MovieChat Forums > Casablanca (1943) Discussion > Who is the true hero of Casablanca?

Who is the true hero of Casablanca?


Laszlo is a model resistance fighter who inspires heroism in others, while the more flawed Rick is the type of hero the rest of us might hope to become. Read an interesting analysis on their different types of heroism here: http://screenprism.com/insights/article/who-is-the-true-hero-of-casablanca

reply

Rick.

Victor is unattainable for most. And he inspires victory of killing, which many don't have to deal with.

Rick inspires victory over one's self - their doubts, sadness, and hurt.

reply

Rick inspires victory over one's self - their doubts, sadness, and hurt.
But that doesn't mean that Victor isn't the more admirable person just because he doesn't have to overcome such. Think the difference is what a "hero" is in real life and from a seat in a theater.

Victor was a moral light house in the story.....to the point where he was willing to let his wife run off with Rick and face almost certain death after it happened.

reply

Captain Renault, he is the one who made the get away possible

reply

> Victor is unattainable for most.

What does that have to do with it? Without Lazlo Rick would have stayed a corrupt drunkard.

reply

I think one of the more subtle points of the movie is that heroes like Laszlo, who have the power and reach that they do, have this because of the actions and sacrifices of many other heroes throughout their lives. While I agree that Laszlo and Rick are heroic in different ways, I don't think it's possible to point to one or the other and say he's the primary hero in this scenario. Each is doing what he can, with what he knows.

From a purely cinematic point of view, Rick is the "hero" of the story, serving as the primary protagonist.

reply

There are many "true heroes," in Casablanca, and each has his/her form of heroism. For my money, the young bride from Bulgaria has more guts then the rest of the cast put together, with the possible exception of Victor Lazslo.

But really all of them, Renault, Laszlo, Rick, Ilsa, even Yvonne heroically joins in the singing of Les Marseilles, (sp?), after seemingly making "friends," with a Nazi. Ugarti? Maybe. The "fat man", Ferrari? He advises Lazlo that Rick may have the "letters of transit," although no profit was in it for him.

The Nazi's are the only ones with no redeeming qualities, of course and Major Strasser is only "heroic" in his attempt to do his evil duty.

reply


by LaneRM ยป Thu Jan 7 2016 15:47:53
IMDb member since November 2015
Laszlo is a model resistance fighter who inspires heroism in others, while the more flawed Rick is the type of hero the rest of us might hope to become. Read an interesting analysis on their different types of heroism here:

Laszlo doesn't inspire anything in this film.

What movie were you watching?

reply

the scene in the cafe where they sing down the german officers brings tears to my eyes , if that doesn't inspire i don't know what will

reply

I would say Rick, Renault, and Laszlo.

reply

Yeah ... Macron did the same thing symbolically when he flipped the bird to Trump the other day by calling nationalists Nazis ... in his clever subtle way!

A patriot is someone who serves his country, possible at risk of harm or death to himself to help others, nationalist is someone who talks others into serving his own ends.

reply

Rick, then Louis.



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

reply

Ugarte. Without his steal there'd be no other heroes ;)

reply

I think it is the Ingrid Bergman character, and also why this movie
is so great ... because it is not obvious, she is the hero because of her
effect on all the men around her.

She is ready to go with Rick who she does not really love, but for the
love of the Henried character. She is the person that drives Henried to be
good, she is the person that taught the Rick character what love is and
showed him that looking out for himself was death and he could not be
selfish and steal her from her real work and love, and in that created
the bond between Rick and the Claude Rains character to fight the Nazis.

reply

There's a difference between being an actual war hero like Lazlo, and being the hero of the movie. Rick is the hero of the movie because we see him go through a crisis, and change for the better.

Lazlo and Ilsa have worked through their personal issues earlier and offscreen, which is why it's Rick's movie.

reply

[deleted]