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MrScorpio

(73,709 posts)
Tue Jul 14, 2020, 04:48 AM Jul 2020

The famous La Marseillaise scene from Casablanca. [View all]



pyrrhiccomedy

You know, this scene is so powerful to me that sometimes I forget that not everyone who watches it will understand its significance, or will have seen Casablanca. So, because this scene means so much to me, I hope it’s okay if I take a minute to explain what’s going on here for anyone who’s feeling left out.

Casablanca takes place in, well, Casablanca, the largest city in (neutral) Morocco in 1941, at Rick’s American Cafe (Rick is Humphrey Bogart’s character you see there). In 1941, America was also still neutral, and Rick’s establishment is open to everyone: Nazi German officials, officials from Vichy (occupied) France, and refugees from all across Europe desperate to escape the German war engine. A neutral cafe in a netural country is probably the only place you’d have seen a cross-section like this in 1941, only six months after the fall of France.

So, the scene opens with Rick arguing with Laszlo, who is a Czech Resistance fighter fleeing from the Nazis (if you’re wondering what they’re arguing about: Rick has illegal transit papers which would allow Laszlo and his wife, Ilsa, to escape to America, so he could continue raising support against the Germans. Rick refuses to sell because he’s in love with Laszlo’s wife). They’re interrupted by that cadre of German officers singing Die Wacht am Rhein: a German patriotic hymn which was adopted with great verve by the Nazi regime, and which is particularly steeped in anti-French history. This depresses the hell out of everybody at the club, and infuriates Laszlo, who storms downstairs and orders the house band to play La Marseillaise: the national anthem of France.

Wait, but when I say “it’s the national anthem of France,” I don’t want you to think of your national anthem, okay? Wherever you’re from. Because France’s anthem isn’t talking about some glorious long-ago battle, or France’s beautiful hills and countrysides. La Marseillaise is FUCKING BRUTAL. Here’s a translation of what they’re singing:

Arise, children of the Fatherland! The day of glory has arrived! Against us, tyranny raises its bloody banner. Do you hear, in the countryside, the roar of those ferocious soldiers? They’re coming to your land to cut the throats of your women and children!

To arms, citizens! Form your battalions! Let’s march, let’s march! Let their impure blood water our fields!


BRUTAL, like I said. DEFIANT, in these circumstances. And the entire cafe stands up and sings it passionately, drowning out the Germans. The Germans who are, in 1941, still terrifyingly ascendant, and seemingly invincible.

“Vive la France! Vive la France!” the crowd cries when it’s over. France has already been defeated, the German war machine roars on, and the people still refuse to give up hope.

But here’s the real kicker, for me: Casablanca came out in 1942. None of this was ‘history’ to the people who first saw it. Real refugees from the Nazis, afraid for their lives, watched this movie and took heart. These were current events when this aired. Victory over Germany was still far from certain. The hope it gave to people then was as desperately needed as it has been at any time in history.

God I love this scene.


freekicks

not only did refugees see this movie, real refugees made this movie. most of the european cast members wound up in hollywood after fleeing the nazis and wound up.

paul heinreid, who played laszlo the resistance leader, was a famous austrian actor; he was so anti-hitler that he was named an enemy of the reich. ugarte, the petty thief who stole the illegal transit papers laszlo and victor are arguing about? was played by peter lorre, a jewish refugee. carl, the head waiter? played by s.z. sakall, a hungarian-jew whose three sisters died in the holocaust.

even the main nazi character was played by a german refugee: conrad veidt, who starred in one of the first sympathetic films about gay men and who fled the nazis with his jewish wife.

there’s one person in this scene that deserves special mention. did you notice the woman at the bar, on the verge of tears as she belts out la marseillaise? she’s yvonne, rick’s ex-girlfriend in the film. in real life, the actress’s name is madeleine lebeau and she basically lived the plot of this film: she and her jewish husband fled paris ahead of the germans in 1940. her husband, macel dalio, is also in the film, playing the guy working the roulette table. after they occupied paris, the nazis used his face on posters to represent a “typical jew.” madeleine and marcel managed to get to lisbon (the goal of all the characters in casablanca), and boarded a ship to the americas… but then they were stranded for two months when it turned out their visa papers were forgeries. they eventually entered the US after securing temporary canadian visas. marcel dalio’s entire family died in concentration camps.

go back and rewatch the clip. watch madeleine lebeau’s face.








casablanca is a classic, full of classic acting performances. but in this moment, madeleine lebeau isn’t acting. this isn’t yvonne the jilted lover onscreen. this is madeleine lebeau, singing “la marseillaise” after she and her husband fled france for their lives. this is a real-life refugee, her real agony and loss and hope and resilience, preserved in the midst of one of the greatest films of all time.

http://notmypresidentno.tumblr.com/post/175638713168/thebibliosphere-blood-on-my-french-fries


https://mrscorpio.tumblr.com

Vive La France.
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Thank you. murielm99 Jul 2020 #1
I agree. This was one of the great movies of that era. overleft Jul 2020 #4
I would say it's one of the great movies of ANY era! lastlib Jul 2020 #21
Amazing how much of the dialogue still works. empedocles Jul 2020 #5
Similar theme today. wnylib Jul 2020 #32
A wonderful post. Thank you sooo much for sharing everything you know about the film! secondwind Jul 2020 #2
Yes, and in so many ways. flor-de-jasmim Jul 2020 #11
Stirring. Thank you. dameatball Jul 2020 #3
Just wow Sedona Jul 2020 #6
Huge, broad, stirring impact at the time, also. empedocles Jul 2020 #7
I was thinking of an appropriate way to celebrate Bastille Day. This works just fine. NT mahatmakanejeeves Jul 2020 #8
Exactly soothsayer Jul 2020 #14
I thought of storming the Oval Office BigmanPigman Jul 2020 #50
The other important thing to remember is that PoindexterOglethorpe Jul 2020 #9
Thank you for this. cate94 Jul 2020 #10
Thanks, MrScorpio gademocrat7 Jul 2020 #12
Madeleine's face is has always been my Ilsa Jul 2020 #13
Thank you..much of this I learned over the years mountain grammy Jul 2020 #15
Marchons! elleng Jul 2020 #16
What an outstanding synopsis and commentary A HERETIC I AM Jul 2020 #17
Complerely agree. Synopsis is is outstanding! bobbieinok Jul 2020 #29
Makes me cry every time. dhol82 Jul 2020 #18
Thank you for sharing!!! Raster Jul 2020 #19
Great summary grantcart Jul 2020 #20
BEAUTIFUL! HAB911 Jul 2020 #22
Awesome! Side fact, Conrad Veidt inspired Batman's arch villain, the Joker Clash City Rocker Jul 2020 #23
Thanks for this post Dave in VA Jul 2020 #24
Almost 80 years old and still just as powerful. sarge43 Jul 2020 #25
I sometimes use this film in my film Ghost of Tom Joad Jul 2020 #26
I get chills every time I watch this scene Boomer Jul 2020 #48
It is one of my all-time-favorite movies, too! Thought I had this on DVD... Fritz Walter Jul 2020 #27
Merci, MrScorpio Glorfindel Jul 2020 #28
One thing to bear in mind here melm00se Jul 2020 #30
Well, being "a propaganda piece" and all, does that invalidate the message of the movie? Hekate Jul 2020 #64
It all depends melm00se Jul 2020 #67
Happy Bastille Day, and thank you for all that information. Another reason to watch one of my niyad Jul 2020 #31
Michael Carlson: Homage to Madeleine LeBeau (2016) muriel_volestrangler Jul 2020 #33
Viva La France! Quemado Jul 2020 #34
"Casablanca came out in 1942." 😲😲 uponit7771 Jul 2020 #35
LeBeau rickyhall Jul 2020 #36
Clary 2golddogs Jul 2020 #43
Thank you for the translations and background. wnylib Jul 2020 #37
Great post about a great scene from the great movie ever Bradshaw3 Jul 2020 #38
Recommended. H2O Man Jul 2020 #39
Wonderful post for Bastille Day! gollygee Jul 2020 #40
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine" Best movie line, ever Baclava Jul 2020 #41
Vive! 🇫🇷 2golddogs Jul 2020 #42
Marcel Dalio was also in "Sabrina" GreatCaesarsGhost Jul 2020 #44
My favorite scene from my favorite movie Leith Jul 2020 #45
Wow! I've seen the movie lots of times but never... NNadir Jul 2020 #46
You did a great job! Lifelong Protester Jul 2020 #47
Vive la resistance! TomSlick Jul 2020 #49
I'm tearing up Chili Jul 2020 #51
Love the details of this enthusiastic post. bucolic_frolic Jul 2020 #52
One of the most poignant scenes from one of my favorite films. smirkymonkey Jul 2020 #53
If I am correct... GeoWilliam750 Jul 2020 #54
Yes, this is the scene. soldierant Jul 2020 #55
Thank you MrScorpio for this great post on this day. You added a great deal of information and c-rational Jul 2020 #56
play the star spangled banner , play it dang gummit. AllaN01Bear Jul 2020 #57
Vive la France! benld74 Jul 2020 #58
I had a chance to see this on the big screen a few years ago. Dyedinthewoolliberal Jul 2020 #59
Thank you for a wonderful post. perfessor Jul 2020 #60
Bravo! You're so right about this scene. You're so right about Madeleine LeBeau!!! somaticexperiencing Jul 2020 #61
Thank you. Your transcendant analysis explains why Casablanca has been rated #1 for decades. ancianita Jul 2020 #62
You made me cry, Mr Scorpio. A great essay about a great film... Hekate Jul 2020 #63
https://spotflik.com/6-reasons-why-casablanca-remains-a-unique-classic-film/ empedocles Mar 2022 #68
Thank you..dont know much about the film other than Demovictory9 Jul 2020 #65
Thank you for this post. And the underlying story. GoneOffShore Jul 2020 #66
Kicking Mr. Scorpio Jul 2023 #69
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