Joseph Campbell describes in The Power of Myth a hero as “someone
who has found or done something beyond normal range of achievement or
experience…someone who has given his or her life to something bigger.” He
says a hero has a moral objective of saving
something, whether it’s a whole people, just one person, or even an idea.
In Casablanca, Rick Blaine represents
this idea of a hero. I saw Rick as the most admirable character because he gave up her personal happiness, being
with Isla, for something bigger. He
sees her already existing marriage more important, and concrete, than their
lost-now recovered flame. He believes she does more good being with Victor,
saying that she is part of his work, what keeps him going. He does not want
Isla to ever regret leaving her husband, which he knows she will. He thinks by
sending her off with her husband he will be saving the destruction of their marriage, her happiness, and the
good that results from the work Victor does.
This idea of Rick being a hero
parallels with the Terry Malloy version we saw last week. Rick was the kind of
guy that did not “stick his head out for nobody” which he says himself in the
movie. Terry worked with the mob, never standing up in opposition to the bad
things they were doing. Both characters actions are motivated by a love
interest. Rick acted on behalf of Isla’s best interests. Terry’s conscience is
reclaimed with the help of Edie. This type of hero that Rick, as well as Terry
Malloy, represents one where the character starts with rough edges, but
ultimately asks above their normal zone
of morale. These are the qualities and actions that build a hero of a
character. The admirable actions of Rick Blaine make him Casablanca’s greatest hero.
I definitely agree with your comment that Rick is Casablanca's hero by the definition from Joseph Campbell. But, I do believe that Rick also sacrificed more than just his happiness in order to transform into the hero he became. I think that he sacrificed his neutrality which he held dear to him as well as his livelihood and safety. His neutrality held him out of the troubles that many faced in Casablanca. By giving that up, he gave up his life in Casablanca as he knew it. I feel like this huge sacrifice resulted from the realization of his need to help in something bigger than himself as you stated which came about his transformation. This transformation made him the hero.
ReplyDeleteNice post; " He thinks by sending her off with her husband he will be saving the destruction of their marriage, her happiness, and the good that results from the work Victor does." I enjoy this sentence in particular because it elucidates Rick's role in the film as NOT the greatest hero, but the MEANS for the hero to be successful. Victor fits the criterion for relative hero perfectly: devoting his life to cause larger than himself (the resistance), risking his life along the way, and, as you pointed out, remaining humble in the process. He steps beyond the comforts of social customs and refuses to except the Nazi occupation, thus putting a face to the seemingly disparate resistance (as the goosebump-evoking, tear-jerking anthem scene shows). Casablanca begins in the midst of Victor's heroic journey, and in the beginning of Rick's, which sadly ends before we can see what Rick evolves into completely. Rick's mantra, "I stick my neck out for nobody" [New York Accent], has the potential to thwart the entire momentum of Nazi resistance, but Rick breaks precedent twice; first by drinking with customers and second by covering the bill, which I would argue signifies that he is stepping out of Business-Rick into a entirely new and under-developed Hero-Rick. So I would say your claim that Rick is the greatest hero needs more support!
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