning of the film a narrator outlines general background. Rick’s point of view is told and also flashback is used.

Theme and Focus: What is the film’s primary focus: plot, mood, character, style, or ideas? Answer one of these questions:

Plot- summarize the action abstractly in a single sentence or short paragraph The film’s primary focus is plot because the setting of WW II and the complexity of love relationship add depth into the film. For example if Ilsa left Rick on the train station on any random and insignificant day, what importance can it mean. Since he heard German approaching Paris, he made an early decision to propose to her and it messed up her mind resulting her disappearance. So, plot is the primary focus of the film because the portrayal of relationship would not be so much dramatic and meaningful as one emphasized in the film.

Identifying the Theme: What was the primary aim of the film? Give reasons. providing insights into human nature creating a moral riddle to ponder exemplifying the struggle for human dignity exploring human relationships

The primary aim of the film is exploring human relationships. In the film it is easy to see how people stabbed each other’s back. The war, where a lot of stabbing back occurs, could be viewed as relationships of human, allied countries fighting another allied countries. The war is a fight between groups of people who are in relation in any shape or form. And also the relationship of love is another human relationship. Ilsa left Rick with only a letter without any more farther explanation. On the base level, human relationships are the basic core that creates stories. So, the primary aim of the film is human relationship because it caused everything in the film.

Which items could be secondary aims? Explain your answer. The secondary aim of the film is providing insights into human nature. Rick distresses between love and righteousness. Even though he has every reason to not help Victor he helps him and Ilsa to escape. He chooses human righteousness over love. His decision provide understanding of human nature that one could challenge human’s strongest emotion and do the right thing.

Evaluating the Theme: Is the film’s basic appeal to the intellect, to the funny bone, to the moral sense, or the aesthetic sense? Is it aimed at the erotic sense, the viscera (blood and guts), the heart, the yellow streak down the back, or simply the eyes? Support with evidence from the film. The film’s basic appeal is to the moral sense because the main character stumbles over love and righteousness; eventually, he chooses righteousness. It aims for the heart because it is an romantic film that touches the audiences’ emotion. The story of love triangle between Rick, Ilsa and Victor simply aims for the audiences heart.

How well does your statement of the film’s theme and focus stand up after you have thoroughly analyzed all the elements of the film? The statement of the film’s theme and focus stand up well after I have thoroughly analyzed all the elements of the film. The analysis helped me to comprehend the movie because I had think twice in order to answer the questions.

To what degree is the film’s theme universal? I agree that this film is universal because the the theme of the film romance. Romance is an universal topic that is apparent every where. For example the movie, The Notebook, Notting Hill, and Beauty and the Beast all deals with love.

Is the theme relevant to your own experience? This theme will be relevant to my own experience when I grow up.

If you think the film makes a significant statement, why is it significant? The film is making a significant statement that love can exist in the harsh war and some has to make generous decision to help other despite the fact that they have to ignore their own feelings.

Decide whether the film’s theme is intellectually or philosophically interesting or self-evident and boring. Defend your decision. The film’s theme is intellectually interesting because the setting of the film gave an great impact to the film itself. Through the film, it helped me to understand the general mood

of WWII and its impact on people. I got to understand how people escaped to America. The film was not only touchy but also some what educational.

Does the film have the potential to become a classic? Will this film be viewed watching it twenty years from today? Why? This film is already considered as the classic and it will be viewed watching it twenty years from today because even though I had hard time understanding the movie after analyzing some theme and facts I appreciated the fact that I had chance to watch this film.

Reflection: Who was your favorite character and why? My favorite character is Sam because even though he did not have the most significant role his beautiful voice just simply attracted my whole attention.

Who was your least favorite character and why? My least favorite character was Ilsa because I disliked the fact that she, even though she was deeply in love, played with two men at the same time. She just doesn’t appeal to me.

What was your favorite part of the movie? My favorite part was when Rick and Captain Louis Renault were walking in the airport. The ending of the movie was somewhat peaceful and sentimental. I liked how the film ended.

What was your least favorite part? My least favorite part of the film was when soldiers killed one guy with a illegal visa in the very beginning of the film. I don’t like to see violence in the films because it makes me feel bad about the victim.

Did you learn anything from the movie? What was it? I learned general mood and background of WWII. I did not really have interest in history however this film helped me to understand the basic outline of WWII.