War trumps love-a timeless message?

Rating: 6/10 (6 January 2019)

CASABLANCA is probably Hollywood's most famous, slickly made (but corny) WW 2 propaganda film, and it is somewhat amazing how decades of promotion have made people think it is a love story between Rick and Ilsa. It is a love story between Rick and his mercenary soldiering and how that love is rekindled.
When we meet Rick he is running a club, but we are told that he used to fight fascists in Spain. When he meets Ilsa in Paris he has given up his military duties. She disappears and he is miserable, but he seems to have forgotten about it until she shows up.
But it is Victor who is the focus of Rick's attention. He admires Victor Lazlo--as a rebel leader. When Rick puts Ilsa on the plane, he says it plainly--Victor needs Ilsa for his work, and that is more important than their love. If Ilsa leaves Victor, it could lead to the fascists winning WW 2. Preventing that is more important to Rick.
The message is in essence, war trumps love. In EL CID he gets married and then has to leave his wife to lead his men--but in that case, it is loyalty to his comrades and his nation--they ask him to lead him. Rick, on the other hand, is an international idealist--going to Spain to fight Franco had nothing to do with American patriotism. And we see in the story that money doesn't mean everything to him either.
He remains committed to his anti-fascist beliefs, but he lacks the desire to get back into fighting--until he spends time with Lazlo. Ilsa is the catalyst for him realizing that fighting is more important to him than their love.
It also seems that Ilsa loves Rick more than Victor--but Rick is telling her she has to stay with Victor out of duty to the war effort!
Maybe this is why Renault comes across as the most genuine character. He is corrupt but compelled by self-interest. He changes sides like a pragmatist, and he likes Rick, so he can't turn him over to the Germans. The rest of the movie's characters are puppets for a heavy-handed message.