“Casablanca”
Comprehension Questions:
Why did Rick leave Paris?
Why didn’t Ilsa leave with him?
Why did Ilsa come to Casablanca?
Who is Victor Lazlow?
What does isolationism mean?
Where are Rick and Captain Renault going in the final scene of the film? What have they decided to do?
Questions for Discussion:
How are loving someone, and being in love with someone different?
Why doesn’t Rick help Ugarte when the police come to take him away?
Rick says he sticks his neck out for nobody. Is this true? Explain and support your position with specific
examples.
Discuss Captain Renault – What kind of a character is he? Is he a loyal Frenchman? Why does he take
orders from the Germans? Why doesn’t he arrest Rick for killing Major Strasser? Are he and Rick
friends?
“I blow with the wind, and at the moment the wind is blowing from Vichy.” What does Captain Renault
mean by this statement?
How are Rick and Captain Renault alike?
Are Rick and Victor Lazlow alike in any way? Support your opinion with examples.
Why does Rick sell his café to Ferrari? What arrangements does he make for his employees? What
about Sam?
Victor Lazlow has a strong, positive influence on people, and as a result of his presence, people behave
differently. What examples of this can you describe?
Why doesn’t Rick leave on the plane with Ilsa?
Discuss the mythological image of the American hero that is portrayed through the classic character of
Rick Blake as played by Humphrey Bogart. What sort of a man is he? What are his strengths? Why do
you think this character is a romantic hero?
“Casablanca” ~ Discussion Questions continued:
There are a multitude of characters in this film, each representing an aspect of the political situation at
the time of this film. For example, Sasha the bartender is Russian. Why do you think he is portrayed (to
the American audience) as such a likeable guy? What does he represent? What about Yvonne? The
young couple from Bulgaria? Captain Renault? Major Strasser? Carl the head waiter? Ilsa? Ferrari?
What about the Italian officer who is ignored and can’t get a word in edgewise? Discuss these characters
and others, and what larger groups or ideas they represent.
Essay questions:
Compare and contrast Rick and Captain Louis Renault.
Discuss Ilsa’s dilemma and how she came to have this problem.
Choose three characters from the film and discuss who or what they represent in a larger sense.
Give two examples of people behaving better due to the influence of Victor Lazlow.