Diegetic Sound

In Casablanca, the use of diegetic sound is seen in the restaurant where the woman is performing the guitar and singing and the male is playing the piano for Ilsa. This sound that the actors can hear adds more depth to the film as it can represent the characters and remind us (the audience) of what we connect the song with to the characters.

Non-Diegetic Sound

In Casablanca, non-diegetic sound is used throughout the play with the Classical Casablanca song that is played a few times. It shows the development of the narrative but also the characters as its played in different scenes and each time its played the scene and plot and characters have changed.

What style of editing is used in Casablanca?

The style of edit for Casablanca is continuity editing which produces a straightforward narrative, which emphasises the Hollywood film style.

Give an example of how a specific shot sequence has been constructed and explain the intended effect on the spectator.

This shot here is taken from above to show the amount of people in the scene and to emphasise the importance of who and what is arriving.

This shot shows his point of view of the bar and it is used to emphasise his importance in the overall narrative. It also foregrounds the ending as he seems distant to his bar.

This close up image is used to show the emotions of Ilsa and to showcase her true feelings towards Rick which changes the whole narrative.

How did New Hollywood directors like Penn approach film narratives?

New Hollywood filmmakers rapidly developed the taste for location shooting, resulting in a more naturalistic approach to filmmaking, especially when compared to the mostly stylized approach of classical Hollywood musicals. Arthur Penn was considered an auteur due to the change in style that his films brought from the Classical Hollywood Era.

What is discontinuity editing?

Discontinuity editing (sometimes known as disjunctive editing) is practically visible editing, which is editing that calls attention to itself and violates viewers expectations of continuity. Some discontinuity techniques involve: jump cuts, nondiegetic inserts, repetition of shots or events, freeze frame and any violation of continuity rules.

Why is this time in film production sometimes referred to as “The Rise of the Auteurs” in Hollywood?

The New Hollywood era was also referred to as the rise of the auteurs because it introduced lots of ‘auteur films’ that became widely popular where the solo filmmakers became big stars because of the pivotal role that they had in the process of making their movies.

What is the lasting impact of the New Hollywood style on modern films?

It has greatly influenced contemporary filmmakers who emulate its focus on character depth, narrative complexity, and innovative techniques. Its shaped the movie industries around the world in most cases to fit into its mold.

What is meant by the cinematic term French New Wave?

The French New Wave is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s, characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favour of experimentation and a spirit of iconoclasm. The term ‘nouvelle vague’ (new wave) first appeared in a 1957 article by Francoise Giroud, journalist for L’Express magazine. To describe the style of the French New Wave cinema, it uses experimental storytelling techniques and distinct aesthetics, this due mainly to budget constraints and/or directors individual styles. Classic French cinema adhered to the principles of strong narrative, creating what Godard described as an oppressive and deterministic aesthetic of plot.

What specific stylistic and structural elements are present in French New Wave Films?

Filming techniques included fragmented, discontinuous editing, and long takes (camera following an action in a continuous shot that allowed actors to explore a scene). The combination of realism, subjectivity, and authorial commentary created a narrative ambiguity in the sense that questions that arise in a film are not answered in the end. They allowed these movies to have ambiguous characters, motives and even endings that were not so clear-cut. They often have unconventional storylines and force audiences to question established cinematic norms.

Which directors and films from the French New Wave influenced Arthur Penn as he was making Bonnie and Clyde? Why do you think this was the case?

The tone of Bonnie and Clyde utilised French New Wave techniques of characterisation of the protagonists, fast cuts, and spontaneous music to shift tone abruptly. The film Bonnie and Clyde echoed one of the most well-known French Wave movies, Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless’ (1960), in which Penn took style and attitude tips from Godard’s noir-influenced romance, openly citing its debt in a number of scenes, most notably in Clyde’s wearing of sunglasses with one lens missing a la Belmondo. Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut show Penn’s Film School background and influenced him the most when making Bonnie and Clyde. The way that Bonnie and Clyde’s narrative’s put together is heavily influenced by the New Wave .

rating – 8/10

I enjoyed this films narrative and plot and thought it was a very well written script that showed good character development in the characters.

My memorable scene would be the ending where Bonnie and Clyde were both shot to death. It was a very quick, sudden and unexpected finish but ended the storyline well.

What were the Big 5 studios & what type of movies was each studio famous for?

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer – The Wizard of Oz, The Thin Man

Warner Bros – Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood

Paramount – Double Indemnity, It’s a Wonderful Life

Fox – Les Misérables, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

RKO – King Kong, Citizen Kane

Explain what vertical integration and block-booking was?

Vertical integration is the term used to describe a business strategy in which a company takes ownership of two or more key stages of its supply chain so in film it’s when a Media Company owns different businesses in the same chain of production and distribution. Block-booking is a system of selling multiple films to a theatre as a unit.

Why and when did the original studio system collapse?

The studio system that thrived during Hollywood’s Golden Age died in the 1960s. Challenges in the form of pay TV, antitrust legislation, low admissions, and censorship had worn down the studios in the previous decade.

What was happening in America (and around the world) at this time?

The era was marked by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, countercultural movements, political assassinations and the emerging “generation gap.” It was also a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Western United States. 

What is meant by the invisible style of storytelling?

Invisible style does not highlight the narrative directly, so the editing, continuity editing, camera and sound should be considered ‘invisible’ to the viewers, the goal is to overcome or conceal the two-dimensionality of film.

What is continuity editing?

A system of cutting used to maintain continuous and clear narrative action by following a set of rules so that the narrative has structure, the shot sequence flow seamlessly into each other and so it’s easy to watch the film.

What is meant by the term New Hollywood?

New Hollywood is the post-classical Hollywood, from the mid to late 1960s through to the mid to late 1970s, the control moved more from the studio to new generations of directors that reflected political and cultural views at the time.

Name some of the films, directors and stars from this period.

Films – Bonnie and Clyde, Midnight Cowboy, The Graduate

Directors – Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Arthur Penn

Stars – Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Woody Allen

What events were taking place in America around the period identified as the New Hollywood era of cinema?

The creation of the Hollywood Antitrust Law in 1948, the dismissal of the Hays Code in 1968, the civil rights movement, communism, the Vietnam war, John Kennedy’s assassination, Watergate scandal, inequality in American society.

Q. Explain how mise-en-scene is used as a story telling device in Casablanca

Location

The romantic drama, Casablanca was set in Morocco, however the filming location was entirely filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California with the exception of the beginning of the film in which they use the old Metropolitan Airport at Van Nuys near Burbank. At the time, filming in a studio was more affordable and practical to shoot in, though it still tells the story and was a very realistic set back in that time in Hollywood.

Sets (Interiors)

The set was in Warner Bros. Studios in California as stated with the main features being ‘Rick’s Café Américain’, this set reinforces Rick’s mysterious persona as it’s a very glamorous interior, like Rick himself. It links to each characters sophisticated lifestyle and the need for the nightclub to be closed because of the popularity which is shown in the scenes featuring Rick’s café Americain.

Costumes

In Casablanca, the costumes suit each character and their role and job in the film. Rick wears mysterious trench coats, implying he himself is mysterious with a touch of sophistication (such like his place of work). The police and guards wear their suits and it makes the film more realistic and professional in a way. Ingrid’s character, Ilsa, wears typical classy clothes which shows her elegance and high-status.

Props

The props used in Casablanca consists of typical alcohol and usual things that go in classic nightclub and gambling dens. It brings the story to life. Again in Rick’s cafe, there are many performers such as (shown in the image) the guitar and piano performers added to give a sense of suaveness and refinement to the nightclub. Another prop used is the gun that Rick ends up using to shoot Strasser in order for Ilsa and Laszlo to escape, this creates an authentic appearance for the characters and the film itself.

auteur – a film director whose individual style and complete control over all elements of production give a film its personal and unique stamp

directors that are considered to be ‘auteurs’ – Wes Anderson, Spike Lee, Todd Haynes