All Isn't Fair In Love and War

Films such as Casablanca were a refuge for moviegoers in a time of societal turmoil. They allowed audiences to disregard actual conflict by immersing themselves in an idyllic love story made stronger by the external adversity that threatened its very existence. Forgetting Sarah Marshall tells a story of a scorned male character who retreats to an exotic locale, attempting to erase the pain of a broken relationship that could not withstand the infiltration of British rock star Aldous Snow.

While viewers identify with the characters and situations presented, many films choose to exaggerate or manipulate reality. They do not always mirror “real culture,” or the term chosen by sociologists to describe the norms and values people actually follow (Henslin, 2010, p.56, para.3). Filmmakers make an effort to change the status quo by capitalizing on idealism. Movies are not completely removed from the turmoil of outside influences and may simultaneously reflect the changing realistic societal values.

Casablanca and Forgetting Sarah Marshall present glaringly different representations of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, social class, and race. Karl Marx explains this disparity in socially constructed values; “a struggle develops between the thesis and antithesis, leading to a synthesis (a new arrangement of power)” (Henslin, 2010, p.657, para.7). Specifically, the role of the female gender in Casablanca shows Ilsa as an ambivalent female who cannot decide which lover to take. She is swooned by Rick, the suave nightclub owner, but feels compelled to fulfill her commitment to a marriage with Victor Lazlo.

Ilsa’s departure from Casablanca illustrates that females, at the time of production, were expected to submissively deny selfish desires....

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