History Awesome / Casablanca

** Notably, this was before most of the world knew of the Holocaust. Some of the cast likely knew, however, including Conrad Veidt, though such comments were usually dismissed as propaganda. It's entirely possible this line was written knowing exactly how nasty the Nazis really were, to show how heroic those who opposed them successfully were, too. The knowledge about mass killings was just beginning to get known in the West - and the work on establishing death camps wasn't still quite finished at the time of the shooting. So the sad fact, most likely unknown to the film-makers at the time, was that Nazis, alas, actually ''could'' kill that fast.

** It's minor, but afterwards, Renault is about to take a shot of wine when he sees by the bottle that it's from Vichy. He drops it into a garbage can, and then kicks the can for good measure.

-->'''Renault''': Have you taken leave of your senses?
-->'''Rick''': I have. Sit down over there.

** And remember, this movie was produced and premiered ''during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII''. Those expatriate actors aren't ''remembering'' those times, they were ''living'' those times.
** Moreover, there was a genuine concern at times that the US could either lose the war or withdraw from it, and deport these actors back to Nazi-occupied lands. There was a serious possibility they could be executed for their participation in the movie.

* Lazlo calmly telling Rick that their triangle with Ilse is nobody's fault and he isn't going to posture as a betrayed husband is in its way very awesome, as is his telling Rick to use the letters of transit to take Ilse and go.

* Captain Renault has just seen [[spoiler:Rick kill Major Strasser. The cops show up and look to him to tell them what's happened. "Major Strasser has been shot," he says.]] A pause, while Rick looks tensely at him. [[spoiler:"Round up the usual suspects."]]
** It's minor, but afterwards, Renault is about to take a shot of wine when he sees by the bottle that it's from Vichy. [[spoiler: He drops it into a garbage can, and then kicks the can for good measure.]]

* Rick shooting [[spoiler:Major Strasser,]] symbolically representing the defeat of the Nazis.

----

* The whole movie is one for Humphrey Bogart, who, given only his second chance to play a heroic protagonist (third if you count ''High Sierra''), and first to play a character who wasn't a bastard (and even his previous character had a caring side), a chance he only got because other actors turned it down... he turns in arguably the most iconic performance in film history. This pretty much flipped his type casting, and he didn't play another villain until near the end of his career.

* The whole movie is one for Humphrey Bogart, who, given only his second chance to play a heroic protagonist (third if you count ''High Sierra''), and first to play a character who wasn't a total bastard, a chance he only got because other actors turned it down... he turns in arguably the most iconic performance in film history. This pretty much flipped his type casting, and he didn't play another villain until near the end of his career.

** Made even better in November 2015, where many people on Facebook posted YouTube clips of this scene in support after a terrorist attack in Paris killed over 130 people.
** In May 2016, actress Lebeau passed away, the last living actor of the film. [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Every tribute to her]] was of her singing ''La Marseillaise'' with those tears in her eyes.

** Notably, this was before most of the world knew of the Holocaust. Some of the cast likely knew, however, including Conrad Veidt, though such comments were usually dismissed as propaganda. It's entirely possible this line was written knowing exactly how nasty the Nazis really were, to show how heroic those who opposed them successfully were, too. The knowledge about mass killings was just beginning to get known in the West - and the work on establishing death camps wasn't still quite finished at the time of the shooting. So the sad fact, most likely unknown to the film-makers at the time, was that Nazis, alas, actually ''could'' kill that fast...

* Paul Henreid, too, given less screentime and far fewer awesome and immortal lines than Bogie, somehow manages to avoid becoming the RomanticFalseLead... which is exactly what happened to every "Victor" in every Casablanca homage/retread/imitation since.

** Made even better in November of 2015 where, after a terrorist attack in Paris killed over 130 people, many people on Facebook posted Youtube clips of this scene in support.

** In May 2016, actress Lebeau passed away, the last living actor of the film. [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Every tribute to her]] was of her singing ''La Marseillaise'' with those tears in her eyes.

* Seeing a group of German soldiers in Rick's bar singing the song ''Die Wacht am Rhein'', Victor Laszlo gets the band to play ''La Marseillaise'' (with Rick's nodded assent). Laszlo and all the other customers sing their hearts out, completely drowning out the Germans.[[note]]Watch the man at the back of the German group as they try to continue their song. At one point, he slips and sings "L'étendard sanglant est levé".[[/note]] The final touch is when Yvonne (who had previously been flirting with a German soldier) starts weeping as she sings, and shouts "Vive la France! Vive la démocratie!" after the song is over.

*** In a meta way, the fact that the French actors in that scene were able to return home after the war and sing that anthem with their countrymen in a spirit of joy, rather than see it extinguished, is a Awesome moment in and of itself.

** Notably, this was before most of the world knew of the Holocaust. Some of the cast likely knew, however, including Conrad Veidt, though such comments were usually dismissed as propaganda. It's entirely possible this line was written knowing exactly how nasty the Nazis really were, to show how heroic those who opposed them successfully were, too.
*** The knowledge about mass killings was just beginning to get known in the West - and the work on establishing death camps wasn't still quite finished at the time of the shooting. So the sad fact, most likely unknown to the film-makers at the time, was that Nazis, alas, actually ''could'' kill that fast...
* Captain Renault's riposte to Major Strasser: "We mustn't underestimate American blundering. I was with them when they blundered into UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}} in [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI 1918]]."
** Though a little undermined by the fact that [[ArtisticLicenseHistory Allied troops never reached Berlin in WWI]].

** Paul Henreid, too, given less screentime and far fewer awesome and immortal lines than Bogie, somehow manages to avoid becoming the RomanticFalseLead... which is exactly what happened to every "Victor" in every Casablanca homage/retread/imitation since.
* Though Ugarte's attempt to escape the police fails miserably, there's still something incredibly badass about such a little, seemingly ineffectual guy being able to cause so much mayhem.
** The fact that it comes so suddenly and unexpectedly is what makes the scene so memorable. Ugarte at first appears to be sadly surrendering to the police...then suddenly dashes through the door, whips out a gun, and fires into a crowd four times, shocking everyone. Even then the police pile onto him he's still fighting with raging adrenaline. Yes, Ugarte, we ARE more impressed with you!
*** That's not to forget why he was going to be arrested in the first place. Who would know?..