Women’s Different Love Attitudes Influent Their Lives

        These two films When Harry Met Sally and Casablanca both discuss about love, When Harry Met Sally narrates two people who have opposite love attitudes: one thinks men and women must have sex, another doesn’t agree. Casablanca relates to a woman Ilsa who loves two men early, yet later, unknowing which man she should follow. Sally in When Harry Met Sally is a charming but overcautious woman, believing men and women can be truly friends without sex; Ilsa in Casablanca is a conservative woman who is full of confusion. So the love attitude of two male protagonists are obviously diverse, yet their different love attitudes could be explained as follows.

        Ilsa can’t love two important men who have deeply influence her in whole life because of the unstable situation, conservative environment and her personality. First of all, Ilsa and Rick’s love story happens on a turbulent, unstable time under the war. No one can predict what will occur in the next second, probably their family are shattered by cruel enemy, or become a cold corpse under muzzles. People can’t plan which restaurant they will having supper at, they can’t decide what entertainment they will do, even which cloth they will take. People feels unsure to the whole society, so they don’t have much vim to think over ”love” in careful, cultivated way-a way of using their entire hearts to cultivate the love. Just like the beginning of the film, the foreigner but actually is a pickpocket says an sentence which is totally express Casablanca’s plight. FORIENGER. This place is full of vultures, vultures everywhere, everywhere. On account of this, the road of love on Ilsa is walking more arduous than others’. No matter Ilsa is anxious about the future of her and Rick, and she also worried about when the war will ends. Only when the war ends, and the situation be steady can they set their mind at ease then concentrate on love. She can’t love in a easy, comfortable way. World Wide War II occurs on the 40s, the society is still conservative, I believe that when Ilsa make a decision which is back to her husband-Victor and leave away from Rick, she must be extremely sorrowful. The traditional concept at that time doesn’t allow a married woman having affair. Ilsa is unwilling to let go of her true love. Like Rick’s famous sentence, RICK. Here’s looking at you, kid, sounds like a little satiric, although Ilsa meet him again at later. Responsibility reminds her not to throw away her spouse who just comes back. She is a woman who is wrapped by responsibility as a wife. It is completely different from nowadays. Perhaps the emotion of Ilsa to Victor barely left in “friendship”, she also carres on a wife’s duty. She rather hurts Rick that Victor, but still can’t totally forget Rick. Actually, if Ilsa has more courage to fight against the insight of conventional society, she possibility grab her bliss.

        Sally seems more lucky than Ilsa. The background is in a prosperous and advanced. There is no war anymore, and people don’t worry about their lives. Like most of women, Sally can freely choose her husband and love in a relaxing way without worried about a war. Also, the New York City is more liberal than past few decades, and they can accept diverse love types. So this shows Sally has more freedom on her own life. But she still has sentimental vexation. Sally breaks up with his boyfriend and gets hurt so deeply that can’t open her mind to other men until Harry appear. She deceives herself as a happy person, but in fack she is not. Just like her sentence. SALLY. That doesn’t mean you’re deep or anything I mean…yes, basically I’m a happy person. And there is still a problem, they are holding totally opposite attitude about sex. They obviously destined love each other, but due to sex, their love was prolonged. Sally in any sides is more different from Ilsa, she is independent, liberate, but stubborn. Nevertheless, she amends her former idea, then falls into a love net with Harry, a man she doesn’t admire before. Maybe its because the modern New York city give her a room for reflection of love. Sally wouldn’t give up her Mr.Right like Ilsa does.

       These two dissimilar typical women can obviously show that society and personal attitude will mainly cause diverse destinies. First, women in the former 40s society are the group of inhibition. They are pressed by immense traditional pressure. Women can’t follow her true lover because she has married. People’s vision are still a heavily burden. Contrarily, women in nowadays are having a little bit more independent authorities, just like Sally. In the end of two movies, two female protagonists display that the influence for lives of distinct decisions. One ends in a happy ending; one doesn’t. If Ilsa changes her decision, maybe she will live with more happiness, similarly, if Sally never opens her mind, probably she will still feel fatigue about love. So, a small, simple decision can make a giant influences for live.

        Two protagonists have different love attitudes. Ilsa loves Rick more than Victor, and she has no choice but to leave Rick; Sally changes her mind then seizes her beautiful life. The love attitudes of women really have great progress, and the society and personal personality also play an important role in it. Those two films let us know love attitudes in different times will display diverse influences.

Work Cited

張淑瓊. Casablanca: A script. 台北市:小人國出版社, 中華民國82年2月

Ephron, Nora. “When Harry Met Sally Script.” The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb).    2006