Continuity mistake: In the scene when Rick is discussing exit visas with the attractive Bulgarian woman (and what she is contemplating doing in order to get them) Rick's hands change from holding a drink to holding a cigarette between shots.
Continuity mistake: When Ugarte (Peter Lorre) gives Rick the "Letters of Transit", Rick places them in the right breast pocket of his jacket, but when he goes into the other room, to the rear of the piano, he removes them from his left breast pocket.
Factual error: Major Strasser uniform trousers have a double stripe running down the side. Double stripes were reserved for General Officers therefor Strasser would not be entitled to wear them.
Factual error: The extras in the film that were supposed to be Moroccans are perfectly dressed as Egyptians.
Factual error: The opening credits name S.Z. Sakall as S.K Sakall, and the globe of the world which follows the credits has the USSR listed as the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics. The original name of the USSR in Russian was "Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik" which translates as Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Continuity mistake: When Major Strasser's plane is about to land the people stare at it, their heads are not moving. In the angle shot from behind they're moving from left to right following the plane's movement. Shot cuts back to the previous angle and their heads are motionless again.
Continuity mistake: When the movie starts a man is shot next to a poster. A girl next to an archway appears/ disappears randomly between shots.
Continuity mistake: When Ugarte says to Rick "You despise me", his cigarette swaps from long to short and from pointing upwards to down.
Continuity mistake: Renault blows his whistle and closes the cafe. From the immediate opposite angle his arm is lowered.
Continuity mistake: When the roulette scene starts there is a man wearing a fez hat next to a guy, both giving their backs to the croupier. A shot later they've suddenly turned 180° around.
Continuity mistake: When Rick goes to see Ferrari at the Blue Parrot they shake hands and the people behind drastically change between shots.
Continuity mistake: In France, the way Rick holds Ilsa's goodbye note differs between the wide and close up shot.
Continuity mistake: In France, when Rick tells Ilsa they must leave her left hand is next to her neck. In the following shot it's gone.
Continuity mistake: The man that tries to sell a ring to Laszlo holds it differently depending on the shot.
Continuity mistake: When Ugarte escapes he turns around and shoots man by the door who falls backwards. From the immediate shot from behind the door the man is gone, and he's been replaced by a guard trying to exit through the door.
Continuity mistake: Rick and Renault walk inside the cafe to grab the 20,000 francs while the Italian and French officers discuss. A woman turns around and stares at them. A shot later she is facing forward.
Continuity mistake: Renault and Rick are watching the Lisbon airplane. Rick puts a cigarette in his mouth, unlit. From the angle shot from behind, the cigarette is gone, and smoke is coming from his hand below.
Continuity mistake: When Rick signs the check, note the word OK. The handwriting is completely different between the first and second shot (a ribbon-like streak appears next to the K in the second shot).
Continuity mistake: When Rick is about to sign the check, his left hand appears in the close-up shot, but disappears on the rest of the shots.
Revealing mistake: When Major Strasser's plane lands it is an obvious scale model, where the runway is neat and perfect. In the following aerial shot of a real runway it is filled with oil spills and squiggles of tar.
Answer: It's a bit complicated and subject to interpretation. They all look as soon as they hear the engines starting. For each one it signifies something different. Ilsa knows she must part with Rick, the man she loves, and stay with her husband, Victor, to support him and help with his work. For Rick, he knows he is losing Ilsa, by his own choice because he has chosen to stay behind to aid the war resistance and may not survive. Victor knows his wife Ilsa really loves Rick and he will be out of their lives, but she is staying with him out of duty.
raywest ★