Wrong scene!
Singing of La Marseillaise at Rick's.
ML/NJ
Oh yeah, that one too. And also the look on Ricks face as the train left Paris without Ilsa.....it makes the whole movie work.
Victor Laslo: "Play La Marseillaise."
Band looks adown at their feet.
Victor Laslo: "I said play it!"
Band looks at Rick. Rick nods his head, once, to say OK.
Goose bumps and tears all around for the greatest single scene in movie history!
Lieb Faterland, magst ruhig sein [Dear land of ours, no fear be thine]
Lieb Faterland, magst ruhig sein [Dear land of ours, no fear be thine]
Test steht und treu die Wacht, Die Wacht am Rhein [The watch stands true, the watch on the Rhine]
Rick and Laszlo emerge from the office, looking down at the patrons with dead-pan, detestable expressions. Laszlo passes by a table (where Ilsa sits) and strides over to the orchestra. He defies the Germans by ordering the band to play the French anthem La Marseillaise. Responding to a nod of approval from Rick, the uncertain conductor leads them in playing a rousing, triumphant rendition of the French national anthem.
In a memorable, melodramatic duel of anthems sung in opposition, the Germans are drowned out by the Free French audience as the accelerated rhythmic editing increases the scene's intensity as it builds toward its climax. Everyone at the cafe pours their hearts into the singing of the song, except for two individuals - Rick and Ilsa. In two closeups, she gazes at Victor in a state of awe, fear and prideful admiration, forgetting to sing. Yvonne, who has been sitting at the bar with her German officer, shouts: "Vive la France!" at its stirring conclusion amidst wild applause.
With the inspiration of Laszlo's bold, patriotic, revolutionary act and Rick's consenting order, Major Strasser is thoroughly embarrassed and considers both a dangerous threat. Outraged, he promptly instructs Renault to punish the cafe's patrons and close down Rick's place before storming out, on the convenient grounds that people are having "much too good a time." Rick protests to French gendarmes, but to no effect. Reluctantly, Renault closes the saloon, hypocritically blaming it on illegal gambling:
Rick: How can you close me up? On what grounds?
Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here.
Croupier: Your winnings, sir.
Renault: Oh. Thank you very much. Everybody out at once.
Renault is handed his gambling winnings by the croupier as he finishes his pronouncements.