How the "Play La Marseilles" scene elevates 'Casablanca' into greatness

The “La Marseilles” scene is one of the pivotal moments that turns CASABLANCA from a typical wartime potboiler into an all-timer. Up until this scene, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is a saloon-owner in neutral Casablanca. He's convinced himself, despite his past as a freedom fighter and a gunrunner for the underdogs in countries struggling under the yok…