9/10
Amazing film. I highly recommend it to watch. The romance mixed in with war is very gripping. A scene I remember is when it was a flash back from Casablanca to Paris. The editing towards this section is smooth and understandable.
Humphrey Bogart – Rick Blaine
Rick Blaine was a famous American actor who starred in Casablanca. He was cast to play Rick because he had played a villain in previous movies and Ricks character is villain like until the end of the movie where he helps his lover flee the country.
Ingrid Bergman – Ilsa Lund
Ilsa was casted when the writers thought about having a lead female character who was not from America because they wanted to showcase many people all over Europe wanted to escape Europe and go to America.
Paul Henreid – Victor Laszlo
Paul Henreid was an Austrian-American actor, director and writer. He is most remembered for several film roles during the Second World War. Like ‘Now Voyager’
Peter Lorre – Ugarte
Lorre was Hungarian but born in America. He was a picture actor who was normally portrayed as a sinister but soft voiced villain in thrillers. From 1941-1946 he worked at Warner Bros.
Claude Rains – Captain Louis Renualt
Claude Rains was a British actor who was best known for his different voice style and a range of different roles ranging from villains to distinguished gentlemen. Roles that he was recognised for are The Invisible Man which was made in 1933.
Sydney Greenstreet – Signor Ferrari
He was an English actor.
S.Z. Sakall – Carl
Dooley Wilson- Sam
Mise En Scene
The set design in Casablanca is a blend of style and storytelling that transports the audiences to an exotic and tense atmosphere because of World War II. At the heart of the film is Ricks Cafe American, a posh space featuring grand architecture, arched doorways, flowery patterns, warm and dim lighting that creates a romantic yet mysterious aroma. The streets of Casablanca, recreated on soundstages and backlots, capture the vibrant hustle of the city with market stalls, winding alleys, and shadowy lighting that makes the film more immersive because of the amazing sets that had been made.
The costumes in Casablanca are very elegant and reflect the personalities and roles of the characters. Sharp suits and uniforms convey authority, while soft dresses highlight grace and calmness. Evening wear contrasts with the simpler clothes of refugees, emphasizing the film’s themes of class, love, and tension between the Nazi officials and Locals.
Editing in Casablanca
What I noticed with the editing in Casablanca is that there are a lot of close up shots of the faces of the characters and MCU shots of the surrounding area to get a feel of the set designs. There was a couple long shots of when Victor Laslo leaves his hotel room and the camera is still up in the hotel room window to see him walk off. The effect on the spectator from these shots makes the spectator seem as if they are in the film with the characters. At some points in the film it almost feels like a play because of the swift character changes in each scene.
Sound
Diagetic
One of the most iconic examples is the music performed at Rick’s Café Americain is when Sam is playing the piano and singing ‘As Time Goes By.’ This song evokes the romance between the main characters but also serves as a recurring motif that evokes nostalgia and heartbreak. The ambient noise of the bustling café, including clinking glasses, murmured conversations, and laughter, creates an immersive and lively atmosphere. Other uses of diegetic sound include the patriotic singing scene where the locals of Rick’s Café sing a patriotic French song called ‘La Marseillaise’ to drown out the German soldiers song. This was a very important scene in the movie symbolizing resistance to the unwelcome Germans.
Non-Diegetic
Non-diegetic sound in Casablanca helps set the mood and guide how the audience feels during important scenes. plays in the background to make moments feel more romantic, nostalgic, or dramatic. For example, the music gets louder and more emotional during tense or heroic parts of the story, helping show the importance of what is happening. It connects the audience to the characters and their struggles without needing more acting.
Recurring Motif – any recurring element
Historical and Political Contexts to Casablanca
Allies– Britain, USA, USSR
Axis– Germany, Japan, Italy
France– The Free French are still part of the Allies.
France was an Allie at the beginning of the war until it was invaded and surrendered by Germany. The country was then split between the German occupied zone. The other half was a free side know as Vichy France. Vichy France controlled Casablanca in Morocco.
America Joins the war in 1941 after Japan bombed Pearl Harbour in December 7, 1941. The Japanese did this to eliminate the American pacific fleet of naval ships. They killed 2300 Americans and sank 7 ships.
Operation Torch
The film captured the zeitgeist of American patriotism. 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. It was to take the attention off the USSR at the time to open up 2 fronts.
Zeitgeist – the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
The Casablanca Conference was a meeting between U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the city of Casablanca, Morocco that took place from January 14–24, 1943. While Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin received an invitation, he was unable to attend because the Red Army was engaged in a major offensive against the German Army at the time. The most notable developments at the Conference were the finalization of Allied strategic plans against the Axis powers in 1943, and the promulgation of the policy of ‘unconditional surrender’.
Americans are finding out about the war with radio, newspaper and especially film. For Casablanca to come out at the time of the invasion of Casablanca was empowering for the Allied civilians at home.
Themes and Issues
Isolationism – What was Americas view on World War 2.
At first the Americans did not want to get themselves into another European war. After WW1 the USA joined late but lost hundreds of thousands of solders. The American people at the time we against joining another European war. At the start of WW2 96% of Americans wanted to stay out the war.
In context to the film Rick was the American bar owner and was not getting involved with any of the altercations until his bar was closed down then he was heavily involved in Victor Lazlos escape.
Aesthetics
he realism in Casablanca comes shows a authentic portrayal for the civilians complexities in World War II. Casablanca was a place for refugees escaping Nazi occupied Europe. Although the romance and drama are prioritised in the film. The film conveys love, loss, and sacrifice during a time of global conflict. The ending of the film where Ricks escape are set aside for the greater good, reinforces the film’s connection to the harsh realities of the world at the time.
Representations
Women and Men
In Casablanca Women I would argue that women are presented with the same status as men with the two being just as important as the other. For example when Ilsa and Lazlo came to Casablanca and the German general invited them two to a meeting even though it was Victor Lazlo they where worried about.
Authority Figures
People like Major Heinrich Strasser as the German general and Captain Louis Renualt chief of police are conveyed as the people who run Casablanca. Everything goes by them two and they are seen as confident and almost feared of. Especially Major Heinrich Strasser because he had invaded France where most the people in Casablanca was from. The Casablanca population where mainly French because they where escaping the German war machine that had invaded France. They where able to travel to Casablanca because i was part of the French empire and apart of Vichy France where there was no Germans. Just Vichy French authorities that worked with the Germans like Captain Louis Renualt.
People of Colour
In the film there is not many people of colour except Sam the pianist. There is not much to say about him. He works in Ricks bar playing the Piano. He came to Casablanca with Rick to also escape the Germans.
