GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Casablanca

POSTED BY: AG05
UPDATED: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 02:49
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Sunday, February 8, 2009 5:03 PM

AG05


I was watching Casablanca on TCM a couple of days ago, and I remembered how much I liked the character of Rick (Bogart). I'd seen the movie years ago and really like it, but it was only after watching Firefly that I made the connection. Rick would have made a good Browncoat. In fact, Rick is really very similar to Mal in a lot of respects:

Both men fought on the losing sides of wars (Rick ran guns to Ethiopia and fought in the very brutal Spanish Civil War on the losing side.)

Both men are seen as "men of honor in a den of thieves", although both men are willing to break the law quite frequently.

Both men claim not to be (and try not to be) idealists, but both are.

Both men experienced a sudden, traumatic event (the Battle of Serenity Valley for Mal, the fall of Paris and the loss of Ilsa for Rick), and the experience left both men very bitter.

Both men are making an attempt to get by, when some fugitive and his chick show up and complicate the hell out of everything.

The point I'm trying to make is this: I think these characters would understand each other very well. I find a certain appeal in a character that has fought a noble battle and lost. I'm not sure why.

Not much of a point, now that I look at it, but I figured I'd put it out here and see what people thought.

Mercy is the mark of a great man.
Guess I'm just a good man.
Well, I'm alright.

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Sunday, February 8, 2009 5:07 PM

PHYRELIGHT


XD

I've never noticed the connection before either. But now that you mention it, Mal and Rick are very much a like.





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Sunday, February 8, 2009 5:48 PM

PIRATECAT


Rick had the crazy russian. Mal had the crazy little girl. I'm shocked shocked there is gambling going on. Here is your winnings sir.

"Battle of Serenity, Mal. Besides Zoe here, how many-" "I'm talkin at you! How many men in your platoon came out of their alive".

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Sunday, February 8, 2009 6:10 PM

SCHISM


Well that's just downright observant.
Casablanca is a great movie.
Too few people watch it because it's been deified as a film cliche, but dammit it gave BIRTH to those cliches.
And not ONCE does he ever actually say "play it again Sam".
;)

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Sunday, February 8, 2009 6:10 PM

NCBROWNCOAT


Quote:

Originally posted by AG05:
I was watching Casablanca on TCM a couple of days ago, and I remembered how much I liked the character of Rick (Bogart). I'd seen the movie years ago and really like it, but it was only after watching Firefly that I made the connection. Rick would have made a good Browncoat. In fact, Rick is really very similar to Mal in a lot of respects:

Both men fought on the losing sides of wars (Rick ran guns to Ethiopia and fought in the very brutal Spanish Civil War on the losing side.)

Both men are seen as "men of honor in a den of thieves", although both men are willing to break the law quite frequently.

Both men claim not to be (and try not to be) idealists, but both are.

Both men experienced a sudden, traumatic event (the Battle of Serenity Valley for Mal, the fall of Paris and the loss of Ilsa for Rick), and the experience left both men very bitter.

Both men are making an attempt to get by, when some fugitive and his chick show up and complicate the hell out of everything.

The point I'm trying to make is this: I think these characters would understand each other very well. I find a certain appeal in a character that has fought a noble battle and lost. I'm not sure why.

Not much of a point, now that I look at it, but I figured I'd put it out here and see what people thought.

Mercy is the mark of a great man.
Guess I'm just a good man.
Well, I'm alright.



Casablanca is one of my favorite movies and I saw it again Saturday night on TCM. I think I saw the same connections you did.

Let me add Sam, he's Rick's Zoe. He may not be a warrior, but he tries to keep Rick out of trouble and he's Rick's confidante and he's also skeptical about Ilsa messing up Rick's life.

"Round up the usual subjects."

Oh, and Nathan starred in an episode of "The Outer Limits" in 1999, I think, that was a direct ripoff of "Casabalanca". It's very hard to find but well worth watching if you can find it.



http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/








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Sunday, February 8, 2009 11:20 PM

SHINYGOODGUY


Ah yes, one of the top 10 movies of all time. Casablanca is one of my favs, but now that you mention it - Rick and Mal do have a lot in common. There is the ill-fated love affair (Ilsa/Inara); there's the stalwart partner-in-crime (Sam/Zoe); there's the businessman with roots in the community (Ugarte & Ferrari/Badger); there's the stalwart idealist hero (Victor Laszlo/Simon) and the lovely damsel in distress (Ilsa/River) who needs protection.

There's the Alliance/Nazis. There's also Renault/Jayne, that, at first may not seem similar but both find that they have more in common with the Captain/Rick than when their journey first began. I think that the Captain and Rick would become fast friends, after, of course, some very skeptical scrutinzing of one another.

Casablanca was the grandaddy of these types of stories that people now take for granted. I'm glad you put this out there and it makes perfect sense, because of the way the story developed in the movie and how FF unfolded as a series. A man who rights himself, after making some selfish decisions, that most would cringe from in the moment of truth.

Mal was a man who lost his faith because he lost something that he strongly believed in; while Rick lost his way because of he felt he lost the love of his life. They both regained their faith and a reason to fight the power. With Rick it was summed up in the airport when he was sending Ilsa off (the problems of 3 little people don't amount to a hill of beans speech); and with Mal it was on Miranda (I aim to misbehave speech).

So, you did make a good point there in how these characters had similar motivations and beliefs. I could see them sharing a shot of whiskey, Rick & Mal, then plotting a course to meet up with Monty to find themselves in a bar on U-Day.

God I miss those guys.

SGG

Tawabawho?

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Monday, February 9, 2009 7:40 PM

KPO

Sometimes you own the libs. Sometimes, the libs own you.


I think i've heard this comparison before, some guy describing Mal quite well as a cross between Rick, and Indiana Jones if I recall.

It's a good comparison for sure - the two are similar animals and great characters, brought to life with scripts of fantastic dialogue.

Heads should roll

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Tuesday, February 10, 2009 2:49 AM

JONGSSTRAW


Quote:

Originally posted by ncbrowncoat:
Oh, and Nathan starred in an episode of "The Outer Limits" in 1999, I think, that was a direct ripoff of "Casabalanca". It's very hard to find but well worth watching if you can find it.


Yes indeed. The episode was called "Starcrossed". Nathan played Michael Ryan, owner of the "Heaven" coffee bar, located in the "neutral" city of Archangel. It was just like Casablanca in all manner, except instead of Nazi occupiers, we had humanoid alien occupiers. The tongue & cheek banter between Nathan and the alien security chief is terrific, better, or at least as good as Bogart's Rick in Casablanca. I've written before that I think it's Nathan's finest single performance, and his appearance was very cool, hair all darkened and slickly combed. I had a chance to ask Nathan about this Outer Limits episode last year when he was on a panel in Orlando at the FX Int'l. Show. He didn't remember much, except that he was flown to Vancouver by the producers, it was freezing, but he generally had a good time making it.

I got lucky, and was able to burn a DVD of the episode a few years ago when it aired on Sci Fi channel. It is currently not available on any Outer Limits DVD released so far, but I am confident it will be out on DVD once they release more seasons of the new Outer Limits someday.

p.s....there's also a great OL episode starring Adam Baldwin called "Phobos Rising" about a base on Mars. I like to watch both episodes back to back....it's almost like having more Firefly.

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