Major Strasser's arrival causes the entire plot of Casablanca to unfold, putting pressure on Ilsa and Victor to leave the country. Victor's desire for freedom and Strasser's desire to catch him create the main point of conflict. Throughout the film, Strasser and others like Louis Renault impede Victor's goal of escaping. In the end, Rick chooses self-sacrifice and helps Ilsa and Victor leave, even though it leaves him heartbroken, in a bittersweet closure that differs from typical Hollywood films of the time.