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It has been argued that there is one film that combines all of the basic stories, and that is Casablanca.

In Casablanca, Rick is an expatriate living as a bar owner in World War Two Morocco---a bitter cynic and a flawed hero(Achilles). Then Elsa arrives --- an old flame (旧爱，旧情人), and the deep root of his cynicism and discontent. Rick had once loved Elsa deeply, when they were together in Paris, but lost her (Romeo and Juliet); although he still loves her, she is now married to another man, Victor Lazlo, who is a leader of the resistance against the Nazis (Tristan). Nevertheless, she uses her feminine charms to entice (引诱) Rick to aid her husband's cause against his own self-interest (Circe).Unable to ignore their past(Faust), Rick accepts his obligation to Elsa and agrees to help Lazlo escape to America. He has lost twice to Lazlo---in the first place because he has lost Elsa, and secondly because he surrenders his own letter of transit to the USA to Elsa’s husband(Orpheus). Neverthless, Rick has had the capacity to triumph contrary to expectations. (Candide); his inner goodness has emerged as he sacrifice his own happiness to join the struggle against Nazi Germany (Cinderella). Rick is then destined to continue his exile in Morocco---he is, after all, a displaced wanderer at heart (Wandering Jew).

Exercise

1，    Think of an example of a well-known film that combines a number of the basic stories.

2，    Do Chinese films also depend on the nine basic stories? Consider, e.g. 手机， 大红灯笼高高挂。