First response  

4 Micro Elements  

The motif of the lullaby that Mercedes hums for her at various times throughout the movie. It is often played in times of sadness when Mercedes is trying to comfort Ofelia in moments of the distress such as when her mother is ill. It also plays in the beginning of the movie to open the scene up and the end when Ofelia has completed her quest. The lullaby i think for me showed vital moments but also for example at the end brought me back to the beginning as i remembered hearing in then possibly symbolizing the beginning and the end of the movie on her journey to go back to being a princess.  

Mise en Scene  

When Ofelia goes on her quest to get the key from the toad. You see her crawl through an underground muddy tunnel which is dimly. However, the set of the muddy tunnel of it somehow are made otherworldly and the composition of the set shows a lot of depth to the area. I personally think the way the set is designed throughout the movie makes the mise en scene so great throughout the movie. The tunnel is purposely muddy and dirty to show the length that she is going to complete these desks eve ruining her dress that her sick mother made for her to get the key. I think showing the area as not natural and giving the scene a great amount of mise en scene really creates the effect that she is almost entering a different world to the viewer and creates a contrast when she returns to the real one.  

Editing  

The editing techniques that stood out to me was the point when the camera pans down to the bath, then pans down into the tunnel stairway seamlessly. The way that the scenes are combined I think show that Shes always thinking about the stairway and quickly moves the change of setting for the viewer. However, I think there is also match cutting in the movie between the wo narratives taking part being the magical world that Ofelia steps in and the captain’s harsh reality of the war. An example where this takes pace is Ofelia handing the key over to the faun then it quickly cutting to the captain opening the door with a key showing the themes are familiar but so different between the two worlds by the editing used.  

Cinematography  

I think the opening shot where it slowly pans in Ofelia laying on the ground dead and slowly moving into her eye is one of my favourite bits of cinematography in the film. The slow movements of the camera allow the spectator to see the character clearly for the first time and establishes her as a main character well as allows you to notice that you are seeing things from her point of view symbolized by her eye. Another feature of the cinematography is that the movements of the camera are more fluid in the fantasy world but in different way to the captain’s world they are steadier and ridged this really creates a contrast with the cinematography between the two worlds showing the raility of the war.  

Gender paragraph  

The binary opposites between male and female  

The binary opposite between male and female is created by multiple features in the movie. The captain is often represented in a blue dark light and is often associated with broken items and knives created a negative light around him throughout the movie. His attitudes also create a binary opposite to those of the females with him being tradiontial  tough and represented as almost a monster who takes power over anything else. However, the females in the film are more caring with a example being Mercedes who cares for Ofelia but also takes on. a strong and powerful female role at the same time which was non tradional for the time. Woman in the movie such as Ofelia are often associated with a warm yellow light possibly showing the good in the woman in the film.  

List 10 things that the viewer knows about the story in the 1^st 10 mins of the film.  

1. It is set in Spain in the year 1944 

2. There is a civil war happening and military pots are placed in the woods  

3. There is an underground realm where a princess lived and escaped but she will come back one day in a different body. 

4. A young girl called Ofelia is traveling with her sick pregnant mother in a car.  

5. The girl’s mother has married the captain of a civil war party.  

6. There is otherworldly creatures such as fairies in the woods which they are traveling through 

7. The captain is an overprotective man and possibly has toxic masculinity as he makes his wife go in a wheelchair when she can walk. 

8. The captain has a servant called Mercedes  

9. There is a labyrinth found of the side of the military base  

10. Ofelias father was a tailor who died during the war.  

Historic and social context 

Pans lab was set in a post-civil war setting  

In the real world setting the rebels did not win the fascists won but pans lab chooses to have a happy ending where the rebels win. 

At the table the priest sits next to them while they discuss starving the poor people while having large amounts of food. 

The director wanted to show the history of the civil war. 

Del toro uses Morden and old school techniques  

He wanted all his monsters to be original  

He used puppets and CG to create the monsters for his movie  

Dark colours at night 

Using a Spanish cast and made in Spain  

Del toro and his friends put their own money into it; he cut out the studio taking control of his film. 

Won 3 Oscars a breakthrough movie  

Film 1: Pasternak 

In-Depth Study – Film elements 

Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film? 

Film 2: The Rats/Las Ratas 

In-Depth study – Mise-en-scène 

Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film? 

Film 3: Bombita 

In-Depth study: All elements 

Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film? 

Film 4: Til Death do us Part/Hasta que la muerte nos separe – this one was the most stand out to me.  

In-Depth study: All elements 

Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film? 

Part 1: Brief Reference 

Part 2: In-Depth Study – Narrative 

Part 3: Meaning and Effect 

Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film? 

Key actors

Humphrey Bogart-

Humphrey Bogart, he was a star of classic Hollywood cinema. He began acting in Broadway Shows and supporting roles where he portrayed gangsters. Until he played the role of Rick in Casablanca, where I personally believe that he fitted the role well and matched the character within his acting and expressions. He had been building up his career at this point with warner bros who had been developing him as a main man. This was his first role where he played a part in a love story. This was his first role as a leading man before this he was in the Maltese falcon.

Ingrid Bergman-

Ingrid Bergman is a Swedish actress, she was 26 when she starred in Casablanca early in her career. Before this she has experience in Swedish movies and stage. Warner brothers decided to cast her to represent Europe and attract Americans with her accent.

Paul Henreid-

Henreid was an Austrian- American actor, director, producer. He appeared in British films before moving to America where he starred serval films such as Night Train to Munich (1940) Casablanca (1942) and Now, Voyager (1942). His elegant sophistication and middle-European accent made him ideal for romantic leading roles.

Claude Rains-

Rains was a British movie star who was best known for his distinguished voice, style and a range of different roles, ranging from villains to sympathetic gentlemen. Roles that he is recognised for are The Invisible Man (1933) and Casablanca.

Conrad Vedit-

Vedit was a German born actor, who left Germany due to his strong anti-Nazi stance. He moved to the Uk but later left to the US, where he started in Hollywood. He starred in films such as Nazi Agent and Casablanca. His experience of having to leave his country due to war made is delivery in Casablanca so powerful.

Sydney Greenstreet-

Greenstreet was a American and British actor. He had a range from musicals to detective movies. He started working for Warner Bros in 1941 where he starred in The Maltese Falcon (1942) and Casablanca where he played Signor Ferrari.

Peter Lorre-

Lorre was a Hungarian -born American motion – picture actor who projected a sinister as a soft- voiced villain in thrillers. From (1941-1946) he worked at Warner Bros. and starred in Casablanca where he played Ugarte

S.Z Sakall-

Sakall found success as a comedian in early German talkies, but as Hitler rose to power he returned to Hungary. But later when he came

Dooley Wilson-

Wilson was a drummer and singer who led his own band in the 1920s, working in London and Paris. He was suited for the role due to his experience in music.

Joy Page-

Page was a American actress, Casablanca was her only movie with Warner Bros. She went on to act at different studios but Casablanca reminds her most known film.

Michael Curtiz (Director)

Michael Curtiz, was a Hungarian American film director, he is recognised as the most prolific directors in history, he worked into the Hollywood studio system. He was a well known Director when Warner Bros. invited him to Hollywood in 1926.

Mise En Scene–

• Elements of light and shadow when they are in love, for example when they are in Paris the lighting goes dark.
• Moments of emotional intensity the lighting is always dim.
• Hard light and shadows in Ricks.
• Sets had a great impact drama and emotion’s, with shadows and and rails creating drama.
• Every character has there own colour pallet, with the hero’s like Rick in soft colours.
• The woman had elegant clothes which portrayed innocence and beauty.
• A example of a Hollywood factory system
• All the characters appear glamorous and costume’s are always perfect
• The movie compared to the real Casablanca, the movie creates a fantasy version of Casablanca.
• The movie became more topical and powerful due to WW2V
• Every element of the film stands out
• All extras left there country due to war, can play the role well due to experience empathises with the role
• Ricks represents the best of Hollywood’s opportunity’s

Editing-

• The editor is able to give hints of information of peoples feelings, for example that Rick is actually nice when he lets the young couple win the gambling.
• The editing is natural and allows the audience to feel like the movie is realistic due to how natural the cuts feel.
• The movie uses close ups to emphasis the tension in the moment, for example the shot of the letter when Rick is waiting at the train station.
• Movement of the camera was impressive, dolly, broke away from the normal style, and movement of the actor where camera moves around them
• This was made at the height at warner bros. studio with them mainly doing gangster films.

Sound-

• Music elevates the scene, such as when the crowd at the bar is singing the French national anthem ‘la Marseillaise’
• Max Steiner was the music composer
• When the Germans enter scenes the music changes
• The music acts as a motif with it playing with the letter on the train and as time goes by.
• The movie has mainly diegetic music
• Music creates energy in Ricks
• The dialogue stands out, with a contrast in funny one liners and serious emotional speeches.
• Ingrids accent stood out to the casting

Aesthetics–

• the world that Casablanca is set in a fantasy of what Casablanca could be like.
• Their is a use of a sound motif to create a sombre tone
• The weather creates a tone, such as the storm over the runway
• The visual
• Hal. Wallis they oversee production, he chooses to buy the story. He negotiated a contract where he had the final say in the products, such as what actress for isla was going to be American or not. Wallis changed the story slightly to make it more synthetic for the Americans. The film is acting as propaganda for the Americans to view the Europeans
• 34 nationalities represented

isolationism- This is a national policy of avoiding political or economic entanglements with other countries

Representations–

Woman-

In my opinion Casablanca represents woman as either victim’s or a trophy for men to try and win. this may of been a feature of the time, But throughout the movie the plot of IIsas story is that will she choose Rick or Laszlo and they do not give her a defining character or plot by herself. Her fate at the end is decided by Rick she doesn’t get a choice.

Men–

In Casablanca men are represented as tough people who don’t look out for overs, this is represented by Rick who makes it apparent that he doesn’t care about anything but msyelf. However this façade slips throughout the movie showing that he deep down does. This can be seen for many over men in the movie who undergo a transformation. This could represent that the men in the movie just have a extieor attuite

Americans-

script arrived the day after pearl harbour, which was a unexpected attack 1941, the war as been on for 2 years and 3 months. Themes which could relate with the American’s people.

Political and Social Contexts-

Allies. Great Britain, USA, USSR (Russia)

Axis. Germany, Italy, Japan

France. At the start of WW2, into 1940 France is invaded and defeated.

The Free French who are still fighting for the Allies.

Vichy France is working for the Germans

Morocco, Is under the Vichy French power

War starts in 1939 America doesn’t join until 1941 due to pearl harbour.

Operation Torch. November 8 – November 16 1942

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.

“It captured the zeitgeist.”

The defining spirt or mood of a particular period of history, showing the ideas and beliefs at the time.

Casablanca Conference. January 14 to 24, 1943

Roosevelt and Churchill met to discuss the axis powers “unconditional surrender.” To plan the next phase of WW2.

Casablanca world premier

The world premier was in New York City on 26th of November 1942 it was released in the states on the 23rd of January 1943.

Movie Reels-

News was played at the movies, for about 10 minutes. Americans are learning about the war from the newspaper, radio and film.

Serendipity-

the idea of unexpected luck and chance

Film Noir is stylized Hollywood crime dramas which are shot in block and white and place emphasis on shadows. Themes of these movies often include use flashbacks and intricate plots.

Classic Noir

Neo Noir