EXTRA INFLUENCES:
Aside from films and short films, I’m taking inspiration from season 2 episode 5 of Interview With The Vampire, ‘Don’t Be Afraid, Just Start The Tape’. Particularly the cinematography and ambient sound used throughout to gradually build unease and anticipation.
FIRST RESPONSE:
8/10
The mise-en-scene when we’re introduced to the Pale Man stood out to me the most; it’s almost opulent with the decorations and the architecture of the hallway leading to the dining room. A lot of food, good food, to try and get Ofelia to give into her impulses, given that in the real world she isn’t allowed the chance to indulge due to being under Captain Vidal’s control. Consequences for her own impulses, when she eats the grapes, it quickly becomes unsettling, the Pale Man looming behind her.
Micro-elements:
SOUND
The Sound Design of the effects that accompany the violence is very realistic. This is most likely enhanced in post-production by Foley artists. As parts of this film fit a horror genre this adds to the horror and emotional impact of those violent actions on the viewer. There is also a music motif in the Lullaby that is sung to Ofelia. It can be diegetic when sung by an on-screen characters (the Mother or Mercedes) but it becomes the theme tune for the film taking on a number of different musical forms (orchestral) adding to the suspense in places or the emotional state of Ofelia (rather like the ‘Time Goes By’ tune is manipulated in ‘Casablanca’.)
CINEMATOGRAPHY
The cinematography makes good use of diegetic wipes. As established within the first 3 minutes of the film, it’s clear that Del Toro likes to keep the camera moving, keeping us as the spectator within the loop of the film. This is shown in the scene where Captain Vidal is shaving, the camera is constantly circling him, using the pillars within the room to pass by, fill the screen with black, and then cut to a new shot of him. That montage in particular, where he’s getting ready for his day, highlights to the spectators that everything does revolve around him – depending on how he’s feeling dictates how everybody else feels, a controlling aspect of his character; from the disciplined morning routine to the abuse of power.
MISE-EN-SCÉNE
Framing and composition used in this film is designed to make the audience immerse themselves into Ofelia’s experience. Consistently utilizing symmetry and tight framing to highlight Ofelia’s isolation within her environment, whether that be from her mother disregarding her interests in fantasy books, often conforming to Vidal’s wishes – making sure Ofelia follows suit. Or from Captain Vidal himself, when the two first meet he’s dismissive and chastising without a second thought. Del Toro made the decision for the camera to frequently follow her gaze, drawing the audience into her perspective and emphasizing the subjective nature of her experience.
EDITING
Editing in this film frequently uses cross-cutting to build tension and contrast between Ofelia’s fantasy quests and the harsh reality of the real world she’s living in. For example, the climax of the film cuts between Ofelia fleeing with her baby brother to complete the faun’s request, and Vidal pursuing her, increasing suspense and reinforcing the film’s main conflict between innocence/imagination and an authoritarian cruelty born out of Civil War Spain.
Representation (Gender)
The film makes it clear that men and women are binary opposites, physically of course, but they play different roles in propelling the story forward, one is a catalyst for the destruction, the other smooths over the damage. Men have all the agency within the film, from when we’re first introduced to Captain Vidal he’s shown holding a watch, constantly in control and having things revolve around him. When Carmen and Ofelia arrive, he’s already organised a wheelchair for Carmen, no regard for whether she wanted it or not, disregards Ofelia completely – makes no effort to be welcoming, takes the first chance to be chastising. However, women are the binary opposite, they don’t have much agency. But Ofelia and Mercedes are willing to step out of the confines of the controlling environment, willing to disobey. A prime example of this is when Mercedes makes a point to Vidal that he would never expect her, a woman, to turn on him and to scheme right under his nose – his focus was all on the rebels, how much of a threat they were, not on Mercedes.
Aesthetics
What is the ‘look of the film’? How has this been achieved?
Consider colour palette / music, realism v fantasy, magic realism (find out what this means in literature), Lighting.
The colour palette is split: cool blues and greys encompass Vidal’s world, suggesting oppression and violence; warm gold and green colours fill the fantasy sequences, offering a sense of escape and wonder to the audience. In order to achieve the blurred line between fantasy and reality, the same low-key lighting is used heavily in both worlds to maintain a dark, shadowy tone.
The magic realism in literature is described as a style that weaves threads of fantasy into a depiction of everyday life, where heroes aren’t mythical creatures but ordinary people, who happen to clash into the extraordinary. This applies heavily to the film, Ofelia is a human girl, getting reeled into a situation that is far from reality – but manages to seamlessly blend fantasy into the real world.
Music also successfully blends the two worlds, creating the magical realism. For example, the film opens with Ofelia, but we’re not in the human world, as the narration tells us the story about the princess, a song titled ‘Long, Long Time Ago’ is playing. Later on in the film, whilst Mercedes is consoling Ofelia, she hums her a lullaby, ‘Mercedes’ Lullaby’, which is reminiscent of the opening underscore.
Set design:
Del Toro made use of both practical effects and CGI. For example, a lot of the Faun’s costumes are all made by hand and are put onto the actor (Doug Jones), with the exception of his shins which are covered in green to be edited in later.
These characters were all brought to life using practical effects and CGI:
History and Social Contexts
1944, Franco was in power, however there were small groups of rebels hiding in the forests and mountains, fighting against the regime (Mercedes’ brother).
Republicans supported democracy, social reforms and workers’ rights, backed by the Soviet Union and wanted to modernise Spain – reduce power of the church and monarchy.
Nationalists (led by Franco) included conservatives, monarchists, fascists, and the Catholic Church. Supported by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy – wished for a traditional, authoritarian Spain. Nationalists won in 1939
The ending isn’t reflective of history as Vidal is shot in the end, the rebels win in the film and Ofelia somewhat wins because she becomes a princess even though she died.
Film 1: Pasternak
| What did you like about the film? The storyline was quite comedic considering that the theme is revenge, it’s absurd that a man would gather all those who’ve wronged him onto one plane just to crash it. | What didn’t you like? It looked a lot like an airline commercial with the colour grading (or lack of) amongst other elements. |
| What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? The use of creative angles to establish characters, specifically when she opens the overhead locker to put her luggage away, highlighting her as the main character/driver of the story as well as the man seated beside her. The freeze frame at the end just before the plane crashes. | What ideas won’t you use? Why? I found that the domino effect of all of the passengers chiming in to give their own story of the man she was talking about – it wasn’t that effective from a comedic perspective, however it did a good job establishing what kind of man he was, adding to the climactic moment which reveals he’s flying the plane. |
In-Depth Study – Film elements
| Film element | Example |
| Cinematography | Example 1: Lens focusing on the entire group of passengers instead of the ones at the forefront when Gabriel Pasternak speaks over the intercom, further proving that he orchestrated this flight to have all of those individuals specifically on that flight. Example 2: Depth of field in the final shot where we’re shown the old couple in their garden, in the foreground, and we can see the airplane accelerating towards the ground in the background, forcing the audience to anticipate the inevitable crash. |
| Editing | Example 1: The freeze frame at the end gives an abrupt halt to the story, implementing a cliff-hanger narrative device to keep the spectator guessing, yet giving enough information prior to allow us to connect the dots. Leaving us asking questions: what became of the old couple? Was Gabriel Pasternak caught for what he did, or did he die with the rest? What does he look like? Example 2: Fast cutting between shots as the plane begins its fatal descent, increasing the tension and fear, which is reflected from the characters in Pasternak onto the spectators. |
| Sound | Example 1: Using sound to foreshadow to the spectator that the plane is approaching, hearing it before we see it in the final shot, creating anticipation for the inevitable. Example 2: The only evidence we get of Pasternak is his voice over the airplane’s intercom, almost making him seem like a god. We know he’s there, but we can’t see him, can’t put a face to the man everybody on that flight spoke so negatively of, making him even more mysterious and frightening. |
Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film?
| Cinematography: When she opened the overhead locker to reveal herself, the camera was in the locker and that gave us a high angle shot, which i would like to use in my own short film. | Editing: The freezeframe at the end which leaves the anticipation and tension suspended in the air, never resolved, leaving the viewers wondering what possibly happened. |
| Sound: I enjoyed how they used the sound of the plane approaching the area, yet we can’t see it just yet, allowing the viewers to be informed of what’s about to happen without rushing into it; building suspense. | Other: Having a hidden antagonist because it effectively maintained the mystery even as the passengers shared information about him so the audience could better understand his character – like an omnipresent being who can’t be stopped. |
Film 2: The Rats/Las Ratas
| What did you like about the film? I really enjoyed how they manipulated lighting to reflect the character’s ideologies – in the scene where the waitress and the chef are discussing putting rat poison in the man’s food, the waitress is stood in a cooler, brighter light which reflects the pressure and conflict she feels over killing him, however the chef is stood in a warmer light which indicates that she’s content with the idea of harming a bad person. | What didn’t you like? The monologue the waitress gave about her history with the gangster, seemed a bit melodramatic but it did carry the point home that he’s a bad man and that she has a personal link and a justifiable reason to resent him. |
| What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? Beautiful colour grading and symbolic/atmospheric usage of lighting and colour, along with framing – especially when they shot the two women talking, each framed by one of the server windows, highlighting their moral divide. | What ideas won’t you use? Why? A restaurant, due to difficulties getting permission to film or even rent out the venue for the shooting session. |
In-Depth study – Mise-en-scène
| Feature | Example – how does it convey meaning or create an effect |
| Set Design | Whilst the waitress and the chef discuss what they should do with the gangster, the two women are framed by the concession windows, highlighting their contrasting views on harming the man. |
| Costume | The gangster’s colour palette is muted aside from the slight pop of red of his cravat, hinting at his dangerous character hiding beneath the outward appearance he tries to put forward to the world. |
| Space | The entire restaurant is empty except for the one table which the gangster is sat at, perhaps hinting that the waitress is all alone in this uncomfortable situation, the empty space also leads to less diegetic sound of other customers, making the scenario tense and eery. |
| Lighting | Using lowkey lighting throughout the majority of the film, it’s nighttime, dark memories are resurfacing for the protagonist when the man arrives, setting the mood to be uneasy and tense. This is until the final scene when the authorities come to the restaurant and it is daytime, signifying the waitress finally receiving closure through revenge. |
| Composition | In the sequence where the gangster calls over the waitress to receive her opinion on his campaign choices, they are centre-frame, medium shot to keep us at a distance, building curiosity. The only main artificial light is on the wall directly behind the waitress, illuminating her alone, once again reinforcing Levi-Strauss’ binary opposition of good versus evil. |
| Hair and makeup | The waitress has a neat hairstyle, presentable and feminine, whereas the chef has brushed back grey, short hair, minimal effort put into her hair. This can point towards the waitress’ self-control and drive to conform, on the other hand the chef quite frankly doesn’t care what anybody else thinks. |
Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film?
| Cinematography/Sound/Editing: Using weather sounds to create pathetic fallacy – raining, moody, dark. I think that sound and music work well to convey messages better than words at times, the somber underscore when the waitress is retelling the story of how she knows the customer amplifies the emotions she is feeling for the audience to see. | Narrative structure: Levi-Strauss Binary Oppositions – good and evil. Clearly conveyed through the characters of the waitress (protagonist) and the gangster (antagonist), then there’s the chef who’s morally grey, so she is somewhat of a middle ground. |
| Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme: Establishing shot of the restaurant from the outside, raining, diegetic sound, gritty. Allowing the protagonist to retell the story instead of using flashbacks which would’ve been a waste of time and possibly a bit clunky. | Creating enigmas: Rats, connotations of vermin, outsiders, the need to rid the world of them – which is the moral dilemma the protagonist is faced with. The rat poison intended to kill a man who’d be considered a ‘rat’ since he’s a criminal, the world eradicates criminals just as much as they vermin. |
Film 3: Bombita
| What did you like about the film? The shot types e.g. through street grates or from the trunk of a car | What didn’t you like? The story was boring; the main character wasn’t that remarkable. |
| What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? The style of the shots – they were stylised in a way which forces us to be involved in the story. The news clippings provide further information on how the explosion impacted society. | What ideas won’t you use? Why? The family narrative didn’t add anything to it, only showed that he was arrogant. I think the main idea of the story was that society is corrupt and is apathetic towards its citizens. |
In-Depth study: All elements
| Feature | Example |
| Narrative structure | Linear. We find out what his job is, knowing he has access to explosives, revealing that his car had been towed, his resolution is blowing up the car when it gets towed again, new equilibrium is him celebrating a birthday with his family unlike in the beginning sequence which he missed due to his car being towed. Todorov’s Equilibrium; base equilibrium is him with his job and family, which is strained due him working late frequently. Then the disruption of him getting his car towed, he must chase around authorities to try and get his car back. When this doesn’t work, he resorts to blowing up the DMV as a form of protest towards the government’s unfair treatment of its people. He gets sent to prison, but this is quickly resolved when he is released, and a new equilibrium is restored where he is closer with his family than ever, and the issue with his country’s government is getting media coverage in the news. |
| Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme | Established his career allowed him to have access to explosives, he knows how to handle them. Simón is presented as forward and a bit arrogant, standing up for himself. The setting is an urban city, an established government which is unfair – theme of anti-establishment. |
| Mise-en-scene | Simón goes to get his car back after it had been towed away, the man at the desk is behind a glass panel, essentially shutting Simón out. This could be viewed as a testament of the government’s wilful ignorance and neglect towards their citizens – even in unfair situations. Tightly framed, tricky situation. |
| Cinematography | Simón picks up another ticket, it is shot from a worms-eye angle, the frame is blocked in places by the grate, and when he steps into frame it resembles a prison cell – foreshadowing where he’ll end up. |
| Editing | The newspaper montage, dissolving into one another, highlighting the truth being the society which the short film is set in – impacting the viewer with harsh reality. |
| Sound | The sound effect for the bomb going off, this was likely created by a foley artist in a sound stage to have an impactful effect on the audience, drawing them into the action. |
Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film?
| Cinematography/Sound/Editing: The news articles used as an overlay, dissolving into one another to convey a strong message to the audience, providing multiple viewpoints on a single topic. | Narrative structure: Circular and causality structure, having a clear cause and effect in my narrative to keep the audience engaged – something disrupts the character’s day, what will come of it? How will they fix it? |
| Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme: I liked how we are first shown Simón at his job, highlighting that he’s hardworking, his job is of significance to the story – it disrupts his family life and is a reason why he decided to bomb the DMV because he has access to explosives. | Creating enigmas: The parking ticket. Each time he receives one it pushes him further to act on it drastically, at first it was just being frustrated and aggressive with the DMV worker, the second time he realised that they were being issued out unfairly and that he must do something to get his message across since words aren’t enough – therefore leading to him using explosives to make a statement. |
Film 4: Til Death do us Part/Hasta que la muerte nos separe
| What did you like about the film? It was fun to watch – especially the camera work when Romina stormed off and the camera moved with the door swinging open, highlighting her distress. Two people who stooped low enough to cheat are perfect for each other – betrayal turning into union. | What didn’t you like? There wasn’t anything of note that I didn’t enjoy. |
| What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? Whenever the couple were dancing together the lighting was always warm and intimate, the background was almost black, highlighting that they’re in their own world. For better or for worse. | What ideas won’t you use? Why? Aerial shots due to budget restrictions and preferably refrain from filming dialogue outside like they did on the roof because of wind interfering with audio quality. |
In-Depth study: All elements
| Feature | Example |
| Narrative structure | Todorov equilibrium – equilibrium was the marriage and party, disruption was finding out the husband cheated. |
| Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme | The short film opens with a dark room, an intimate setting as childhood photos of the newlywed couple are presented on a screen (?). Showing wedding guests and then the couple, starting us off with a celebratory atmosphere – making the following plot twist more impactful. |
| Mise-en-scene | In the final sequence when the couple forgive each other for being unfaithful, all the guests have left the room, they have sex on the table. Within the shots we’re shown the wedding cake as it crumbles apart, the centre piece of the bride and groom fallen onto the floor because of their activities. Could be highlighting to the audience that despite their messy flaws they will always have each other. |
| Cinematography | When Romina is running away from the room, the door swings open and the camera is attached to the door, making the scene cathartic as we can feel her distress. |
| Editing | We’re shown shots of the wedding filmed on a camera by the wedding videographer, adding to the verisimilitude. |
| Sound | Once the party segment of the wedding commences, the DJ is playing ‘Titanium’ by David Guetta, this was a purposeful choice because the lyrics “got nothing to lose” sums up their relationship, and the wedding. |
Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film?
| Cinematography/Sound/Editing: Harsh overhead lighting when the cake is brought out by the bride, women crowding around it as their faces are illuminated in a bright light, the bride is seemingly ignoring the fact that she just flung a girl into a mirror. Perhaps shining an uncomfortable light on the situation. | Narrative structure: Using the Todorov equilibrium to enhance plot twists to their full potential – the new equilibrium which follows the disruption is not what the audience expected, therefore making it entertaining. |
| Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme: At the beginning we’re presented with a celebratory event, everyone is happy, joining together to celebrate the union of two people. At the end, it is still a celebration of sorts as the couple forgive each other, willing to move past infidelity – however this time the guests have filtered out, mostly everyone is content. Sticking to the theme of celebration, a circular structure. | Creating enigmas: The woman the husband cheated with. If she wasn’t there at the wedding, the bride probably wouldn’t have stormed out initially, and yet we are never given any explanation from the mistress, no information from her perspective – this remains a mystery. |
Part 1: Brief Reference
| What did you like about the film? I liked how it still managed to keep me engaged through narration, shot length, and music despite it only having one motion shot. | What didn’t you like? Why was the man from the present timeline doing the experiments in the future timeline, when the protagonist was shot – this would mean that the man was there in the past where the protagonist witnessed a man die on the observation platform as a child. Plot hole. |
| What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? Using liminal space to convey a sense of futurism, I liked how they got rid of all defying elements of reality in the setting when showing the future timeline. Allowing music to carry the narrative instead of dialogue, music is a universal language. | What ideas won’t you use? Why? The narration as it was taking away from the mystery. |
Part 2: In-Depth Study – Narrative
| Narrative Feature | Example | Your own example |
| Establishing protagonist – what information do we find out? How is it conveyed? | Introduced only in narration – first in third person as “a man marked by an image”; then in first person -memory of incident at the airport. We don’t see him until the first experiment is shown. This shows how core the act of remembering is to his identity – indeed we find out very little about him (he remains nameless) apart from his ‘remembering’ (even when he is travelling in time). | Before we are shown the man himself, the narration points out that this is a story of the child who was taken by his parents to watch the airplanes on the observation platform. Later stating: “Or had he invented that tender moment to prop up the madness to come?” This foreshadows the plot twist at the end of the short film, where he is shot. Establishing that memory is the only thing that can keep post-war citizens going. |
| Establishing other characters – what information do we find out? How is it conveyed? | The Woman is the first person we see (“the only image to survive the war”) – and she is defined only by the fact the narrator remembers her. Feminist critics may comment on the fact she barely seems to exist outside the experiences of the narrator and her growing belief in him. | During the experimentation shots, there is a whispered voiceover of the experimenters speaking in German. This could be throwing shade at communist parties through film propaganda, given that Germany has links to Russia, France holds democratic values unlike the USSR. |
| Establishing location (time and place) – what information do we find out? How is it conveyed? | We are told immediately that the location is Paris. The bombed out wreckage of the city (real WW2 images) don’t immediately establish that this is the future until the narrator mentions radiation. The underground location beneath the Palais de Chaillot is shown by intercut images of broken cherubs and other sculptures. | In the opening still we’re shown an observation platform, ‘la jetée’ which is also the title of the short film, establishing that this is the place where the pivotal events take place – the protagonist witnessing a man die there when he was a child and then being the man who died on the platform. Circular narrative. |
| Creating Enigmas – what are they? How are they created? | The image the narrator obsesses over is the central enigma: who is the man he witnesses dying? How does he die? Who is the woman? The still images and voiceover powerfully evoke the nature of memory. What other questions are posed throughout the narrative? | Time. The short film proposes a question to the spectators, is time fixed? Therefore, questioning the inevitable, are we capable of preventing particular events? “there was no way to escape Time” is a quote spoken by the narrator when we’re shown the shooter aiming his gun at the protagonist. (Is there a reason why ‘Time’ is capitalised? Making into an entity on its own instead of a human construct.) |
| Narrative binary oppositions | The ‘Living Present’ vs Past/Future. As the film progresses, what constitutes the ‘present’ (for the protagonist) seems to shift from his dystopian subterranean society to the ‘past’ of pre-apocalypse Paris. This is conveyed by the faster rhythm of the montage and the sequence (18:00-18:49) where the images almost become like traditional cinema. | Romance and Fatality. During the romantic sequences between the woman and the protagonist the shot length is significantly longer in duration, holding our attention with them for longer; also the music becomes lighter and melodic compared to the operatic and dramatic score used during scenes where experimentation takes place or the situation of Paris is being explained by the narrator. For fatality, in the final sequence where the protagonist is running towards the woman the cuts become more frequent as the intervals between each shot is shortened, creating a sense of urgency. |
| Crisis – how was this conveyed? Is it the first experiment? The moment the man spots the woman from the airport? Or is it when the future society offers him the chance to escape to the future? What do you think is the crisis point? How does this affect the rest of the narrative? | I think the crisis is when the future society offers him the chance to escape to the future – by doing this the man is faced with uncovering the full story of him seeing the woman on the observation platform, revealing quickly that he was the man he witnessed dying when he was a child. The reason why the initial experiment isn’t the crisis, in my opinion, is because the protagonist has been a prisoner for much longer, preceding the beginning of the short film, so I personally don’t believe that this was a crisis, especially for him since he’s probably been subjected to similar in the past. This heavily affects the narrative because it provides us a plot twist – the sequence of events leading up to this moment didn’t indicate that he might have been the man he witnessed as a child dying, | |
| Resolution – is it closed or open narrative? The narrative is closed – but it is also in a loop: the narrator is both the dying man and the child watching the scene. This ‘time paradox’ has inspired films as diverse as The Terminator and Looper (as well as 12 Monkeys which is almost a remake). What do you think about the end? Is it closed – or endlessly circular? | It is an open narrative because inevitably the narrator is bound to be stuck within this time frame. We start off with him in the underground prison being experimented on, present, his past consists of a memory witnessing a man dying on the observation platform as well as seeing the woman. His future is him dying on that platform, seeing the woman, yet there’s also a man there who kills him; he is the man who died in his past. Resolution isn’t truly met as the narrative is endlessly circular. |
Part 3: Meaning and Effect
| What did you think was the intention of the filmmaker(s)? Intellectual message? Emotional response? Everyone is trapped in their time – they cannot escape it, even through memory. It is also about concept of photography and cinema itself, trying to ‘freeze’ time with images despite time always being in motion. How was this achieved? The use of photomontage separates each frame of the story into a frozen image – even though these are joined together using traditional narrative film techniques such as voiceover, dissolves, fades and music. As the man begins to ‘live’ more and more in the ‘past’ with his lover, the space between these frames speeds up to resemble ‘motion picture’ speed at one point. The stuffed animals in the museum are also ‘frozen’ in a single moment. | Your own idea: Memory is static, you cannot change it, so by continuing to use a photomontage for the final sequence where the man is being shot dead on the observation platform, it conveys a message to the audience that you also can’t outrun fate. The protagonist was bound to witness a man die, whilst being the man who dies. This would, and probably still does, coax an emotional response from the audience by eluding to ideas of existentialism. |
| Aesthetic binary oppositions The use of still photo images are combined with traditional narrative cinematic techniques that bring them ‘to life’… until the moment around 18:00 when they flow together. Effect of these oppositions? Shows the intensity of emotion the narrator feels with his lover: like he is finally ‘living’ in moving time rather than a series of frozen, separated moments. | Your example: The speed of cutting between clips used to reflect slower, romantic moments between him and his lover, letting us get drawn into their world compared to the fast-paced cutting which forces us to feel the imminent danger which is felt by the protagonist. |
Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film?
| Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme The opening/establishing shot which is what the title is: an observation platform. I like how it is obvious at first, but as the story progresses it becomes clear how significant that location is for the protagonist – it’s where his most profound memory took place, as well as his death. | Creating enigmas In La Jetée the enigma is him, which only becomes apparent in the final sequence, but I like how the enigma was right in front of us the entire time. Subtly hinting at the answers throughout the short film. |
| Narrative structure (non-/linear? Open/ closed ending?) I’d argue that this short film has an open ending. This is because the ending is also the beginning (his childhood memory which is why he’s selected for the experiment), a circular narrative which I think would be interesting to implement into my own short film. | Striking use of technical features The shift from still images to a second long motion shot of the lover opening her eyes was impactful because I had become so accustomed to the still images used up until that point. |
Clyde Barrow played by Warren Beatty
Beatty made an impressionable screen debut in Splendor in the Grass (Kazan, 1961) as a tortured teenager. Prior to this film, Beatty earned a reoccurring role in the television series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis in 1959 – which he left before the first season concluded to make his first and last Broadway appearance, in A Loss of Roses (1959). In the lead up to Bonnie and Clyde, Warren Beatty had worked with Arthur Penn on Mickey One (1965), and then in 1967, Beatty assigned himself the duty of star and producer on Bonnie and Clyde – the film was a huge success, nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Warren Beatty’s Best Actor nomination. The reason behind Warren Beatty being cast as Clyde Barrow is that screenwriters, David Newman and Robert Benton, submitted the screenplay to François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, which Truffaut then showed the script to Beatty, resulting in him buying the option. Beatty hired Arthur Penn as the director, casting himself as Clyde.
Bonnie Parker played by Faye Dunaway
Dunaway won critical acclaim for her role in Hogan’s Goat (Alfred, 1965 – play) as Kathleen Stanton. During the same year as the release of Bonnie and Clyde, she began her film career in The Happening (Silverstein, 1967) as Sandy and Hurry Sundown (Preminger, 1967) as Lou McDowell. Bonnie and Clyde (13/08/67) is considered her breakout film, given that she received her first Academy Award nomination. In my own opinion, I believe Dunaway was cast for this role as she was young and ambitious, just like Bonnie, and with further research it seems that Faye Dunaway relates to the character: “Never have I felt so close to a character as I felt to Bonnie…She was yearning, edgy, ambitious southern girl who wanted to get out…I knew everything about wanting to get out” – quote from her 1995 autobiography, Looking for Gatsby.
C.W Moss played by Michael J. Pollard
Before Bonnie and Clyde, he starred in Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962), The Russians are Coming The Russians are Coming (1966), The Absent-minded Professor (1961), It Happened To Jane (1959), and Summer Magic (1963). Pollard was often typecasted as the impish or eccentric character. He is widely known for his role as C.W. Moss in Bonnie and Clyde, he was also nominated an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role due to this role. I think he was cast because Moss is the eccentric sidekick character in Bonnie and Clyde, he was the perfect fit.
Buck Barrow played by Gene Hackman
Best known for his role as a detective, Popeye Doyle, in The French Connection (1971), Hackman won the Academy Award for Best Actor because of this film. His first credited film was Lilith (1964, Rossen) which also starred Warren Beatty, which is why I think he was cast for the role of Buck Barrow because of his connection to Beatty.
Blache Barrow played by Estelle Parsons
Bonnie and Clyde put her in the spotlight, earning her an Academy Award for her role as Blanche. Her career began in 1954 on a television show called “Today”, playing herself. Parsons was also in The Absent-minded Professor in 1961 alongside C.W. Moss. I think she was cast for the role because of her strong reputation as an actress prior to the film, proving herself fit for the role.
Frank Hamer played by Denver Pyle
Most known for his role as Briscoe Darling in multiple episodes of The Andy Griffith show which began in 1960. Starring in Gunpoint (1966), Tammy and The Millionaire (1967), The Left Handed Gun (1958), The Horse Soldiers (1959). He made a career playing drawling, Southern characters, which isn’t far from what officer Hamer was in Bonnie and Clyde, hence why I believe he was cast for the role.
Ivan Moss played by Dub Taylor
Most famous for You Can’t Take It With You (1938) as Ed Carmichael, having a reputation for playing supporting roles in Westerns, yet also having a knack for blending comedy and pathos, which is why I think he was cast for the role of Ivan Moss – a pivotal character yet still holding the fractured comedy often seen in French New Wave films.
Eugene Grizzard played by Gene Wilder
Best known for playing Willy Wonka in “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” (1971). Wilder was a comedian, starting out in serious plays on Broadway, such as, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1963) and “Mother Courage and Her Children”(1963). Bonnie and Clyde was his film debut in 1967.
Mise-en-scéne
Locations: Unlike Casablanca, Bonnie and Clyde was shot on location for the most part – Texas to be exact. This created a strong sense of verisimilitude because the original Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were from Texas.
It is believed that the real Bonnie and Clyde first met in 1930 at a friend’s house on Herbert Street in West Dallas, however, in the film they meet at her mother’s home which is also located in Dallas (Waxahachie), providing the film good historical accuracy.
In the scene where Clyde takes Bonnie out into town to impress her with his criminal credentials, staging a robbery on a grocery store. Another point for historical accuracy, the film is set in 1930s America, where businesses were deeply affected by The Great Depression; the deserted streets highlight this point further unlike in Casablanca which portrayed 1940s French Morocco inaccurately, the real city a far cry from its depiction in the film aside from a few cultural decorations.
Sets (interiors):
The interior of Bonnie’s room seems to be reminiscent of a childhood bedroom with porcelain dolls and various figurines, which juxtaposes with Bonnie, naked, in the foreground. Despite her obvious womanhood and sensuality, she is still surrounded by her past, weighing her down. This is a common theme throughout the film: Bonnie’s lust for life, to get out into the world, away from her dead-end job, and her life as it is.
This shot in particular, successfully encapsulates Bonnie and Clyde’s relationship: tumultuous yet inseparable. According to those who were close to Parker and Barrow knew that their relationship was just as fractured as it was romantic, notorious for their constant bickering. Also, there are multiple photographs of the couple kissing, and Bonnie still has her wedding ring on from a previous relationship with Roy Thornton (according to www.vocal.media) – the two got married when Bonnie was 16 years old, yet it quickly turned physically abusive, resulting in the separation.
Costumes:
In the scene where we meet Clyde’s brother, Buck, and his wife, Blanche, Bonnie poses for a photograph with a cigar hanging from her lips and a pistol held to her hip. This is a replication of Bonnie Parker in the 1930s, both wear a black beret, long black skirt, slight differences in pattern and colour with the top and cardigan, but overall an accurate nod to the original Bonnie.
The lack of clothing in this opening scene suggests to the spectator that Bonnie is a provocative character, modesty and conformity aren’t her priority as she has gone down in history as one of the most famous outlaws in America. Also, around the time the film was made (1967), the Hayes Code was no longer in effect, meaning that films could get away with kissing, nudity, and violence; the impact on audiences at the time must have been shocking, however, it stood as a turning point for society and modern cinema.
Props:
The cars in this film were rented by Arthur Penn from a Mr. Seng (lived in Castro Valley, California) to give the film a layer of historical authenticity, keeping the vehicles accurate to 1930s America.
Guns in Bonnie and Clyde stood true to the era it was set in, according to imfdb.org, the guns used in he film included: (handguns) Smith & Wesson Model 10, Colt New Service, Colt Police Service, and Colt M1911A1. (submachine guns) Thompson M1928. (rifles) WInchester Model 1892. (shotguns) Winchester Model 1897, Double-barrelled shotgun – along with an Mk 2 hand grenade used by C.W. Moss. The usage of these weapons amplifies the historical accuracy and the notion of Bonnie and Clyde being reckless criminals trying to get by during the Great Depression through robbery.
Editing:
What style of editing is used in Bonnie and Clyde? Straying away from the Classical Hollywood style of invisible editing, Bonnie and Clyde takes inspiration from the French New Wave style: discontinuity editing, which consists of jump cuts and non-linear, or confusing narratives. This can be seen in French films from the era, for example, Plein Soleil (1960) which uses a jump cut to show a skip in time:
An example of a shot sequence that has been constructed and what impact does it have on the audience: In the opening scene we’re shown Bonnie in her bedroom, and immediately the audience is informed of her ambition, frustration, and desire to get out. The bedframe resembles prison bars and the fractured jump cuts showing her hitting the bedframe further conveys her frustration.
Sound:
The dialogue in Bonnie and Clyde is a strong tool for foreshadowing the ultimate end of the couple, for example, when Clyde is speaking to Bonnie’s mother:
Bonnie’s Mother: You know Clyde, I read about you all in the papers, and I just get scared.
Clyde Barrow: Now Ms. Parker, don’t you believe what you read in all them newspapers. That’s the law talkin’ there. They want us to look big so they gonna look big when they catch us. And they ain’t gonna catch us. ‘Cause I’m even better at runnin’ than I am at robbin’ banks! Shoot, if we’d done half that stuff they said we’d done in that paper, we’d be millionaires by now, wouldn’t we? But Ms. Parker, this here’s the way we know best how to make money. But we gonna be quittin’ all this, as soon as the hard times are over. I can tell ya that. Why just the other night, me and Bonnie were talkin’. And we were talkin’ about the time we’re gonna settle down and get us a home. And uh, she says to me, she says, “You know, I couldn’t bear to live more than three miles from my precious Mother.” Now how’d ya like that, Mother Parker?
Aesthetics:
Realism – Given that the story of Bonnie and Clyde is real, I believe it is important that film was historically accurate, visually speaking. The film had strong social realism as it drew attention to the social and political conditions of 1930s America, showcasing gender roles and how they can be challenged, however they barely showed the reality of people of colour during this time.
Tone – Bathos is a reoccurring tone in Bonnie and Clyde, scenes often shifting from trivial and humorous to serious, this is reflective of the French New Wave’s impact on New Hollywood.
Visual style (French New Wave) – The fractured editing style, documentary-esque shots, such as long tracking shots and jump cuts all showcased the clear inspiration Penn took from the French New Wave visual style, and I believe it was fitting given the story of the couple – a real couple, so a documentary-esque visual style makes perfect sense, sometimes characters looking straight down the lens.
Also, intertextual referencing was used to amplify the historical realism, one of Bonnie Parker’s poems, “The Story of Bonnie And Clyde”, was read by Faye Dunaway in the role of Bonnie.
Political and Social Contexts of Bonnie and Clyde:
What global events had just taken place and were taking place at the time of the film’s production? The JFK assassination in 1963, Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Civil Rights Act in 1964 and Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison, Vietnam War (1955-75) along with the White House protests in 1966, protesting against America’s involvement in the war, second-wave feminist movement – fighting for equality within the workplace as well as sexual liberation. France was also getting back on its feet after the Second World War, rebuilding the country and nation’s identity, which ultimately led to the French New Wave.
How did these events impact the style and content of the film? During the 1960s, America and the world were going through numerous shocks, changes, and movements in the culture, which caused the French New Wave – France was craving experimentation, this brought filmmakers like Godard and Truffaut into the spotlight. Godard and Truffaut played a big part in the style of Bonnie and Clyde, making the film experimental, explicit for the time with implied nudity and excessive violence.
Representations featured in Bonnie and Clyde:
WOMEN: Bonnie and Blanche. Bonnie represents the new generation of women at the time, second-wave feminist movement during the sixties so that would’ve influenced the character despite the real story was during the 1930s. Reflecting the youth. Blanche is a more traditional female character, her characteristics are shown in Casablanca as well with people such as Ilsa, who is docile, are only mentioned or regarded when their male counterparts are there.
MEN: Clyde, Frank, Eugene and C.W. Heavy male cast which isn’t shocking given that the industry, even today, is still dominated by male actors. Represented by the typical authoritative characteristics, carrying the narrative for the most part just like in Casablanca.
AUTHORITY FIGURES: Frank Hamer, the officer who Bonnie humiliated instead of the killing him, he sought revenge on the couple, orchestrating an ambush with C.W’s father to kill them in the final scene.
PEOPLE OF COLOUR: Only shown in two scenes, when the original owners of the home Bonnie and Clyde were staying in returned, the black man didn’t have any dialogue, only getting to fire the gun Clyde gave him at the sign, an act of defiance. And in the final shoot out scene there’s two black farmers driving past just before the betrayal and Bonnie and Clyde meet their demise.
What is meant by the cinematic term French New Wave? A film movement which emerged in 1958 up until the late 1960s, which was characterised by its rejection of traditional/mainstream filmmaking. Many directors who played a part in this movement started out as film critics for Cahiers Du Cinéma – a French magazine – which encouraged experimentation and innovation. Pulling away from studio success and control, directors become the most credited for the films success (auteur theory). Often they were low budget projects due to the aftermath of World War 2, lack of resources and money.
What specific stylistic and structural elements are present in French New Wave films? The stylistic and structural elements included narrations, breaking-the-fourth-wall, non-linear storylines, music to shift emotion, tone and to create a distinctive aesthetic. Using locations to film instead of built sets, natural lighting which allowed the camera to move 360 degrees. Handheld camera which gave a documentary-esque style, jump cuts – a ‘fractured’ style of editing – sometimes used non-actors, often improvising dialogue and movements. Democratisation of cinema: it was all fair, anyone could be a filmmaker.
Which directors and films from the French New Wave influenced Arthur Penn as he was making Bonnie and Clyde? Why? The directors François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard heavily influenced Penn when he was making Bonnie and Clyde – they were even approached by writers, Robert Benton and David Newman about directing the film, yet they turned it down. Two films by Truffaut influenced Penn when he was making Bonnie and Clyde: Shoot The Pianist (1960) and Jules et Jim (1962).
Their influence could’ve partly been to do with the fact that screenplay writers, Newman and Benton were French New wave fanatics. Also, the theme associated with French New Wave films was that they broke away from traditional norms; the story of Bonnie and Clyde is about two lovers who committed robberies, burglaries and murders, straying away from the traditional American law-abiding citizens, as well as their relationship dynamic which was tumultuous.
Identify at least 3 scenes from Bonnie and Clyde where stylistic links are created with French New Wave cinema and say why this was the case.
What is meant by the term New Hollywood? (Consider how this links to the decline of the Hollywood Studio System of the Golden Age) New Hollywood refers to the shift in habits amongst Americans in the early 1960s, television took away audiences from cinemas.
Name some of the films, directors and stars from this period. Cleopatra (1963, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz– the release of this film coincided with the collapse of the studio system), Easy Rider (1969, directed by Dennis Hopper), Carnival Of Souls (1962, directed by Herk Harvey), The Godfather(1972, directed by Francis Ford Coppola). Some stars included: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster.
What events were taking place in America around the period identified as the New Hollywood era of cinema? The New Hollywood era of cinema spanned from the mid-1960s to the 1980s, and within that time frame America endured: Three assassinations on public figures, John. F. Kennedy (1963), Martin Luther King Jr. (1968), and Malcom X (1965). In 1959, through till 1973, America was involved in the Vietnam war, soldiers were fighting in Vietnam whilst American citizens protested against the war (1966, White House protests) because Americans wanted to halt the spread of communism from soviet powers. President, Richard Nixon’s, Watergate Scandal from 1972 until his resignation in 1974. The Civil Rights movement which aimed to abolish legalised racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement in the country (1954-1968).
How did New Hollywood directors like Penn approach film narratives? Many directors, such as Arthur Penn, approached film narratives with an ‘anti-establishment’ point of view, meaning that they went against the established norms for Americans and how they should behave. This typically involved ‘outsider’ characters and the pursuit of freedom which laid outside of societal norms; this was reflected in the real world with protests, riots, and movements.
What is discontinuity editing? A noticeable cut in a sequence which grabs the audience’s attention due to its unnatural and ridged nature. This jump cut technique is typically used to indicate a significant jump in time.
Why is this time in film production sometimes referred to as “The Rise Of The Auteurs” in Hollywood? A lot of the biggest names in Hollywood today gained notoriety during this time period, to mention a few: Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorcese. Unlike Old Hollywood, where the actors in a film created excitement around a film, this era shone the spotlight on the directors behind the films – a result of this was films being recognised for their ‘auteur style’.
What was the lasting impact of the New Hollywood style on modern films? The New Hollywood style left its mark on the film industry by allowing and encouraging director-driven creativity and experimentation.
Initial Rating – 5/10
Favourite moment – A moment which stands out to me the most is when they take pictures together with Clyde’s brother, Buck Barrow, and his wife Blanche. This stood out to me the most as Blanche seems to represent the ideals and morals of old Hollywood films, as well as, American society during the 1900s-1950s – as a woman she is defined by her husband and is almost docile. In the pictures, Blanche takes one with her husband whereas Bonnie, who stands for the second wave, feminist movement during the 1960s, poses alone with a cigar and a pistol.
cast
Humphrey Bogart: Rick Blaine, born in New York.
His breakout role was in High Sierra (1941) as Roy Earle. Bogart was known to have played gangsters, starting out in Broadway productions, this could’ve influenced his casting as the film was originally a stage play – Casablanca solidified his presence in Hollywood, making him an icon to this day. “Tough without a gun” he was described. Worked with Warner Bros in the past, they were working him up to be a romantic lead, he was also on a contract with Warner Bros, they wrote the film with Humphrey in mind. This studio was known as the gangster studio, their style consisted of gritty dramas and mysteries, which is why Bogart was chosen to play Rick Blaine (also due to type-casting).
Ingrid Bergman: Ilsa Lund, born in Sweden
Ingrid began her career in Swedish and German films, that was until the English remake of Intermezzo in 1939, she continued her acting career in American films, one of them being Casablanca in 1942 which cemented her as one of Hollywood’s greatest.
Paul Henreid: Victor Laszlo, born in Italy
In 1933, Paul made his acting debut at the Reinhardt Theatre in “Faust”. He had several leading roles on stage, starring in various Austrian films before his role in Casablanca – however, unlike most this movie came as a curse rather than a blessing for Henreid, he attempted to try and play more villainous characters in order to break away from the romantic lead typecast.
Claude Rains: Captain Louis Renault, England
Claude made his sensational film debut in the 1933 horror film “The Invisible Man”, he had been in the acting business since he was 11, mainly doing backstage work until 1911. Casablanca was a huge success for Rains as he received 4 Oscar nominations.
Conrad Veidt: Major Heinrich Strasser, Germany
In 1920, Veidt achieved long lasting stardom with his role of the sleepwalking murderer in “The Cabinet of Dr Caligari”, continuing to work with directors such as F.W Murnau and Robert Wiene. He was the highest paid member of the Casablanca cast.
Sydney Greenstreet: Signor Ferrari, England
He debuted in “The Fat Man” in 1941 as Kasper Gutman, as well as co-starring with Humphrey Bogart in “The Maltese Falcon” 1941.
Peter Lorre: Ugarte, Slovakia
He began his stage career in Vienna, going by his birth name László Löwenstein until 1922 when he changed it to Peter Lorre, later moving onto films in Berlin until he left Germany once Hitler came into power, Lorre was Jewish.
S.Z Sakall: Carl, Hungary
Despite being in the industry since 1916, his most memorable role was as the waiter in Casablanca. Throughout his career he has been cast as generally bubbly characters due to his rotund body type, Hollywood deemed that as “cute”.
Madeleine Lebeau: Yvonne, France
Her acting career was active from 1939-1970, had an uncredited role in her first film called “Young Girls in Trouble” – 1939, June 1940 she fled from France to avoid the German invasion and into Lisbon, much like the refugees in Casablanca.
Dooley Wilson: Sam, Texas
Joy Page: Annina Brandel, California
Jon Qualen: Berger, Canada
Michael Curtiz: Hungarian, Director of Casablanca
Nationalised American, made 173 films for Warner Bros. Made sure everyone was at the top of their game, all extras were immigrants of the war, Curtiz understood, had empathy, knowing hat it was like to flee your own country. Pioneered the dolly, using it to highlight emotions, such as hesitation, broke away from the usage of fixed cameras in Hollywood – choreographing the camera and actors.
H.B Wallis: American, producer.
H.B. Wallis was the producer, his role was to oversee all aspects of production, claiming rights, puts together the production team and has the final say on everything e.g. script and casting.
Mise-en-scene in Casablanca
Objects such as exotic plants to give the spectator the , Moroccan panels to give the feeling of a prison. artificial sets, escapism and romance. It was not shot on location, it was all filmed in Burbank, California at the Warner Bros. Studios – however the finale was shot in a Los Angeles airport.
Editing in Casablanca
Casablanca adheres to the invisible editing style of golden age Hollywood, allowing the spectator to become immersed into the story instead of being consciously aware that they’re watching a film.
06:45 introduction to Rick’s Café Americain, meeting Rick for first time and getting to know the setting
Sound in Casablanca
Max Steiner composed the music. As time goes by was nearly cut from the film entirely, thanks to Bergman it wasn’t, ended being the theme and produced into different variations and keys, became a motif.
Aesthetics in Casablanca
The film noir style creates an artificial world , which in most cases would not be a strength, however, at this time people didn’t want to be in their reality considering that the world in the 1940s wasn’t a pleasant one.
Even though the film is in black and white, light and shadows have been utilised to create an atmosphere; venetian blinds casting shadows across Rick’s face, each time there was an intriguing or intimate moment the tone got darker – characters hidden in the shadows.
Themes and Issues
Isolationism: the policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other groups – this relates to Rick’s character as in the beginning he doesn’t pick a side (allies or axis forces). He is a cynic to begin with, but by the end he becomes a sentimentalist, sacrificing his own selfish whims for Ilsa and her husband, also there’s a message of patriotism, best shown with Victor’s line, “Welcome back to the fight.”
What was America’s view on WW2? 96% of Americans opposed the idea of declaring war against the Axis powers in Europe. They used a Gallop poll. They wished to remain neutral on the matter.
Representations featured in Casablanca
Women – Drastically less females in the cast, however they do go hand-in-hand with the men, especially Ilsa as she is the driving force for Rick’s actions and personality. Mainly consisting of background roles or lovers.
Men – Abundant male cast, they all carry the narrative of the film. All authority figures are men, reflecting the gender roles of the 1940s.
Authority Figures – They’re all men, mostly army men, white, policemen.
People of Colour – Sam plays a large part in Casablanca as a pianist and singer in Rick’s café, being a close friend of Rick’s back in Paris however he is easily disposed of when Rick goes leave Casablanca.
Americans – There’s only two Americans, Sam and Rick,
Europeans – 34 different nationalities across the cast and production team. Given that there’s only two Americans in the cast, the numerous Europeans is a direct reflection of those fleeing European countries due to German occupation, amongst other things, at that time.
Political and social contexts in Casablanca
Allies: Great Britain, U.S.A, U.S.S.R (now Russia)
Axis powers: Germany, Japan, and Italy.
WW2 began in 1939, however America didn’t join until 1941 – this was due to the Pearl Harbour attack on December 7th, the script for Casablanca was sent out the day after. Whilst filming was being wrapped up, Casablanca was being invaded by American troops (Operation Torch).
France:
They’re invaded and defeated early on into the war, however the Free French continued to fight for the allied countries , they were French soldiers and generals. Vichy, France is a territory, about half of France, had its own government however they were controlled by German forces. Vichy controls Casablanca, Morocco (Morocco is part of French territory).
Operation Torch
“Captured the zeitgeist” of patriotism.
zeitgeist: a defining spirit or mood of a period in time.
From November 8th-16th 1942, Operation Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa while allowing American armed forces the opportunity to begin their fight against Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy on a limited scale.
Casablanca Conference
January 14th-24th 1943, held with American president, Roosevelt and British Prime Minister, Churchill. They focused on coordinating Allied military strategy against the Axis powers over the course of the coming year. On the final day of the conference, President Roosevelt announced that he and Churchill had decided that the only way to ensure post-war peace was to adopt a policy of unconditional surrender.
The first Casablanca screening was November 26th, 1942 in New York City. Released nationally throughout the U.S.A on January 23th, 1943.
film noir: a style or genre of film defined by its themes of cynicism, crime, and mystique.
film noir (classic)
neo-noir
9/10
In this scene, it is established that Rick Blaine is a cynical, apathetic man, as Ugarte points out plainly. Ugarte is trying to sell letters of transit to refugees in Casablanca, preying on those desperate for escape – in short Rick ends up hiding two tickets for Ugarte. Throughout the film, desperation is a common theme, reflective of the time period through the characters relationships, an example of this would be Rick and Ilsa’s relationship, how fragile Blaine’s control on life gets once she re-enters his life, he’s always been in control of every life he has lived up until this point, an ex-lover who broke his heart is enough to crack through his cynical exterior. I also appreciate how the film hones in on ricks journey away from his cynical ways following the separation from Ilsa in France, by the end of the film he sacrifices his selfish whims for the greater good, sending Ilsa and Victor (her husband) away by choice this time.