by Bobby Coles

Created on: August 12, 2008   Last Updated: January 07, 2012

Human sacrifice, most notably when done in the name of love, tears at the heartstrings of any mortal being. In the classic film Casablanca, sacrifice is the most prominent theme depicted throughout the film. Rick and Ilsa's romance is ill-fated, and the sense of unrequited love brings a tear to even a glass eye. When push comes to shove, it seems nearly preposterous that someone could purposefully accept loss of love, yet that is precisely what the protagonist does. Depriving yourself of true love and happiness is not a choice many people would be willing to make, yet Rick, affably played by Humphrey Bogart, chooses this option.

Sacrifice is bittersweet and emotionally suicidal. Sacrifice is often done in a vainglorious attempt at nobility, and is usually done for the right reasons. Anybody who has sacrificed him or herself in any way can relate to the theme of sacrifice in Casablanca. Humphrey Bogart plays Rick Blaine, an American running a hot nightspot in Casablanca. Bogart is a lone wolf unwilling to be caged by the shackles of love, but when his former lover returns with her doting husband, Rick finds himself in occupied territory. With a tearful "Here's looking at you kid"; we understand the sacrifice that is being made.

Allowing love to die or go unrequited is a travesty that can break your heart. Love can be a splintered thing when it hurts, and splendid when it works out properly. Saying goodbye is never easy, and it is always toughest when it is something that you do not particularly want to do. Giving up your own personal happiness for the sake of another is the right thing to do, but the pain inflicted upon your own emotions and soul will scar you for life.

By urging Ilsa to leave with her husband, Rick ensures that he will never have the true love of his life by his side. This supreme self-sacrifice is very noble and touching; yet saddening and maddening as well. Sacrifice is different from giving up, but the end result is the same. Letting Ilsa leave the island is painful, and her husband knows that she truly does not love him the same as she loves Rick. Rick and Ilsa have a passionate love, but Ilsa's vows of marriage keep her from staying.

Rick could also leave the island with his letters of transit, but instead encourages Ilsa to take them and be free. Rick is not only giving up true love, but also a safe and secure voyage back home. This fitfully romantic film leaves the audience wanting true love to be victorious, but instead is left with heartache and sorrow. Pity befalls upon Rick as he watches Ilsa leave, and of all the gin joints in the entire world, why did she have to walk into his and disrupt his life.

Overall, the theme of sacrifice makes the film work, and it is what has allowed it to remain as one of the greatest films of all time. There is a lot of romance hidden behind sacrifice, and we are left wondering if someday true love will reign supreme. The extreme nobility behind watching true love slip through your fingertips will leave you scampering for a box of facial tissues or fretfully trying to rekindle a love removed.

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