In Casablanca, Ingrid Bergman plays Ilsa Lund. Ilsa is the former lover of Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, and the wife of resistance leader Victor Laszlo, played by Paul Henreid.
The film begins after Ilsa and Rick have been separated by the chaos of World War II. They unexpectedly meet again in Casablanca, a city under Vichy French control, when Laszlo needs transit documents to escape with her and continue opposing the Nazis. Rick must decide whether to reopen their romance or help Ilsa and Laszlo leave safely.
Ilsa’s character gives the film its central emotional conflict: private love is set against wartime duty and the wider struggle against fascism. Bergman’s performance is often remembered for its restraint, uncertainty, and chemistry with Bogart rather than for a single heroic speech.
A common mistake is to confuse Ilsa with Maria, the character Bergman played in other films, or with Lola-Lola, Marlene Dietrich’s role in The Blue Angel. Ilsa Lund is Bergman’s character specifically in Casablanca.