In the movie Casablanca directed by Michael Curtiz, the theme of this mysterious/ romantic is self-sacrifice and unhappy love. These themes are best expressed in the interactions of the three main characters: Victor Laszlo, Ilsa Lund, and Rick Blaine.
A love triangle forms with both men’s mutual love for Ilsa. Unlike the typical romantic love triangle, in the end, the results lead to unhappiness and loss for all of them. All three make sacrifices for love, regardless the suffering from the results throughout the whole film. Victor Laszlo is characterized as a noble leader in this film. He devotes all his focus to his political cause, which later on in the film challenges his love for his wife. He is a very passionate and well respected as a virtuous human being. One way he sacrifices his love for Ilsa is when he asks rick to use the letters to take her away from Casablanca. He not only sacrifices his wife to rick, but gives up his only chance to escape from death in Casablanca. In the end, Victor must live on knowing that Ilsa is not his truly his, she only remains with him because of her
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But he wasn’t always like that; he had his heart shattered in the beginning of the film that turned him like that. The song “As Time Goes By” has an important significance role in this film that is played when Ilsa goes to Rick’s café. This song has two different meanings. The first time they played it, it was a symbol of their love and the second time being played, it was the sign of her betrayal towards him. Eventually, Rick and Ilsa fall back in love with each other and plan to leave Casablanca together. Nobody suspects that Rick has a plan of his own; the outcome turns out with someone getting shot and two people getting on the plane. By the end of the movie he sacrifices his own happiness and risks everything for love and for the greater