ROULETTE Articles
Roulette and cinema
“Have you tried 22 tonight “is not only a great opening scene from the movie but showcases the importance of gambling, money for the particular person in the particular scene. For the young Hungarian man, who has to flee with his wife from the Nazi occupied Europe, winning the game of roulette is important as this money is the only way that will help him and his wife escape. The question is asked by the owner of the very cafe, Rick’s Cafe American, Rick (played by Humphrey Bogart). The wife is placing the question repeatedly whether the prefect of police, Captain Renault(played by Claude Rains) who has promised to help them escape will keep his word or not. She is unaware of the fact that in return she will have to pay a price for it, a romantic association between her and Captain Renault. Where her husband is losing, she is trying to figure out whether what is been promised will be kept or broken.
Classic Roulette Scene
In this scene one witnesses how Rick asks the young man to play 22 when he comes to see how he is doing. When 22 wins, they bet on it again and it wins the second time. Rick asks the man to collect the money and leave. That’s not the end. From this point we analyse the beginning. Rick’s character, where shown as someone who would have nothing to do with his customers is shown as one which has helped someone escape from maybe the biggest quest of his life. Where Rick has been part of a broken relationship, he was earlier shown as a man who is cold and would possibly not help anyone. But when he helps this person and then walks away, the scene not only becomes an important one but one with a great emotional moment.
Cliques Abound
This scene therefore has a lot attached to it. When roulette is played or the idea of it comes to mind one can look into this famous scene form Casablanca but also we notice how a man comes back into his natural being of a nice guy. What made Rick cold was the end of his relationship but he came out of it to help a man desperately in need of money. This gesture thus helps him to show his real side. The part of him he has hidden.
