Casablanca
The movie Casablanca takes place in Northwestern Africa in Vichy-controlled Morocco. A reoccurring theme throughout this movie is one of the hope and despair that seemed to be ever so prevalent in the perilous city of Casablanca. At this point in time the city of Casablanca was the gateway to Lisbon, Portugal, which is where the refugees could finally set off to America. The movie incorporates the political views and hopes of Captain Renault, a Moroccan/French policeman, Rick - an American café owner and Laslo - a Czech refugee.
Captain Renault is a policeman in Casablanca for the Vichy French government. Renault seems to be the passive-aggressive type, never wanting to cause a confrontation; but nevertheless doing what he thinks is right. At first he shows his subservience to the wishes and demands of Major Strasser, a German officer, by shutting down Rick's café for no real reason. Then, when two exit visas are lost by German couriers, and Rick picks the visas up, Renault is at first very concerned that Rick will give them to Laslo and Ilsa. Renault expresses his loyalty to the Vichy French government to Strasser, but he also states that his views will go along with whoever appears to be succeeding at that particular period of time. To show his loyalty, Renault is determined to capture Laslo and deliver him to Strasser. Renualt contacts Rick who will help him, but Rick backstabs Renault. Renault then tries to trick Rick at the airport by alerting Strasser that Laslo is to escape to Lisbon. However, Renault's loyalty is fleeting. He shows his fickle nature in the end because when Rick shoots Strasser, Renault says to round up the usual suspects instead of turning Rick in. Renault seems to be a good example of a person who seems to just go with whoever is currently in control, which goes along with his statement "I blow with the wind."
At the beginning, Rick is a prime example of an isolationist, but in the end he turns out to be a...
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