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"I'm no good at being noble," Rick tells Ilsa in CASABLANCA. And yet, he makes the ultimate sacrifice. Torn between his feelings for her and his sense of duty, he says goodbye to the only woman he ever loved. Gently, he reminds her, "We'll always have Paris."

Such sentiments were considered quaint and pass at the time. America was still reeling from the financial panic and resulting economic depression of the 1930's. Isolationism, born out of the postwar disillusionment, was a more accurate indicator of American's feelings. Honor and duty were considered 19th century relics that died on the battlefields and in the trenches of France. Many Americans felt that we should take care of "America first".

All that changed when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. Overnight, most Americans rallied to the cause of freedom and liberty. Yet, there were still those who felt we needed to stay out of the European war.

Along came CASABLANCA (1942) to help tip the balance and remind us of what was at stake. Humphrey Bogart plays Rick Blaine, an American bar owner currently displaced in North Africa. He's turned his back on politics. He stays out of arguments. His job is "to run a saloon".

Just as the Japanese thundered into the American fleet, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) re-enters Rick's life. She would remind him of all the things he once stood for. She is married to Victor Laszlo, leader of the underground. The question remained: Would Rick betray the cause just to be with Ilsa?

It was a question not only on the minds of the audience, but the cast as well. The final scenes from the script were undergoing constant revision. Ingrid Bergman, unsure of how to play Ilsa, pleaded with director Michael Curtiz for guidance.

Curtiz, having seen the dailies, wisely chose to keep Bergman in the dark. He was getting the performance of a lifetime and didn't want to jeopardize it.

"Play it both ways," he told her.

Today, it's easy to see some telltale signs of which way Rick was going to go. We first see Rick playing chess (A favorite Bogart pastime). Immediately, we know that he is a man of intelligence and strategy. We also find that he once fought for the Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War. Deep down, he is a sucker for a lost cause.

Rick's "nod" before the French national anthem is played, is a bit of foreshadowing. He gives overt approval to the playing of the La Marseillaise. Rick has tipped his hand. No longer is he neutral.

The scene, one of the most stirring musical moments in cinematic history, is also notable for another reason. Yvonne, Rick's sometimes girlfriend, was shown singing it tearfully. Prior to that, she was seen cozying up to one of the German soldiers. It seems that Yvonne, too, has made her decision re-join the cause. She is the female mirror of Rick. As such, we can see that Rick will soon follow her example.

CASABLANCA was important in many ways, but none so more as a reminder that we need to stay true to our beliefs despite what personal sacrifice we may have to make. The cause of freedom is greater than any individual, CASABLANCA tells us.

Rick is being less than accurate when he says, "I'm no good at being noble". In fact, he's very good at it. He's done it all his life and he's not going to change now. He fulfills his sense of duty and makes the ultimate sacrifice.

He puts Ilsa on the plane, but not before a final

"Here's looking at you, kid."

Learn more about this author, Neal Acito.
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