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LOVE this movie...question about interpretation

posted 8 years ago by indyjim101
5 replies | jump to latest

I had seen this movie years ago and loved it, but I watched it again last night and was blown away by just how great it was--truly as close to a perfect movie as I have ever seen, with some tremendous performances by Bogart and Raines. But I did have a question I was hoping I could clear up here--my take on the movie is that Ilsa was obviously manipulating Rick into giving Victor one of the letters of transit by trading on his feelings for her. She comes to his place, tries to get the letters of transit by appealing to his idealism (doesn't work), through force with the gun (also doesn't work). Then, not knowing what else to do, she claims she loves him and will leave her husband--if he will give him the letter of transit--and he agrees. Of course, he ends up giving the couple both letters of transit, risks all he has to ensure they escape, and sacrifices his chance to live happily ever after (at least from his point of view) with Ilsa.
So why does everyone seem to agree that Ilsa genuinely wanted to leave Victor and stay with Rick when she was obviously only going to do so in order for Victor to escape? In a similar way to how the Bulgarian bride earlier in the movie was going to sleep with Capt Renault in order to procure letters of transit for her and her husband. I don't think Ilsa was being completely insincere--she obviously loved Rick and just as obviously he reciprocated those feelings (thus when he tells Victor on the tarmac that she was "pretending" to still love him, and that those feelings were in the past for both of them--he isn't telling the whole truth). But if it wasn't for the necessity of helping Victor escape she wouldn't have considered abandoning him for Rick--or at least that's how I see it. Everyone else seems to think that she truly wanted to leave Victor for Rick, and I just didn't see it that way. Am I way off base here?
Hopefully I clearly explained my question--thanks for any help!

[–] tmf_scipio 8 years ago

We were probably watching the movie at about the same time. Funny how that works.

I took it as Ilsa trying to manipulate Rick to do the right thing and give the letters to Victor. Rick beat her to it by giving them to him anyway. Rick probably realized what she was doing, and decided to go along, just like he told Victor. I also believe that this change in heart with Rick happened when he talked to Victor in the bar (while he was bandaging his arm). Victor convinced cynical Rick that there were things in the world that were worth fighting for.
What do you think of my reasoning?

Don't you just love the play of light and shadows throughout the movie? Especially when Rick does the really simple thing of getting money out of the safe. This movie could never work in color.

Hitler! C'mon, I'll buy you a glass of lemonade.

[–] indyjim101 8 years ago

See, your interpretation is basically the same as mine, so I definitely agree. Not sure that I ascribe quite the same importance to the conversation between Rick and Victor, though. While this conversation may have finalized Rick's decision or even possibly pushed him off the fence (not to mention, give him a patriotic reason for his choice), I think he already knew what he was going to do. The point at which he meets the young Bulgarian bride and then intervenes on her behalf is the pivot point of the entire movie. And from that point on, he does the right thing. So I wouldn't give Victor credit for his decision; but more of an "assist".
And you're completely correct--this movie would NEVER work in color!

[–] indyjim101 8 years ago

Anyone else want to weigh in??

[–] pontevedro 8 years ago

Just to offer a contrary opinion. Ilsa genuinely loves Rick. She was in love with him in Paris as shown in the film. As she says, she met Victor when she was very young. He took care of her and she married him out of gratitude when he asked. Ilsa would prefer being with Rick to being with Victor. But she is married and doesn't take the marriage vows lightly. She also believes that Victor's mission is important. When she comes to Rick's room the second time, her affections for him are rekindled. So perhaps she believes that staying with Rick is the price of the letters of transit, but it's also what she would rather do. That's certainly what Rick believes. And that's why he makes his speech to her at the end. He believes that she genuinely loves him and that's why he's able to get past his bitterness over Paris and act as a hero.

I think this is more or less the standard interpretation.

[–] greenleafie 8 years ago

I don't think it's a black-and-white issue. Ilsa loved both men. Victor, she loved cerebrally; Rick, on a more visceral level. Victor had enlightened her, but he could not satisfy her passions, the way Rick could. In the final analysis, she saw Rick, who possessed the letters, as having the power. If he was willing to use them to get her back, that was just more satisfaction for her passions. Ilsa could never be completely happy, alone, with either one of them. In Paris, believing Victor to be dead, she had tasted the "forbidden fruit," and would never be able to forget.