Rick Blaine, Nations Front Figure

Rick Blaine, Nations Front Figure

Rick Blaine , front figure of a nation.

In the summer of 1934 Adolf Hitler took the hot-seat as the German leader and 'Fuhrer'.

Four years later he had invaded Austria.

1939 the invasion of Poland and Czechoslovakia was a fact.

At the same time polls taken in America showed that approximately 94% of the American citizens didn't want their government to interfere with the European business.

12 months later , in the late 1940, Germany had a great success occupying Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg and France.

Suddenly it happened.

On the 7:th of December, 1941, in Pearl Harbor.

America is attacked by Japan, one of the German affiliates.

Great Britain finally gets a powerful ally :

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S officially enters the second World War.

The production of 'Casablanca' started in May of 1942 while the film itself is set in December 1941.

With this paper I would like to go deeper on how the main character of the film, Rick Blaine (Humprey Bogart), embodies America and its role in the second World War.

Here's the first significant sign of my point with this paper:

The primary setting of the film is "Rick's Cafe' Americain" which represents a miniature model of America.

People from every corner of the world get together in their fancy, usually white, tuxedos, drinking martinis, smoking big cigars and enjoying funky jazz-music.

We see Germans, Algerians, Dutch, Austrians, Italians and French all gathered up in the cafe'.

Also, from the film's title to the type of music played in the cafe, the audience is reminded that Rick's Cafe is like the American embassy, a microcosm of America.

Most American of all is Rick Blaine.

He's the United States embodied.

Before he even shows up on the screen, he's portrayed as someone with great influence.

For example, when a attractive young lady and her friend asks if Rick wants to have drink with with her and her friends, Rick's right-hand man is quick to say that Rick doesn't drink with the customers, giving the impression of Rick being a man with high principles.

Our first glimpse of Rick is a close-up on his hand signing a check, defining he's the one in charge. A couple of shots later, we see him playing chess with himself, suggesting he enjoys intellectual challenges and most of all he likes strategy, very much as Americans do.

All these signs are parallels to the U.S being a strong, independent, strategical and sophisticated country.

But every country and certainly every person has their flaws.

Rick is modest about his. Although he has a great deal of influence, he doesn't help anyone out.

When Ugarte, one of Rick's acquaintance is about to get arrested by the Nazis, Rick clearly states:

Rick : " - I don't stick my neck out for nobody".

This line reflects the U.S politics between 1935 and 1941 when the Nazis were invading one country after another while America was standing by, basically doing nothing.

Upon hearing Rick's comment about being passive/neutral, the Nazi-controlled