How Love Triangles can be used to elevate suspense
By Segun Ade-Martins
Spoiler Alert for Casablanca!
Eighty years ago, Casablanca (1942) won three Academy Award wins for best picture, best screenplay, and best director. Today, I look at the element that make this film a masterpiece.
After so many years, this movie is still a gem of Hollywood filmmaking and shows us that mastering dramatic elements is the key to making exciting landmark films.
And the humble element that glues the picture together in an indivisible bond is the “love triangle.”
What is a love triangle?
The central element of many romantic films is when a “boy” meets a “girl.” Romantic films make the couple’s major obstacle another potential love interest. At times, this person is a minor obstacle.
A highly memorable love triangle happens when the audience is divided on the choice of the central person in the couple and the story.
For example, Person A is in love with Person B, but Person C is also in love with and actively pursues Person B. Person B has to choose between Persons A and C. The more difficult the choice is, the greater the suspense.
What happened in Casablanca?
Casablanca stars Humphrey Bogart (Rick), Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa), and Paul Henreid (Victor), among others. Written by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch. And directed by Michael Curtiz.
Casablanca follows the story of a locus point during World War II where refugees look to escape European Nazi occupation to America and other non-war places.
Rick owns and operates a bar in this gateway city, and on a typical night, his old “flame,” Ilsa, walks into the bar with her husband, Victor Laszlo. Rick says, “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”
They are after the coveted transit papers that will allow passage through to a neutral port where they could flee to the US, which is what the movie starts with.
Now, it just happens that Rick is in possession of the transit papers.
So let’s take a look at the main characters’ desires and the stakes.
Victor has the devotion of Ilsa and wants to escape with her, but his love and devotion to his freedom-fighting cause undermine this.
Ilsa is devoted to Victor and his cause but is fueled by a burning passion for Rick.
Rick is in love with Ilsa and realises that he still has a strong desire for her but has become comfortable being neutral to the allied war efforts (he did some counter-Nazi smuggling for allied forces). Now, he owns the most prominent nightclub and is wealthy.
Rick is also in a position to help Victor and Ilsa with the papers and escape, but he could jeopardise his current comfortable situation by doing so.
Rick risks persecution from the Nazis and the loss of his lifestyle. Also, he will feel extra hurt if he helps the woman he loves escape from his grasp again. Especially when she reveals she still loves him.
Rick also has another choice. He has the power to offer victory to the Nazis and take Ilsa for himself, but that could also be a choice filled with regret.
How the love triangle enhanced the suspense
This love triangle is very close to an equilateral triangle. Where each person’s point of view is felt almost equally.
We can sympathise with all three; Victor’s fight against the Nazis is important, and he is willing to ultimately sacrifice himself for Ilsa. Ilsa is torn between passionate love and devotion to marriage (with all its risks and rewards).
Rick is torn between a “soft life”, tearing that up by helping Victor and Ilsa, or helping the Nazis by eliminating Victor and supposedly getting Ilsa to stay in that “soft life” with him.
So, what do they do? Every scenario results in the demise of either Rick or Victor, which will devastate Ilsa either way.
My heart is racing as I write this; Rick has the most power in this situation, which triggers the conclusion to this fantastic story.
I can’t compare the tension that I feel watching this film to anything else. The moment before the climax is absolutely astounding.
The Takeaway
How did the filmmakers pull this off? There are several elements in this movie that I haven’t touched on; the villain is obvious, but we are not sure who the allies are or to what extent they will assist.
The love triangle is the story device on which this film is built. Its balance is crucial to building the drama, conflict, and suspense. This simple instrument carefully points to the dilemma, the compelling want, and the false belief.
Even though I may have warned you of spoilers, I can’t bring myself to reveal the end. It’s something that must be experienced. I must admit, I had a lot of resistance to watching this film because it was so praised and talked about.
I vaguely remember a discussion of why this film was so brilliant in analysis in a film class, and like you (people who haven’t watched it), I was lost and didn’t understand what they were banging on about.
Until I watched and sat at the edge of my seat. The way it pulled me in made me rate it 10 out of 10 on my IMDb profile, and I stand by that assessment.
Originally published at http://thestrangejournal.wordpress.com on May 20, 2024.
