The story is set during World War II in Casablanca, a bustling Moroccan city under French control. It serves as a hub for refugees fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe, hoping to secure passage to freedom in America. Although it is neutral ground, corrupt French Captain Louis Renault is managing the city’s security—an opportunist turncoat whose direction is guided by where the wind blows.

Rick Blaine, a cynical and world-weary American expatriate, runs a popular nightclub and gambling den, Rick's Café Américain. Rick maintains a neutral stance, avoiding politics and personal entanglements, though he secretly harbours a disillusioned patriotism. His café is also where visas are being traded for money to take a plane to Lisbon for the eventual departure to America as an exile. He can run his business as he helps Captain Renault win at the roulette and does not personally participate in the visa trade.

Things changed when somebody stole letters of transit signed by General de Gaulle, worth a fortune, and ended in his ownership. Major Strasser, an emissary of the Reich, even made an effort to travel to Casablanca because there were some rumours that one of the most emblematic symbols of the resistance, Victor Laszlo, who kept on escaping them was to set foot in Casablanca. Major Strasser and Captain Renault are working together to arrange the arrest of the fugitive.

So far, none of the above would move Rick's philosophy of sticking his head out for no one. Despite his portrayed cynicism, Captain Renault sensed in him the covert sentimentalist from his file. Carrying Guns in Ethiopia, Supporting the Loyalists in Spain. He always fought for the losing side despite getting better monetary offers from the enemies. A mercenary with a heart is what he was, but not anymore.

Everything changed when Ilsa Lund, Victor Laszlo's wife, came into Rick's café. She saw Sam, the resident black pianist of the place she knew from her time in Paris. The familiarity is rediscovered. However, Sam, a personal friend of Rick, is showing himself very reserved with the request of Ilsa, who asks him to play a specific song, as she suspected that Rick, the man she had a romance with in Paris before the Germans took over the city, would remember and come out. Against his better judgment, and according to Ilsa's pleading, he complied, bringing Rick on the scene with the scolding look of "I told you never to play this song".

When Rick looks up and sees Ilsa, his usual jaded face lights up whilst trying to contain his emotions. The song triggered him as expected. He introduces himself to Victor Laszlo, who invites him to drink with them. Captain Renault is also present and surprised when Rick accepts the offer, as he has made a rule never to drink with patrons. Ilsa's facial expression and body language lit up. It does not go unnoticed by Victor, who suggests they leave early.

This sets up the whole shift in the character. Victor knows he is under the watch of Major Strasser, who wants to see him in Captain Renault's office, which he will attend on the following day, to eventually let him know he can either leave Casablanca if he snitches on all his accomplices or stay there, but he is not complying.

In the meantime, Rick goes on a drinking binge, reminiscing about all the good times he had with Ilsa when they were in Paris before she failed to respect their agreement to meet at the station to leave Paris with him and Sam when the Germans arrived. He knew she would come back to speak with him that night after the café, which she did. Despite Sam's best efforts, he does not want to leave, as both lovers have an innate understanding that there is some unfinished business.

In light of his broken heart, Rick did not want to believe what Ilsa told him once seated in the quietness of the out-of-business-hours café. What was a previously idealistic individual turned into a selfish cynic who knew that he should only cater to himself to avoid the disappointment of others. This took place before she visited Captain Renault's office with Victor. You can see that both people's feelings are still ripe no matter how much both restrict themselves. Rick does that out of self-protection, and Ilsa does it out of duty to the cause. Nevertheless, he has none of what Ilsa is telling, which prompts her to leave the venue.

He also understands that the letter of transit he was given is his leverage. Captain Renault would sign off any exit visa for the couple, as Rick knew he was working with Major Strasser. So, Victor and Ilsa's only option was to go to him to buy the letters of transit. Victor tried to be denied eventually. He offered up to 200k in francs, to which Rick replied that even 3 million francs would still not be enough. Despite his status as a local businessman, Rick is, first of all, a sentimentalist. He would not let Ilsa out of his sight again.

When Victor leaves Rick's office, he goes down to the bar, where the background music is a German anthem sung by Major Strasser and the officials surrounding him. He then looks at the other musicians and asks them to play the French resistance anthem of La Marseillaise. The musicians looked at Rick for approval, who nodded. At this point, Rick's mind on not sticking his head out for anyone was altered, despite still battling what would be the next moves he would make.

That scene is preceded by the key turning point before Rick chooses a side. A young Bulgarian lady whose young husband is gambling for the visa they require to leave Casablanca is coming to see Rick to see if he can vouch for Captain Renault's honesty. The very pragmatic Rick was already helping the Captain win at the roulette in money and getting women's virtue for a visa. Rick suggests that she should return to Bulgaria and that he could do nothing for her despite her plea.

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They are desperate people caught in the moral grey zones of war. She faces an agonising moral dilemma: Should she sacrifice her sexual faithfulness by yielding to Captain Renault's demands to secure freedom for her and her husband?

Despite what is on the surface, Annina's willingness to do anything to ensure her husband's freedom underscores her selflessness and deep love for him. Could she be forgiven for doing the unforgivable as long as her husband does not know it, out of an act of love, because she wanted to guarantee his future happiness?

Rick states that nobody ever loved him that much.

This was a test of whether Rick could still do the right thing even though he had more to lose than to gain on a personal level. He then decides to subtly rig the roulette so that Annina's husband can pay for the visa they desperately need.

Will Rick confront himself instead of kicking the can down the road through his feigned detachment from the struggles around him, or take a stand against injustice?

This reminded him of the sacrifices he made for the people he loved and for freedom. This echoes his unresolved feelings for Ilsa and foreshadows his ultimate decision to prioritise a more significant cause over his desires.

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Following the Marseillaise episode, Major Strasser commands Captain Renault, already frustrated by Rick's little coup against what he thought was a banker's bang, to close the café.

The situation gets more tense when Major Strasser threatens Ilsa with the fate of Victor if he does not surrender in occupied France, alluding he won't live long in Casablanca should he not choose to follow his recommended advice. In hindsight, Victor knew that business logic would not sway Rick when asking for the letters of transit, so he doubled down on his emotional side by cornering him from the affront he perpetrated in the café to Major Strasser.

The situation becomes desperate. Victor leaves to join the local resistance meeting. In the meantime, Ilsa goes to Rick's place to plead for the letters of transit to help her and Victor leave Casablanca. Rick still does not want to give in, knowing she will be stuck with him here. She first appeals to do the right thing, which does not resonate with him. Ilsa then starts saying how much she loves him, which he does not believe, as he rightly assumes that a desperate person will do anything to get their way. This is where she pulls the guns out and orders him to hand her the documents, which would secure her escape with Victor.

Rick, keeping his calm, decided to make it easier on her by coming closer, saying he does not care whether he shoots her or not, to which she collapses under the pressure and cannot pull the trigger. This is where she breaks out in tears because she cannot control her emotions for Rick, even against her best efforts. This is where Rick knows Ilsa truly loves him and gains his trust back despite all the hurt he has suffered from abandoning him in Paris. She then explained the situation and how she was already married to Victor when they met; she thought he was dead but could not tell Rick because Victor kept the relationship secret for her own safety.

He then alludes that he would save Victor, as she does not have the strength to leave Rick again. Rick still wants her, and both characters finally let go of all their repressed love for one another. She ends up saying, "You have to think for us, for both of us", to which he replies "I will".

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Even though Ilsa deeply loves Rick, she must deal with her own dilemma. Her strong feelings for Victor are born from her deep admiration and respect for him. She sees him as a man of unshakable principle. His leadership in the resistance and commitment to the fight against tyranny inspire her, and she deeply respects his courage and moral integrity.

There is also gratitude and loyalty. Having believed Victor was dead when she fell in love with Rick in Paris, Ilsa's return to Victor after learning he was alive speaks to her deep sense of loyalty. She feels bound by their shared history and Victor's reliance on her as his emotional support during his dangerous political work.

Their relationship is one of partnership rather than romantic passion. Ilsa aligns herself with Victor's cause, viewing their union as part of a larger fight for freedom, even though it lacks the intensity and spontaneity of her love for Rick.

It is also contrasted by Ilsa's feelings for Victor, which are clouded by guilt over her affair with Rick, even though she believed Victor was dead at the time. She feels torn between her love for Rick and commitment to Victor, representing her broader struggle between personal happiness and a greater moral responsibility.

On the other hand, Ilsa's love for Rick is undeniable and intense, rooted in their brief but transformative time together in Paris. Their relationship represents a pure and unguarded moment in her life, free from the burdens of war and duty.

Ilsa also profoundly regrets leaving Rick in Paris without explanation when she learns Victor is still alive. This guilt compounds her love, as she knows she deeply hurt Rick, someone she still cherishes.

She is torn between her love for Rick and her loyalty to Victor. Although her heart yearns for Rick, her conscience and sense of duty compel her to stay with Victor, whom she admires and respects.

Her feelings for Rick also intertwine with their idealised memory of their time in Paris. For Ilsa, Rick represents not only love but also a fleeting moment of happiness and normalcy amidst the chaos of war.

Despite her inner turmoil, Ilsa trusts Rick implicitly, especially when she asks him to help Victor escape. Her willingness to be emotionally vulnerable around Rick underscores her connection with him.

Whereas her feelings for Victor are born out of logic, reason, and a greater purpose, her feelings for Rick are passionate, raw and deeply personal. Rick is the expression of her true self.

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Victor's resistance meeting is eventually interrupted by the Police, and he has to run with Carl (Rick's employee) to Rick's café. This breaks the Ilsa-Rick catch-up happening upstairs. Under a pretence, he tells Carl to switch the light upstairs to hide Ilsa's escape route so Victor is unaware that she went to see him during his resistance gathering.

He decides to go down and catch up with Victor and questions him if all he is doing is worth it. Victor responds that fighting is like breathing. If we don't, we die. Rick responds that the world will be better as it will be out of his misery. Victor does not buy his nihilism, saying he sounds like someone trying to convince himself of something he does not believe in.

Victor calls him out for his love for Ilsa and how he knew it from the first evening he spent in the café. However, he does not ask for explanations, as he assumes some reasons would explain the situation that he does not have time to listen to.

As his original plea of getting out of Casablanca did not work for Rick, he uses another angle to ask Rick, out of his love for Ilsa, to keep her safe and give her the letters of transit as a favour to him. Rick asks him if he loves her that much, to which he responds that he is not only the leader of a cause but also a human being. He knew the sentimental cord would work better on Rick than doing the right thing. Victor loves her that much.

The Police barge into the café and arrest Victor under the orders of Captain Renault. This leads Rick to visit Renault shortly afterwards. The dynamic of their relationship is interesting. They are ruthless mercenaries who prioritise effectiveness and self-interest on the surface but deeply understand one another whilst not letting the other person think they do. Rick makes a deal with Captain Renault to release Victor on stronger charges by setting him up so that Captain Renault has enough grounds to send Victor to the concentration camps, which would get him higher officials' praise.

Later in the evening, the scene is set. Victor comes to the café with Ilsa, ready to get the letters of transit so Captain Renault can catch them red-handed during the transaction. As Renault is about to arrest Victor, who is just realising Rick's betrayal, he is only more surprised by the gun he is holding on the Captain's back, who he now orders to call the airport to let them know two travellers are on their way to get a plane. When he picks up the phone, he instead calls Major Strasser to inform him covertly that there will be individuals of interest going to the said destination.

When the car drops Rick, the Captain, Ilsa and Victor, he asks Renault to fill in the letters of transit, where he requests that both Ilsa and Victor board the plane, to which Ilsa is surprised as she expects to get on the plane with Rick. She starts arguing about what they had last night. He tells her he has thought of them as Ilsa asked him to. She does not want to listen to him despite the foregone conclusion that their love will not be conducive to the best outcomes for every party, the resistance, Rick and Ilsa's safety, and Victor's sanity. Her role is bigger than to play to Rick's pleasure; Ilsa has to be there for Victor as inspiration in his fight. If she decides to stay with him in Casablanca, she will eventually regret it.

She can't follow him; they have their stories, which is good for memory. Despite his love for her, he knew he had to let her go for both people's long-term outcomes. Victor eventually wins his fight, not so much in keeping Ilsa but in turning Rick back to his true self. The one who he denied himself to be, the idealist fighter of lost causes, spurred by his sentimentalism towards beauty and what is the greater good.

Rick decides to explain to Victor what happened the night before with Ilsa to tie up loose ends and solidify the narrative so that he can rest assured he can trust her despite the ambiguity of this menage à trois. She fought to get the letters of transit for both her and Victor, and the story of how she used every method in the book to get there was the one Victor eventually bought.

Victor and Ilsa jump on the plane after giving their goodbyes to Rick. Captain Renault tells Rick that he was a sentimentalist after understanding his whole move to get the couple out of Casablanca and how he got played in the process. The Captain also calls him out for lying to Victor about Ilsa's true feelings for Rick. Renault tells him he will have to arrest him. Rick agrees to it after the plane goes. In the meantime, Major Strasser arrives to spoil the party. The Captain explains that Victor is on the plane, prompting the German to call the radio tower to stop the departure.

He is being threatened by Rick, with a gun pointing at him, not to call the radio tower as he will be willing to shoot him. Major Strasser decides to ignore his threat to be shot dead. Rick officially joined the resistance through that act. Captain Renault decides to cover for him once the Police come to pick up the body by telling them to round up the usual suspect. In this act, Renault decides to join Rick in his adventure, and these two somewhat similar individuals leave the scene, entering the future of beautiful friendship between a turncoat with a soft side who declines to say its name and a repented cynic who decides to hang the cape of nihilism.

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