Abstract
From a scene from Casablanca (1942), this article presents an analysis of the transformation undergone by the screen persona of Humphrey Bogart during the Second World War. Without sacrificing the dramatic mediation between indifference and vulnerability that characterizes it, the Bogart persona moves from the individualist position guided by a strict moral code to that of a hero willing to make personal sacrifices on behalf of a good cause. This analytical course is undertaken through a double perspective: on the one hand, it describes how Hollywood changed its narrative paradigm to suit the governmental demands for the war effort; on the other, it explains how the political meaning of the film is supported by the appropriation of a religious form.
Keywords Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957); Hollywood; Screen persona; War; Sacrifice