In a post on the Killzone blog, James Scott Bell identifies the lessons writers can learn from the film classic Casablanca.
- The Anti-Hero. Rick (Humphrey Bogart) is the classic anti-hero. He has withdrawn from the world and looks out for himself only. The story question is whether he’ll remain in exile or rejoin the world. According to Bell, the key to a good anti-hero is his moral code. While it may not align with community standards, the anti-hero does live by a code. Rick’s code is that he will treat his customer’s fairly but will not take risks for them. Still, he cares about his employees, which gives the audience enough connection to hold out hope for him.
- Structural Beats. The opening scene of Casablanca disturbs Rick’s ordinary world, even before the audience gets to know him well. Ugarte (Peter Lorre) tells Rick that he has two letters of transit, get out of Morocco free cards that he’s going to sell. Ugarte convinces Rick to hide the letters at the club, but if the police find out, Rick could be arrested and his nightclub closed down.
- Doorway of No Return. The ordinary world breaks open when Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), Rick’s former lover, walks into the nightclub with her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Ilsa is the cause of Rick’s self-isolation. Worse, she and Laszlo need the letters of transit that are hidden at the nightclub.
- Mirror Moment. At the mid-point, Rick has his mirror moment, or dark night of the soul. After Ilsa returns, Rick drowns his sorrows with booze and the audience learns why Rick withdrew from the world. When Isla comes to explain why she betrayed him, Rick drives her away. In a moment of self-loathing, Rick must decide what kind of man he wants to be and if he’ll recover his humanity.
- Proving the Transformation. By the end of the movie, the audience learns what Rick has decided. He gives Laszlo the letters of transit and insists Ilsa leave with him. Further, he persuades Captain Renault to join the Free French, returning from his self-imposed exile and planning to literally put his neck on the line for the Allied cause. Rick has done what he swore he’d never do.
