Danny Peary’s book Cult Movies lists the greatest ‘cult movies’ of all time and delves into why each movie sparked such crazed reception. Peary refers to the ‘Casablanca-Humphrey Bogart cult’ as the film’s fanatic followers. Memorable quotes from the film like “I stick my head out for no one” and “here’s to looking at you kid” became classic lines that are still referenced today. Peary explains that Casablanca’s rampant appeal is no surprise as it is a film that contains ideal plot ingredients (romance, action, a theme song etc), an all-star cast (Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman etc) and Warner Bros. finest director, Michael Curtiz. Peary also takes note that choosing the Morrocon city of Casablanca as the locale was a good choice because at the time it was classified as a “free territory,” representing a rare place where individuals can choose their own destinies, i.e., their own sides during the war. Throughout the film, characters work themselves out of a limbo stage through their decisions and actions. Most notably, Rick Blaine has become rewarded as one of cinema’s existential heroes because of his choice to sacrifice what is most dear to him for the better of mankind. Peary refers to the beginning of the film where we are introduced to Rick playing chess, epitomizing his laid-back approach in the wake of the spreading Nazi regime. This stance of neutrality and indifference would not last long in a Hollywood film that wholeheartedly supports the war effort, so the natural course of the film was to have Rick change from someone uninvolved in political issues to being an active participant in the fight against the Nazis.
    Peary’s analysis of Casablanca as a cult movie would add to the argument of my paper because it shows the universal appeal of the film and the ideas that it represents. The notion of being in a ‘limbo stage’, having to choose between personal interests and the betterment of something larger than us, is not exclusive to Rick or this film; it is a universal battle that we grapple with in our everyday lives, not only in times of war. In addition, Peary’s examination of Rick’s evolution as a character would be helpful when concentrating on the characterization of Rick as a reflection of how American sensibility should be during WWII; through his character, the film makes clear that neutrality, indifference, and uninvolvement are not acceptable.