'What does it take to be a good person in a monstrous age?'
March 11, 2017 11:05 AM Subscribe
By Immigrants, For Immigrants: Why "Casablanca" Still Matters (Los Angeles Review of Books, Noah Gittell)
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Hitler handed us the Golden Age of Hollywood on a silver platter with a big red bow.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:26 PM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:26 PM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
Fascinating, but I wonder what the ending even could have been that involved him running off with Ilsa? I can't even conceive of that making cinematic sense.
posted by corb at 3:19 PM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by corb at 3:19 PM on March 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
Fascinating, but I wonder what the ending even could have been that involved him running off with Ilsa? I can't even conceive of that making cinematic sense.
You could have the Germans kill Laszlo and Rick be moved to take up the struggle, so it's him that gets on the plane with Ilsa.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:39 PM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
You could have the Germans kill Laszlo and Rick be moved to take up the struggle, so it's him that gets on the plane with Ilsa.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:39 PM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
Play la Marseillaise. Play it.
Still gives me chills.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 4:01 PM on March 11, 2017 [5 favorites]
Still gives me chills.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 4:01 PM on March 11, 2017 [5 favorites]
Fascinating, but I wonder what the ending even could have been that involved him running off with Ilsa? I can't even conceive of that making cinematic sense.
It's the "cinematic sense" part that trips you up. Laszlo is, if not perfect, not imperfect. Other than Ilsa's indecision, there's no reason for her to go with Rick. He's drunk, cynical, and lacks any principle beyond "I stick my neck out for nobody".
You would have to rewrite the screenplay to give Laszlo some irredeeming qualities. Make him love the work more than Ilsa. Have him use her, rather than love her purely and with great understanding. My god, that scene where Laszlo figures out that she and Rick used to be lovers... The way he boils it down to "She will be safe and that's what matters" is stunning, particularly for the era.
posted by aureliobuendia at 4:39 PM on March 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
It's the "cinematic sense" part that trips you up. Laszlo is, if not perfect, not imperfect. Other than Ilsa's indecision, there's no reason for her to go with Rick. He's drunk, cynical, and lacks any principle beyond "I stick my neck out for nobody".
You would have to rewrite the screenplay to give Laszlo some irredeeming qualities. Make him love the work more than Ilsa. Have him use her, rather than love her purely and with great understanding. My god, that scene where Laszlo figures out that she and Rick used to be lovers... The way he boils it down to "She will be safe and that's what matters" is stunning, particularly for the era.
posted by aureliobuendia at 4:39 PM on March 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
My god, that scene where Laszlo figures out that she and Rick used to be lovers... The way he boils it down to "She will be safe and that's what matters" is stunning, particularly for the era.
By that time, they've established that Sidney Greenstreet's character might be able to procure an exit visa for her and only for her, and Laslo has tried and failed to convince her to go on her own, as she points out that he wouldn't do the same and in fact has not done the same even when it put his life in danger. It fits not only Laslo's nobility but also the established facts in the movie.
For a movie that's famous for having been written, or re-written nearly on the fly, Casablanca holds together amazing well.
posted by Gelatin at 8:08 AM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
By that time, they've established that Sidney Greenstreet's character might be able to procure an exit visa for her and only for her, and Laslo has tried and failed to convince her to go on her own, as she points out that he wouldn't do the same and in fact has not done the same even when it put his life in danger. It fits not only Laslo's nobility but also the established facts in the movie.
For a movie that's famous for having been written, or re-written nearly on the fly, Casablanca holds together amazing well.
posted by Gelatin at 8:08 AM on March 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
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posted by briank at 12:48 PM on March 11, 2017 [2 favorites]