“Even Nazis can't kill that fast.”
Por qué es buena
It answers a death threat with arithmetic, turning terror into something merely too slow.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
Even the best team can't ship that fast without cutting corners.
00:00 / 03:04
00:00 / 03:04
Laszlo Refuses to Name the Resistance, Explained
Casablanca · 1943
Capítulo 9 de 20 · 3'04"
On the surface it's a visa negotiation: give up the underground network and leave for Lisbon. Underneath, it's Strasser testing whether Laszlo can be bought with the one thing he wants. Laszlo answers with a line about men rising to replace him: "Even Nazis can't kill that fast."
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:59–2:19
❝ Monólogo · 4 frases Laszlo Refuses to Sell Out the Resistance
20s - 2:35–3:03
Strasser Reveals Ugarte Is Dead
27s
Laszlo Refuses to Name the Resistance, explained
What happens
Major Strasser and Captain Renault first discuss whether Rick has the stolen letters of transit, then bring Laszlo and Ilsa in. Strasser sets a price: the names of resistance leaders in exchange for a visa. Laszlo refuses, arguing that others will rise to replace him.
What's really going on
Strasser thinks he's offering a trade, but what he's really offering is Laszlo's own surrender, priced in other people's lives. He opens with the visa and the promise of Lisbon, then adds that Renault's signature is needed on every document, making the offer sound almost routine. Laszlo's refusal isn't just bravery; it's a claim about how resistance works — leaders are replaceable, and killing them only proves it. He reminds Strasser he said nothing in a concentration camp, where the methods were worse. His line "Even Nazis can't kill that fast" turns the threat back on him, which is why Strasser shifts from bargaining to menace and hints at an 'accident' on the way to escape. Renault, meanwhile, keeps the talk polite, and the news that Ugarte is dead is delivered as small talk.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Even Nazis can't kill that fast.”
- Laszlo's answer to the threat of murder: resistance isn't a list of names you can erase, because replacements keep coming. It's a challenge disguised as a calm observation.
- “From every corner of Europe, hundreds, thousands would rise to take our places.”
- The idea Laszlo is defending: the movement isn't him or even the leaders, so killing them can't end it. It also quietly tells Strasser his victory would be empty.
- “Strange. Nobody's supposed to sleep well in Casablanca.”
- Renault's dry remark that Casablanca is a place of waiting and anxiety. It's gossip dressed as courtesy, and it hints at how much Renault enjoys watching people squirm.
- “You would find the conversation a trifle one-sided.”
- Strasser's cold way of saying Ugarte can't answer: he's dead. The understatement makes the killing sound like a minor inconvenience.
Theme
- Courage — Laszlo refuses to trade other people's lives for his own freedom, even after a year in a concentration camp.
- Power — Strasser holds the visa and the threat, yet can't buy or scare the one thing he was sent to get.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel2/6
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“From every corner of Europe, hundreds, thousands would rise to take our places.”
Por qué es buena
It widens one man's death into a continent-wide movement that no execution can stop.
Registro
literary
Úsala tú
From every corner of the city, people would rise to take our places.
“Strange. Nobody's supposed to sleep well in Casablanca.”
Por qué es buena
A polite remark about sleep quietly indicts the whole city as a place of worry.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
Nobody's supposed to leave on time in this office.
“You would find the conversation a trifle one-sided.”
Por qué es buena
Polite understatement for talking to a dead man: the wit is in how little he raises his voice.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
You would find the conversation a trifle one-sided. He left the company last month.
Monólogo
Un personaje sostiene la escena: practícalo entero❝ Laszlo's defiance
And what if you track down these men and kill them? What if you murdered all of us? From every corner of Europe, hundreds, thousands would rise to take our places. Even Nazis can't kill that fast.
Four short sentences turn a death threat into a forecast that resistance outruns murder.
Siguiente · 10take someone into your confidenceLa escena: Ferrari Offers to Handle the LettersIdeas clave
Lo que te llevas- Formal English can threaten without ever raising its voice.
- Supposed to can carry a quiet mockery.
- A visa offer is a bargain, not a kindness.
- Laszlo answers terror with arithmetic, not anger.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy does Strasser offer Laszlo a visa?
It's bait. If Laszlo gives up the names of resistance leaders, the Nazis get the network, and Laszlo gets out of Casablanca — a trade that costs him everything he fights for.
Why does Laszlo refuse to give up the names?
He already refused in a concentration camp, where the pressure was worse, and he won't trade other people's lives for his own freedom now. His point is that the movement survives its leaders.
What does 'Even Nazis can't kill that fast' mean?
It means replacements will always outnumber the killings. Strasser can murder the leaders, but the resistance keeps refilling, so the murders won't achieve what he wants.
Why does Strasser threaten Laszlo after offering the deal?
Because the deal failed. Switching to the idea of an 'accident' during an escape is his way of saying the Reich will get what it wants whether or not Laszlo cooperates.
What happens to Ugarte?
Strasser reveals that Ugarte is dead. The line lands as both a threat and a warning to Laszlo: the man who could have helped him is gone, so his options are shrinking.