Story vs. Plot Casablanca (1942)

1.

The time is 1941, soon after the beginning of World War II.

This background information counts as STORY, but it comes to us through NONDIEGETIC PLOT ELEMENTS:

1.Opening Title and Credits:

Film title, cast and production credits appear over a political map of Africa; music consists of La

Marseillaise (the French national anthem) and Morrocan-sounding background music.

The use of of La Marseillaise at the start and end of the film signals a theme of solidarity with the Free

French (this would have been understood by the 1942 audiences).

1.Opening Title and Credits:

1.Opening Title and Credits:

Narration:

In the style of contemporary news reels (think of the start of Citizen Kane), a ‘Voice of God’ narrator

explains how refugees try to reach Lisbon, Marseilles, or Casablanca in the wake of the Nazi take over of

Europe.

1.Opening Title and Credits:

A spinning globe appears with a zoom-in shot toward Western Europe. Allied powers in light tone, neutral

nations in medium tone and Axis powers in dark tone – with superimposed documentary footage of

refugees.

2.Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) Introduced:

Rick is an American with a mysterious past. Apart from the fact that at some point he became an

underground fighter in Europe, his life before we first see him is STORY, not PLOT.

2.Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) Introduced:

2.Rick's Café Américain:

2.Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart):

Characters comment on his past (suggesting, for instance that he once killed a man), and we infer that certain romantic and political relationships in his past

and present are part of the story, but none of the events are illustrated.

3.Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart):

Rick left Paris after the Germans occupied the city. Again, this is STORY, not PLOT, because we hear about

it after it has occurred.

4.Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart):

Although Rick had planned to come to Casablanca with his lover, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), she jilted

him at the last minute. STORY, not PLOT.

5.The Exit Visas:

A man murdered Nazi couriers and stole two exit visas from them. STORY, not PLOT.

6.The Exit Visas:

The man who murdered the couriers, Guillermo Ugarte, (Peter Lorre) entrusts the exit visas to Rick.

(When this occurs, we find out the information in #5).

Because we SEE and don’t just HEAR about the handoff of the visas, THIS IS OUR FIRST PLOT EVENT.

Casablanca is Mostly PLOT.

From here on, apart from one flashback, the plot is chronological and straightforward, holding together the story, which concerns the interaction of politics, personal ethics and love. Ultimately, that honor and service to a higher cause is more important than the

needs (loves) of the individual.

7.

Rick knows he can sell the visas for a great deal of money, but he could be arrested for the sale and says

that he will not risk his life for anyone.

8.

Rick’s former lover, Ilsa, and her husband, Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid) wanted by the Nazis for being a

Resistance leader, arrive in Casablanca needing exit visas to continue to freedom, but Rick refuses to sell

his to them.

8.

8.

8.

9.

Flashback to 1940: Rick and Ilsa in Paris.

10.

Rick refuses Lazlo’s suggestion that he use the visas to take Ilsa to safety.

And so on….

10.And so on….

10.And so on….

10.And so on….

11.“Play it again, Sam!”

Rick NEVER says that line in the movie. He does say “You played it for her, you can play it for me. Play it!”

Sam (Dooley Wilson) provides the soundtrack to Rick’s broken heart:

“It’s still the same old story, a fight for love and glory, a case of do or die, the world will always welcome

lovers as time goes by…”

11.“Play it again, Sam!”

11.“Play it again, Sam!”

11.“Play it again, Sam!”

12.“Play it again, Sam!”

The song “As Time Goes By” is used as DIEGETIC music when Sam sings it in Rick’s bar. It’s diegetic because it

occurs in the ‘world’ of the story.

It is also used as NON-DIEGETIC music when it is played by an orchestra that we don’t see and cannot

assume is located somewhere in the world of the story.