CASABLANCA Screenplay by: Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch. Play by: Murray Burnett and Joan Alison 1. What is Your Profound Truth? - You have to choose a side in life and fight for it. - Love is about doing the right thing. 2. What is the Transformational Journey? Old Ways: Closed. Neutral. Sticks his neck out for no one. Brokenhearted. Angry. Cynical. Stiffening his sentimentalist tendencies. Journey: Ilsa comes into his life and forces him to deal with his heartbreak and separation from "the fight." Holding onto the "letters of transit," he must decide who gets to leave Casablanca in that plane. New Ways: Regains his confidence, gets over the breakup, joins the fight again, and does a real act of love and patriotism. Transformational Logline: A brokenhearted Rick hides out in his bar in Casablanca until Ilsa returns to his life, forcing him to deal with their breakup and get back in the fight for the right reasons. 3. Who are Your Lead Characters? Change Agent: Ilsa / Laszlo Transformable Character: Rick Oppression: The war. The Nazi's 1
4. How Do You Connect With Your Audience in the Beginning of the Movie? A. Relatability: Ordinary guy doing a job. Dealing with people problems. Having to go along with the difficulty of having to follow the police orders. B. Intrigue: Casablanca is a place where diamonds are worthless and "Letters of Transit" are the most valuable thing you can possess. Rick claims to be neutral, but puts himself in the middle of this underground world. What is he going to do with the "Letters of Transit" that he just came to possess? C. Empathy: Rick is sitting in a bar full of people playing chess ALONE. Later, finding out he is brokenhearted. D. Likability: Treats Sam well. Negotiates a raise for him. Employees like and respect him. Ugarte trusts Rick even though he knows the American despises him. 5. What is the Gradient of the Change? EMOTIONAL GRADIENT: Forced Change. Rick is forced to shift from neutrality to recommiting to the fight -- both in love and war. We watch him go through these stages: Denial: I stick my neck out for no one. Denies caring about the fight. Anger: That Ilsa comes into his life. Bargaining: At the market, trying to get info. Later, the deal with Ilsa in the office. Depression: Drinking heavily. Back with Ilsa, but feeling guilty. Acceptance: Giving the transit visas to Ilsa and Victor Lazslo. 2
ACTION GRADIENT SETUP Rick owns a "neutral" bar in Casablanca where a lot of underground activity happens. Ugarte gives the "Letters of Transit" to Rick for safe keeping, and then is shot. Ilsa shows up with Laszlo, wanting the "Letters of Transit." JOURNEY Ilsa tries to explain about Paris, but Rick won't listen. Rick has a drunken breakdown over Ilsa. Flashback to Paris and the cause of Rick's broken heart. Ilsa stood him up at the train after he proposed. Rick argues with Ilsa over their past, then proposes that she come up to his office for a night of passion in exchange for the Letters -- implying that she is a prostitute. Rick watches the "battle of the anthems" where Laszlo defeats the Nazi's in a heroic fashion. Ilsa comes to Rick's office. She pleads, demands, and finally pulls a gun. But love wins out and they agree to leave Casablanca together. PAYOFF Rick forces Renault to go to the airport. It looks as though he and Ilsa will escape. Instead of leaving with Ilsa, he gives Lazlo and Ilsa the letters of transit for free and puts them on the plane. He kills the Major to ensure the plane takes off safely. Renault covers for Rick. Rick is back in the fight! CHALLENGE/WEAKNESS GRADIENT: Challenge: Ugarte begs for help. Weakness: Fear of risks. Challenge: Ilsa shows up and has Sam play their song. Weakness: Broken hearted. 3
Challenge: He meets Lazslo, a man he admires. Weakness: Rick still cares about the resistance. Challenge: Ilsa tries to talk privately to Rick. Weakness: Deeply hurt and angry about it. Challenge: Rick tries to get Ilsa to talk to him in the market. She refuses. Weakness: Desperately needs to know. Challenge: Ilsa gives in and agrees to stay with him. Weakness: He still cares about the resistance. 6. What is the Transformational Structure of Your Story? (See MM Analysis by Chris Soth) 7. How are the "Old Ways" Challenged? A. Challenge through Questioning: Bulgarian lady begs Rick for help with exit visas, but her lines are designed to challenge Rick's deep seated belief that Ilsa broke his heart without reason. ANNINA Oh, Monsieur, you are a man. If someone loved you very much, so that your happiness was the only thing that she wanted in the whole world, but she did a bad thing to make certain of it, could you forgive her? RICK Nobody ever loved me that much. ANNINA And he never knew, and the girl kept this bad thing locked in her heart? That would be alright, wouldn't it? 4
B. Challenge by Counterexample: Lazslo is a big counterexample for Rick. Lazslo has remained a war hero, cares deeply about the resistance, and is willing to risk his life for it. The wife from Bulgaria who is contemplating doing "a bad thing" to save herself and her husband, and wants Rick's opinion on it. C. Challenge by "Should Work, But Doesn't": Drinking to forget, but all he can think about is Ilsa. Rick asks for an explanation, but because of how he behaved the night before, Ilsa refuses to give it to her. The reunion of Rick and Ilsa at the end that totally fits the Old Ways, but Rick has changed by then. D. Challenge through Living Metaphor The war of the anthems = Patriotism. The Letters of Transit = freedom, but become an instrument of heroism. Bulgarian woman is a metaphor for Rick and Ilsa. The song "As Time Goes By" was their song. 8. How are You Presenting Insights through Profound Moments? A. Action delivers insight Action: After the Bulgarian wife's request, Rick helps the husband at the Roulette table to win enough money to buy their way out of Casablanca. Insight: Ilsa might have done something bad for a good reason. Action: After Ilsa pulls a gun on Rick and they decide to be together, Rick to go into action to set up their escape. But at the airport, he puts her on the 5
plane with Laszlo. Insight: Rick loves her, but does the right thing. B. Conflict delivers insight Conflict: Rick drunk and pounding his fist on the table. Insight: He is truly heartbroken...and it is over Ilsa. Conflict: Rick shooting the Major in order to protect the escape of Ilsa and Lazslo. Insight: He now sticks his neck out for those he loves. C. Irony delivers insight Irony: Rick gets the woman he wants, but only at the cost of the greater good. Insight: It doesn't feel right...and it never will Irony: Renault choosing to tell his men to "Round up the usual suspects." Insight: Renault knows Rick did the right thing. 9. What are the Most Profound Lines of the Movie? AFI Line #67. "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." - Done at the height of the emotion. Cool line. AFI Line #5. "Here's looking at you, kid." - Meaning built over multiple scenes. Goes from being approval for a superficial fling ("We said no questions") to meaning "I love you for real." AFI Line #28. "Play it again, Sam. 'As Time Goes By.''" - Meaning built over multiple scenes. Goes from Rick being angry that Sam 6
played the song to Rick getting drunk to Rick finally being comfortable with it. Shows a part of his transformation. AFI Line #32. "Round up the usual suspects." - This is Renault's response to this tense situation where the Major has been murdered. It is the moment where his job would dictate that he have his men arrest Rick. But his choice of words not only means he is not going to arrest Rick, but that he just shifted the entire investigation away from Rick. AFI Line #43. "We'll always have Paris." - Another deep expression of love. They had Paris, lost Paris, then got it back. 10. How Do You Leave Us With A Profound Ending? Casablanca has a truly great ending. It is ironic, emotional, surprising, and satisfying. A. Express the Profound Truth: By the end of this scene, Rick has rejoined the fight and done the right thing. B. The Change: Rick has regained his purpose in this war, gotten over the heartbreak, and helps a major war hero escape. He never would have done this at the beginning of the movie, so the change is dramatic -- and delivered through action. C. Payoffs: Answers to: Will Rick and Ilsa will end up together? Who gets the Letters of Transit? Can Laszlo escape Casablanca to continue the fight? Will Rick get over Ilsa? Can Rick's neutrality last or will he join the fight again? Will Rick stick his neck out for anyone? D. Surprising: We think that Rick and Ilsa are going away together. He has set everything up to do what he does best -- take care of himself. But Rick makes the heroic decision and sends Ilsa and Laszlo off on the plane. Then Rick shoots Major Strasser to protect the getaway...and Captain Renault covers it up! An ending full of surprises. E. Parting Image/Line: Captain Renault and Rick watch the plane take off. That image has profound meaning. We didn't know it, but putting Laszlo and Ilsa on that plane was Rick's mission in the 3rd Act; a mission that he was willing to give up everything for. 7
Renault says he'll get Rick a Letter of Transit and that the $10,000 he owes Rick should pay for "our expenses." The movie ends with Rick saying another famous line, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." With this final image, we know that Rick's heroics are going to be rewarded. He did the right thing! --------------------- Copyright 2014, Hal Croasmun. All Rights Reserved. http://www.screenwritingu.com 8