Symbolism is always a key issue in the process of exploring any art, and movies are no exception. Movies, as one of the seven arts, are even richer because of the time movement element and the interaction between characters, between characters and the environment or setting, and between objects and the setting. As a kind of speech, film image has its own ideographic purpose, expressive techniques and effect.

For example, symbolism is prominent as language in Mr. Zhang Yimou's films. Zhang is good at using things like colours and objects to explain unexpected concepts and express irony in his films. The film Raise the Red Lantern is set in 1930s China. It recounts the story of several women intriguing against each other because they want to find favor with their husband. The usual meaning of “lantern” is a bright spot against a dark background, but instead it became a lure for these greedy women. Red is usually a colour meaning lucky, but in the film became to mean getting blood from these miserable women. A field of snow  normally means purity and serenity, but instead became these women's cemetery plot.

Frozen River has more direct symbolism.  The filmmaker uses blue as the main colour of film, which gives an oppressive, sad feeling.  A frozen river is also an uneasy setting because it looks solid but may not be.  In the film, Ray and Lila had to smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States via a treacherous frozen river to keep their families together.  Just like the frozen river could rupture and break up any moment, they lived in dread of being caught by the police, which could rupture their lives at any moment.

There is also symbolism in the actions of the characters.  For example, when Ray throws away the bag when they cross the border with the Pakistanis.  We think she is cold-hearted and only wants to secure herself and family.  When she realizes what she has done, they risk going back to the crossing despite the hazard.  Lila even uses her body to warm the baby.  This makes the audience feel that maybe there is a warm heart under the ruthless surface, just like there are lots of creatures that live in the depths of the frozen river.  We are confirmed of this fact when, at the end of this film, the police finds them and one of them must be arrested.  Though Lila helps Ray to escape, Ray returns back and pleads guilty by herself at last.

A bigger symbol that the frozen river represents is how hard it is for poor people to “cross over” into prosperity.  This society cannot take good care of all the people who are living at the bottom: these two single mothers are trying to raise their children with almost no resources but their own courage.  For making the decision to better themselves, they break the law and get into trouble.  The frozen river is what keeps the poor people poor, and those who risk crossing it can lose the little they have.

In my opinion Casablanca is not only a great movie but also a great work of art. Casablanca can be studied and appreciated as a complete work of art: characters, story, filmmaking, images, music!

Casablanca is a 1942 film set during World War II in the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca. The film was directed by Michael Curtiz, and stars Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine and Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund. Though the protagonist is supposed to be Victor Laszlo, the movie focuses more on Rick's conflict: he must choose between his love for Ilsa and his need to do the right thing by helping her husband escape from Casablanca and continue his fight against the Nazis. Rick is always appearing or mentioned in nearly every scene of the movie.

Scene one supports my thesis that Rick is the main protagonist in this film.  In scene one, Major Strasser stepped from the plane.  He is mostly worried about the deaths of the couriers, but then the subject turns to Mr. Rick, even though Rick is just a boss of the Café.  Still, the Major knows of him and wants to go there at night.  So we know that Rick is a central character without having even met him:  that is the first thing that points out Rick is a very important person in the story.
 

It is not only what was said in the first scene, it is what is seen.  After that first scene, the camera then panned in for a close view of the cafe's sign. The director spent nine seconds to show these three words "Rick's Cafe Americain". I think the director wanted the film audience to keep "Rick" in mind from the first. The setting of the story is a Rick's cafe in Casablanca during the war: the story is going to be Rick’s.
 

My second point is about the character of Rick.  Soon after the first scene, we meet the rest of the main characters, including Rick.  Rick is speaking a typical American English accent, different from most of the actors in the film, who either speak their own accent or adopt one that sounds to be foreign.  Because this film is produced by an American company, I think this helps the audience relate more to Rick, and not to Victor. 
 

Also, when we first meet Rick, we see he has a clear-cut individuality.  He is a very hard man to please and talks down to everybody, even the officers.  On the other side, he is also a man of great resolution and bravery, such as when he kills Major Strasser.  These are also characteristics that would make the audience admire him more.  They represent the typical heroism of “Yankeeism.”  The directors know that their audience is against the Germans and against Facism, but they also want someone who the audience can relate to.  Victor is hard to relate to, but every man in America would want to be Rick.  Moreover, Rick shows the best gallantry when he sees Victor and Ilsa off: it embodies Rick's efforts toward peace, even though he has to leave his lover. The moral of Rick could inspire all of us until today.