Part of ongoing series: Hollywood and Higher Education: Teaching Worldview thru the Stories We Live By
By changing the foundational story of Rick’s life from that of a self-centered love-betrayed to the story of a other-centered love renewed, Ilsa transforms Rick’s values and rule of life as well.
by Gary David Stratton • Senior Editor
Since its initial release seventy-five years ago, Casablanca has grown to become one of the most beloved films in the history of American cinema. Winner of three 1942 Academy Awards in (best picture, best writing, and best director) Casablanca is now recognized by the Writers Guild of America as the greatest screenplay of all time, and by the American Film Institute as the second greatest American movie ever.[1] Even in the high-tech world of Blu-ray players and streaming video, this black-and-white masterpiece remains an enduring favorite with both contemporary audiences and critics alike.
Casablanca also provides a compelling example of the four levels of worldview, and how change at the story level can lead to dramatic change in every level of worldview. Character development (both cinematic and moral) “flows” from the hidden recesses of our life story, where our unexamined presuppositions about reality form a worldview that guides our life in ways we rarely think about in our day-to-day existence. In life and great films, we experience our worldview on four overlapping, but distinguishable levels. [2]
Four Levels of Worldview
Level 1) Actions and Behaviors: The countless personal decisions and moral judgments we make on a daily basis make up the visible tip of the iceberg of our largely hidden worldview. We glide through thousands of “preconditioned” responses each hour—what to wear, where to live, who to befriend, when to lie, how to speak—simply doing what we do, without ever examining why we do them. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred these decisions predictably emerge from the lower levels of our worldview, usually without any conscious awareness of why we make them.
Level 2) Rule of Life: The next level of our worldview is found in the rules and roles defined for us in the traditions and ‘scripts’ society develops to maintain equilibrium, or the personal strategies developed by us to cope with the difficulties of life. At this level our worldview provides a ‘rule of life” that defines our relationships, and the boundaries and maxims we use to guide our own personal behavior. The clothes we buy, the worship we express, and even the words we use, are dictated by cultural expectations and personal habits far beyond our normal self-awareness.
The countless decisions we make each day are but the visible tip of the iceberg of our largely hidden worldview.
3) Value and Belief System: The rules and roles we follow on a daily basis are normally based upon a presuppositional value and beliefs system that undergird these conventions, (once again, usually sub-consciously.) These principles, doctrines, aphorisms, and symbols are the often unspoken “commanding truths, which define the ‘shoulds’ and ‘should nots’ of our experience, and accordingly, the good and evil…” [3] They provide the language and categories by which we unconsciously interpret reality and make sense out of our experiences of our life.
Level 4) Stories and ‘Scriptures’: The deepest level of our worldview is normally found in the stories of our life-shaping personal experiences and our community’s authoritative ‘scriptures’ that form the basis of our principles and strategies for living. The three upper levels are “embedded within narratives that often have overlapping themes and various myths that often reinforce common ideals.” [4] The personal and corporate stories we live by are self-evidently true to us (even if they are, in fact, hopelessly false). To question them is to question reality itself. [5]
Constructing a False Worldview
At first glance Rick seems the model narcissist, longing only to catch the last plane out of Casablanca while sticking his neck out for nobody.
Casablanca provides a beautiful example of all four levels of this process. Originally entitled, “Everyone Meets at Rick’s,” this masterpiece traces the worldview transformation of American expatriate and nightclub owner, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart). Set against the backdrop of Nazi-controlled but unoccupied north African territories of Vichy France during WWII, the movie opens with a bitter and cynical Rick Blaine making his daily decisions (level 1) out of a fairly consistent rule of life (level 2). He never drinks with customers, never commits to a woman, never takes sides in a political debate, and never intervenes to help others. His narcissistic value and belief system (level 3) leaves little room for anyone but himself, his alcoholism, his business, and his business partner, Sam. His value system (level 3) is clearly expressed in his famous rule of life (level 2), “I stick my neck out for nobody.”
Captain Louis Renault is the first to recognize a deeper story rumbling beneath Rick’s cynical shell
However, as the movie progresses we learn that Rick’s worldview wasn’t always so jaded. In fact, both French prefect Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) and Nazi Gestapo Major, Heinrich Strasser (Conrad Veidt) express concern that Rick’s current story might not be his true self. They note that there was once a time when Rick’s value and belief system led him to a rule of life marked by a heroic willingness to sacrificially fight against tyranny even in a losing cause. They don’t want Rick returning to this old rule of life by aiding Czech freedom fighter Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid) in his attempt to escape Casablanca (and the Nazi) by means of a pair of stolen letters of transit granting the bearers free passage on a flight to neutral Portugal.
Movie Clip 1: Captain Louis Renault Accuses Rick of a Deeper Story
The beautiful and enchanting Ilsa Lund stole Rick’s heart in a whirlwind Paris romance Paris only to break it as the German tanks rolled into Paris.
What Louis doesn’t know, is that Rick’s current rule of life and value system are driven by a heart-wrenching story (level 4). Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), a beautiful and enchanting Norwegian once stole Rick’s heart in a whirlwind Paris romance at the outset of WWII.
Movie Clip 2: Paris
However, after swearing her undying love, Ilsa abandons Rick just as the German army descends upon Paris. By the time Rick gets to Casablanca Ilsa’s betrayal provides the seething caldron of molten anguish driving Rick’s cynical value system and narcissistic rule of life. Like the city where he dwells in exile, his life is a desert with but one goal: escape.
A Different Story?
A guy standing on a station platform in the rain with a comical look on his face, because his insides had been kicked out.
This is the story Rick is living when Ilsa turns up in Casablanca as the traveling companion for none other than Victor Lazlo. Confronted anew with heartache of Paris, Rick’s narcissistic behavior only intensifies. Despite his admiration for Lazlo, Rick refuses to help the desperate couple. He stubbornly retains his “I stick my neck for nobody” rule of life even as Ilsa desperately tries to convey a different story than the one driving his current behavior.
Movie Clip 3: Ilsa Tries to Explain Her Story
Just when Rick’s journey toward the dark side seems complete, something happens that radically changes the interpretation of his entire life story. With the Nazi’s closing in and their every effort to escape Casablanca thwarted, the stolen letters of transit in Rick’s possession are now Isla and Lazlo’s only hope. A desperate Ilsa turns up at Rick’s apartment intent to do anything to obtain them.
Movie Clip 4: Midnight at Rick’s apartment
Ilsa’s startling admission begins to change Rick’s worldview at every level.
Ilsa’s startling admission that she still loves Rick begins to change Rick’s worldview at every level. He now knows that Ilsa left him behind in Paris only because she learned that Lazlo, her husband, was still alive. She was not living a story of a self-centered love betrayed, but rather one of heroic sacrifice. While no one yet realizes it, this new story of a sacrificial love-renewed (level 4) begins to invisibly reenergize Rick’s heroic value system (level 3), displacing his values of narcissism and his “I stick my neck out for nobody” rule of life (level 2).
In the iconic airport scene, Rick’s new worldview based upon his new story suddenly erupts into full view with a startling decision (level 1).
Clip 5: Rick and Ilsa at the Airport
Change the Story, Change the World
At the airport, Rick’s new story empowers him to not only give up his ticket to freedom, but Ilsa as well.
It turns out that Captain Louis Renault was right about Rick all along. The real Rick Blaine is, in fact, a hero. The pain of losing Ilsa had created a false life narrative, but once he knew the real story, his value system and rule of life came back on line. Rick decides to give away his tickets to freedom to Ilsa and her husband (level 1), because he has (re)embraced his rule of life of to fight against tyranny even in a losing cause (level 2), rooted in his rediscovered value of self-sacrificing heroism (level 3), birthed by his true life story (Level 4). By changing the foundational story of Rick’s life from that of a self-centered love-betrayed to a story of an other-centered love renewed, Isla transforms Rick’s values and rule of life as well. He now sticks his neck for everybody, even the husband of the woman he loves.
In the end, the power of Rick’s true story is becomes so compelling it returns Louis to his own true story, values, and rule of life.
Movie clip 6: A beautiful friendship
Everyone Meets at Rick’s
“This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” In the end, even Louis is caught up in Rick’s heroic transformation.
One reason why Casablanca resonates so deeply with audiences is our strong identification with Rick. We have all been hurt deeply. We all develop belief systems and strategies to protect ourselves from further pain. We all know what it is like to have those rules of life sabotage our heroic journey. We all know what it is like to be trapped in a life story that hurts everyone around us and yet we are powerless to change. We all want to believe that we are the master of our own fate, freely making our own choices at any given moment, when in reality our unexplored stories, unexamined values, and unexamined rules of life dictate much of our daily decision-making. Sooner or later, everyone meets at Rick’s.
For those who are willing to listen, the deepest longings of our heroic life story may be churning just beneath the surface and well worth the journey of further exploration. Over the course of this ongoing series I hope to help you do exactly that. I’m hoping this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Next posts in series:
Fiddler on the Roof: Worldview Change and the Journey to Life-Interpreting Story
The Volcano in Your Backyard: Micro-Worldviews and the Honeymoon from Hell
See also:
Hollywood and Higher Education: Teaching Worldview Through Academy Award-winning Films
Crash goes the Worldview: Why Worldview Transformation Requires Changing Scripts
It’s a Wonderful Worldview: Frank Capra’s Theistic Masterpiece
Bungee-Jumping to Eternity: The Existential Angst of Dead Poets Society
Deep Culture: Is Winning an Oscar a Reliable Indicator of a Truly Great Film?
If you Live it, They Will Come: The Blind Side and Better Faith-Based Filmmaking
Related Posts:
Using Zombie Movies to Teach Politics, by Daniel W. Drezner
The Joker Is Satan, and So Are We: René Girard and The Dark Knight, by Charles Bellinger
Notes
[1] Casablanca is currently #25 rating on the IMDB all-time best film list. Michael Curtiz, Julius J. Epstein, Howard Koch, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, et al. Casablanca (Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 1999). [2] Followers of Arthur F. Holmes’ will notice that I am using his categories for evaluating ethical decisions. See, Ethics: approaching moral decisions. Contours of Christian philosophy (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2007), 52-80. See also, Lawrence Kohlberg, The Development of Children’s Orientations Toward a Moral Order (Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press); Carol Gilligan, In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women’s Development (Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press); and, James W. Fowler, Stages of Faith: the Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1981). [3] James Davidson Hunter, To Change the World (Oxford University Press, 2010), 32. To be fair, Hunter considers all four levels to be overlapping elements of “culture,” not worldview. However, this is at least somewhat a matter of semantic disagreement between philosophers (who study worldviews),and sociologists, like Hunter (who study cultures.) [4] Hunter, Change, 33. [5] What I am calling the ‘Story’ level of worldview is what philosopher James K. A. Smith refers to as the ‘pre-worldview’ level of ‘social Imaginary.’ “The social imaginary’ is an affective, noncognitive understanding of the world. It is described as an imaginary (rather than a theory) because it is fueled by the stuff of the imagination rather than the intellect: it is made up of, and embedded in, stories, narratives, myths, and icons. These visions capture our hearts and imaginations by “lining” our imagination, as it were— providing us with frameworks of “meaning” by which we make sense of our world and our calling in it. An irreducible understanding of the world resides in our intuitive, precognitive grasp of these stories. Desiring the Kingdom (Cultural Liturgies): Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Publishing Group, 2009), p. 68.
Growing up in a Christian home I was taught that divorce was wrong. However, when I hit some bumps in my marriage my views temporarily changed and I became selfish and wanted to take the easy road out by divorcing my husband. I kept telling myself that things would never change and that divorcing my husband was morally ok because so many people have taken that route. I found myself pointing the finger at my husband and never looking at my own faults. I fantasized about turning my miserable life into a love story like one you see in the movies by falling in love with someone new. I had my story all planned out, Mr. Right would find me, feel sorry for me and sweep me off my feet. Once I justified divorce was ok, I started telling myself other things like smoking and drinking were ok. God kept showing me in scripture that getting divorce was not a story he planned for anyone’s life. Through counseling, prayer, and work my story of conflict and drama in the end became a true love story…
i LOVE this Kelly! Thank you for sharing you story. All too often we give into human weakness and quite without being able to see long term. Your determination was very similar in magnitude to the decision Rick made and it had just the same long term, selfless perspective.
What I learned about the Four Levels of Worldview in Casablanca and their impact in my life is that society and the basic principles, morals and values taught to me as a child influence the decisions I make in life. Through self-examination and reading the scriptures and growing in my relationship with the Lord, my world views continue to change.
(part 2) …Throughout the film, you watch him grow and change and in the end he ends up being selfless and gives Ilsa and Victor the ticket to freedom instead of using it himself. I think we need to realize as we go through everyday life that our decisions affect not only our own lives, but the lives of others as well. The movie made that point very poingtantly and it's a great lesson for all of us.
What I learned about the four levels of worldviews by watching Casablanca first of all is the fact that every decision/action we make affects others and it affects our life paths. This has really made an impact in my life. For many years, I've gone through life with a childlike attitude, but not in a good way. I've made decisions just for the moment without thought to future consequences. I've also allowed others to make my decisions for me without a sense of ownership of my own life. As evidenced in the movie, the decisions Rick made affected his relationships and life choices. In the beginning, he was sort of stuck in a story of betrayal (level 4). He had a very narcissistic attitude and didn't care about anyone other than himself. When Ilsa enters the picture, she brought back old feelings for him. Rick realized that he used to care about something.
What I learned about the four levels of worldview in Casablanca is that their actually was a worldview. I had never really thought of movies in this light before and to what an impact they make in our concious and unconcious lives. Ricks narcissism in the begining due to being stood up, later fades as he becomes aware of why she left. Rick then realizes how hard this was not only for him but also Ilsa and reverts back to his old self. It goes to show although we might not understand the reasons why things happen we should not let them get in the way of who we really are.
I also learned that there is a worldview. I never considered worldview as stories. Stories we tell ourselves, stories we create, stories we lived. I never thought about Ilsa loving Rick and being disappointed about having to leave him in Paris, but her response to Rick was genuine and heartfelt. I believe she missed him too. How different the movie would have been if Ilsa and Rick had gotten together.
I've never looked at movies and thought about their worldviews either. It kind of makes me want to go back and rewatch some movies to see what their worldviews are. I agree that we can't let things get in our way. Even though bad things may happen, we can't let them change us into hard careless people, we need to accept them as life and let them make us stronger.
It is interesting because his worldview was hidden and what people seen was what he wanted them to see. In the beginning he appeared to be selfish and cynical, and in the end the person with morals and a consious was revealed.
Rick started out pretty selfish. He was put into the position to change. Ilsa changed his thinking and maybe helped soften his heart. Much of life change is forced upon us. The world views expecial self-sacrifice and be coming a hero are not something you wake up to one day and say" today I'm going to be a hero"
For me having kids and expecially teenage kids has caused me to be come less selfless. I not sure about the hero part. The belief that we are sinners and saved by grace would indicate that our natural tendency is to look out for ourself. So I think God puts us in situations to change, like some of Ricks dilemmas.
I agree, God tests us by allowing things to happen and by the choices we make in life. I am so glade I know the Lord and that even when I make the wrong choices he convicts me and I recognize my faults and ask for forgiveness.
Good Post Jerry. You are correct, much change is forced upon all of us. I think it's when we don't listen to our inner voice, or worldview, that we find ourselves headed in the wrong direction or lost. Much like Rick ended up in Casablanca. And YES, you are a hero to your family!
Although I don't have kids, I do have a niece that I help raise and consider one of my own. Until now it has taken me to realize the true meaning of selflessness. I truely believe that the situation that God puts us in are going to force us to make the decisions that are meant to be.
Part 2 (My comment was too long so here is the second part)
For me, I learned that even when my daily routine is very busy, I need to slow down enough to appreciate the blessing in my life and to express appreciation to others. I also need to take the time to periodically re-evaluate my goals and what is really important in my life. Unfortunately, many times it takes a death of a loved one to slow down and enjoy what they have rather than pushing onward in our normal manner without even realizing what or why we are doing so.
It is very difficult at times to slow down and realize the blessings you have in life. It is unfortunate that the realization comes from losing someone or something, but that does happen very often. Hopefully time will allow this with the fast paced world we live in today. Great insight!
Colleen your absolutely right, sometimes unfortunately it does take the reality of death to "wake us up" and remember whats important in life. Thanks for the reminder.
I too have learned not to be selfish but only at the cost of nearly losing a loved one. I had to stop being selfish and honor her wishes. She was in a car accident and had given instruction not to do blood transfusion. Her husband was in a state of confusion and asked me what should he do and I replied, " give her the blood." I was being very selfish because if it took the blood to keep my sister alive and with me then I wanted her to have it. Now on the moral side of the episode I had to respect her wishes and just like Rick I had to make a right or wrong moral decision in helping my brother-in-law . I gave up my selfish desire and respected her wishes. She is still with us and the doctors was able to give her some substituted blood.
What I learned in about the four levels of worldview in Casablanca and their impact on my life.
The film Casablanca began with the character “Rick” moving through his daily routine on a superficial level. He did not seem to give much thought to anyone that he interacted with, but rather he brushed them off as quickly as possible. In fact, his motto was “I stick my neck out for no one”. As the film progressed, he seemed to become more aware of the struggles that others face. This was evident when he instructed his employee to roll a 22 so that the young couple would win the money that they needed. Finally, at the end of the film, Rick made a sacrifice by sending Ilsa with Victor on the plane. This action showed that he was acting as “should” vs. “should not”, or in a good vs. evil way. He knew at that point that the world was bigger than himself and that he needed to do the right thing.
Rick made a huge change from the beginning of the movie to the end. He began as a man who wanted to be left alone and wouldn't do anything for anybody. Then hope came when Ilsa came back into his life, until he found out she was married and had been when they were together in Paris. Then resentment and anger rise in him. The night Ilsa comes to Rick's and tells him the whole story, there is a softening in rick. He still loves Ilsa, but realizes how good a man Victor is and that he deserves Ilsa rather than him. He makes the great sacrifice of giving up his love to another man. I think this film is a great example of how to live our lives. Not necessarily the first half where he was selfish, but when he softened. Sometimes in life we need to realize it isn't all about us. We should try to think of others first at times and be willing to sacrifice to make others happy; I believe in turn this will make us happy too.
This is a great post! I think you are right on when you say that sometimes we need to sacrifice to make others happy. This can make us happy at times, it can make us feel at ease with our decisions.
I agree that when Rick hears the complete story is when his charactor change takes a major turn. I think that although Rick may or may like Victor is he realizes what importance he plays in the defeat of the Germans.
Great point, Hillary! I think if everyone were less selfish and everyone spent time trying to do something for others, that we would all be better off for it. It's remarkable to me the amount of change Rick went through in the sequence of the film. He went from being completely preoccupied and selfish to actually caring about someone other than himself and displaying passion for something other than his own motives.
Hillary –
It is amazing how Rick's heart turned from one of selfishness to one of good moral character and looking out for others and not himself. It was a good movie on doing what is right even though you it is not what one wants to do. A good lesson for all of us to live by your morals.
As I mentioned in a different post, Rick selfishness was his way of protecting his heart. After Ilsa broke it by not showing up in Paris, he adopted this heartless sense of being, not realizing there's always another side to every story.
Rick, Ilsa and Victor's lives are so similar to other people lives that I associate with in my life today. Most people have the wrong perception about life and things which causes us to misjudge one another. That is what happen wiith the characters of Casablanca, people misjudge the true character of Rick but in the end the harsh exterior that he carried around for so many years slowly shedding away and he let his vunerable side show when Ilsa came back into his life.
I know the main characters were Rick and Ilsa. Rick allowed disappointment and heartbreak to harden his heart. I have interacted with people that like, Rck think keeping everyone at an emotional distance will protect them from future heartbreak. Ilsa fell for Rick when she thought her husband, Lazlow had been killed, I think on some level it was an attempt by her to forget her heartbreak of losing her husband and hero. I couldn't help imposing my worldview on the charaters of the movie. I was drawn to the untold story of Sam, the character and the actor that played him. in 1943, a black man having to call, everyone, Boss, Ma'am or sir had to have been difficult. However, considering the racial tone of that era, I was surprised at the major role he had and that the character was not a bufoon. I liked when the bar owner of the Blue Parakeet offered to buy Sam, and Rick siad I don't traffic human beings.
Kim
I've known people like that. Very hard to get close to, because of their past. It was very hard to get them to trust you.