Itâs one of those movies where context and the (not so quite) subtle subtext are vitally important to understanding the importance of it, not only as a classic piece of film making (hokey old timey speech and all), but as a political and social commentary of the times, rooted fiercely in protest and a whole lot of âfuck you fascistsâ.
I never really got it until my father (raised by his Jewish grandmother who fled Austria with the clothes on her back and a single suitcase and swathes of dead loved ones left behind) sat me down and told me the full context of when the movie was made, what it was actually about and who it was made for.
It made his casual way of saying âhereâs looking at you kidâ whenever we skipped school to go to protest rallies (start of the Iraq war) all the more poignant for me. I just thought he was being an old man quoting the popular cult media from his youth. But it means so much more than that.
Cause hereâs the thing about that iconic line from the end of the movie: youâll find screeds and screeds of people talking about how heâs using it to flirt with her once last time and just how suave it is, alluding that itâs purely about her youth and beauty and his ever lasting love for her even though sheâs married to someone else.
But that line? Had been in use for a good 50+ years prior to Casablanca gracing the screens. Itâs a toast, a wish for your health. And the people watching would have known the significance of it, particularly the displaced Europeans knowing that theyâll likely never see their loved ones again.
Cause hereâs looking at you kidâ and the unspoken meaning behind itâ one last time.
Rick isnât just letting go of the love of his life in that scene. Heâs using his position of power and privilege as an American with access to outside networks (predominantly crime related, but hey) to help her escape the country with her highly persecuted and sought after husband to a place of safety.
He had the option to just take her himself and runâ and her husband even urges him to do so at one point. But Rick endeavors to get them both to safety, and he shows up armed to do so. He fights for their freedom even though he doesnât have to. He goes from staunchly refusing to help them out of bitterness and cynicism, to realizing that if he doesnât do something people are going to die. And he doesnât just save the woman he loves, which would be oh so easy. He saves the man he hates too. Because he can, so he must.
The final scene ends with Renault (played by Claude Rains, an Englishman), head of the local police (and a character largely played for laughs), making the decision not to arrest Rick or anyone else involved when ordered to, actively defying the orders of a fascist. When he and Rick are walking away, he insinuates that he and Rick should join the French Resistance movement in Brazzaville, and Rick again delivers the other iconic line from the movie: âLouis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.â
Casablanca is about forging alliances in the face of tyranny. Itâs about doing what is right, even though it goes against the law when the law is corrupt. Itâs about being willing to give up your own liberties and comfort to preserve the things you love, even though it wonât directly benefit you. Hell, it might even kill you. But someoneâs got to do it.
And yea, itâs old, itâs dated and a product of itâs time and it shows. There are times when the modern viewer will cringe and rightly so. But it was also incredibly out there for its time, when the world was going to absolute hell in a hand basket and it seemed like the walls were closing in, it held many important messages, but primarily: Resist.
So hereâs looking at you, kids.
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