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Casablanca
The Epstein brothers created Casablanca, a romantic adventure, like no other of
its time. There are few movies that are loved by men and women alike.
Casablanca is one such movie. It successfully combines action, adventure, love
and romance into a film loved by all.
What makes this film a favorite of women? Lets take a closer look at the film
and find out. Casablanca is set in the exotic land of Morocco where refuges
wait for passage to America, the Promised Land. In a popular American café,
Rick, the café owner, hides from the memories of a lost love. Rick is a
mysterious, masculine hero who hides behind a hard outer shell but is really
thoughtful and unpredictable. Rick soon runs into the girl he loves, Ilsa. Ilsa
Lund is a beautiful woman who is torn between two lovers. Thus begins the
tender love story that women cannot turn away from.
Ilsa comes into Rick’s club with her husband Victor Laszlo, a Czech freedom
fighter wanted by the Germans. From the beginning, women love Rick far more
than they love Victor because of his mysterious masculinity. Victor Laszlo is a
hero yet, not nearly as loveable as Rick. Rick holds the only two letters of
transit that can guarantee Victor and Ilsa’s escape. We are left wondering and
waiting to see if Rick will do the right thing and give Ilsa the papers.
Another important part of the movie that women love is the music. The song “As
Time Goes By” is the song that belongs to the true lovers and is played over
and over by Rick’s devoted friend, Sam. Women enjoy the lasting relationship
between Sam and Rick and the compassion of Sam for both Rick and Ilsa.
When Rick is forced with the decision of what to do with the letters of transit
Rick speaks with Ilsa and Ilsa asks Rick to think for both of them and make the
decision. In the end, Rick sacrifices himself for the happiness of Ilsa and
Victor as well as the war against Germany. He risks his own life for others
even though he is quoted as saying, “I stick my neck out for nobody” and, “I’m
the only cause I’m interested in.” This is an endearing quality. Women want to
be Ilsa, and dream of loving a man like Rick.
Now to try and find out why such a romantic love story is a favorite of men.
Men like action, adventure, corruption and sexy intrigue. The movie is filmed
at a time of war. The main character is a cool and collected, suave owner of a
Casablanca café. The café offers what every man dreams of: gambling, drinking,
smoking, good music and beautiful women.
Men love Ilsa for her sexy yet innocent appeal. She is a very emotional
character and offsets Rick’s stone-face. Ilsa is the perfect woman, a damsel in
distress to be saved by the hero. Yet, she does not get in the way of the
action and aggression of the film.
There is action and adventure in almost every scene. The action begins with
Ugarte when he is captured for killing the Germans to steal the letters of
transit. There is male interest with the corruption of Captain Louis Renault.
There is even action in the flashback scene when the Germans invade Paris.
Action continues with the fight between Yvonne’s new German boyfriend and the
Frenchman at the bar and is broken up by Rick in his tough-guy fashion. Men
even enjoy the fight for who can out-sing the other in the battle of the
anthems. There is action all the way to the final scenes when Major Strasser is
murdered at the airport.
Casablanca is a tale that is loved for its appeal to men and women alike. It
has all of the necessary ingredients, action, adventure, romance and mystery.
It is a film that people will watch again and again and enjoy it each and every