Casablanca Analysis - 1942 Film Review PDF

Context: - Directed by Micheal Curtiz, released in 1942 - One of the defining films for the Golden Age of Hollywood - Set in the first year of US participation in WW2 (1939 -1945) ( It was a propaganda film in order to get the American population to agree with America's intervention...

Context: - Directed by Micheal Curtiz, released in 1942 - One of the defining films for the Golden Age of Hollywood - Set in the first year of US participation in WW2 (1939 -1945) ( It was a propaganda film in order to get the American population to agree with America's intervention in the war) - based upon an unproduced stage play called 'Everybody comes to Rick's' - The theme of [sacrifice] resonated with a wartime audience who were reassured by the idea that painful sacrifice and going off to war could be [romantic gestures] done for the greater good. - The film was immediately received well. It was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 3 (outstanding motion picture, best director, best screenplay) - The film was one of many that was made/churned out in the summer of 1942 and Warner Bros did not expect it to be successful. They thought that it was just going to be another Hollywood studio production. - The war between cynicism and idealism, standing up for love and justice against tyranny, the divide between desire and duty [Historical contexts (social, cultural, and political)] [Social - Gender & Ethnicity ] [Gender ] - The cast and production team involved in Casablanca were almost exclusively men, the film is reflective of stereotypical male, American concerns such as war, duty to country and freedom. Every decision-maker depicter, regardless of his political affiliation, is a man. All viewers, both male and female, are forced to see the world of *Casablanca* through the eyes of a man -- the lens of a masculinized camera. - The camera portrays women in a different light than to men (brightly lit, without shadows -- high key low contrast) while the rest of the cast i.e. the onlookers in Ricks café are hidden in the dark. The audience are reflective of this as they are able to sit back in the dark, hidden and watch the women perform for their pleasure. Women are being objectified and sexualised and their primary function is to be looked at, their thoughts and opinions do not matter. - As the people behind the camera are men, the audience is forced to see what they think should be focused on. - Laura Mulvey, film theorist, argues that "most films celebrate masculinity over the feminine, and portray women only as men perceive them rather than as they truly are" - Women are presented as weak and unable to make decisions independently from men, idealising the idea of women having little power and suggesting that they are unintelligent. They are infantilized. [More historical gender context:] - Before the war, women's primary role in society was to be housewives. They tended to the cooking, cleaning and looking after of the children whilst their husbands were at work. When the war began, women were urged to take part in jobs that men could no longer do, seeing as they were fighting in the war. However the temporariness of the situation was always emphasized as society did not see women fit to work once the men were available again. - Women are seen in this film as objects of beauty or sexual desire for men. Women are presented through the male gaze. In the way in which they behave but also literally as the entire production team behind Casablanca consisted of men (other than the cast which included 3 women in primary roles all of whom are ancillary to men)-- all viewers are forced to see the world of Casablanca through the eyes of a man, the lens of a masculinized camera - Because of the male production team, the messages behind the film are also typical of male, American concerns such as war, duty to country and freedom. - The camera (controlled by men) also portrays women in a different light to men, brightly lit, without shadows -- high key low contrast. Meanwhile the rest of the wider cast such as the onlookers in the café are afforded the privilege of sitting back away from the limelight watching the women and seeing them perform for their pleasure. - Generally, women in the film are sexualized, objectified and made to seem far less intelligent than the men. In the world of Casablanca, women are seen to be extremely reliant on men -- the Bulgarian woman who wishes to return to America can only do so by being subject to a sexual favor for Renault, Ilsa is unable to make decisions for herself and is presented as mentally weak and finally Yvonne who is the meaningless one night stand for Rick is manhandled and forced to leave the café, stripped of her agency purely because she is a woman supposedly cannot take care of herself. - Women's primary function is to be an addition to men, they have little power and their thoughts and opinions do not have much value if any. - Film theorist Laura Mulvey argues that 'most films portray women only as men perceive them rather than as they truly are.' -- this is because films from this time were edited in a style called 'continuity editing' which focuses the viewers attention on whatever the camera, and its operator so choose - presents the world and women through the gaze of men -- they celebrate masculinity over femininity - Casablanca idealizes the idea of women being subservient. [Men:] - In 1940's Hollywood, men had ultimate power over every aspect of the film making process and Casablanca is a reflection of this (see above) - In 1940's America, society had also put in place specific characteristics that men were expected to adhere to and that defined their masculinity - courage, bravery, stoicism and independence. - Rick takes on the ideal American man who inhibits these characteristics. He 'wears cynicism and indifference as a mask to hide his true self and protect him from getting hurt. - Victor Laszlo is also a representation of all of these characteristics as well as being an icon for resistance and standing up against fascism -- seen in the 'Vive la France!' scene [Rick and Ilsa gender politics:] - The foundation of Rick and Ilsa's relationship relies upon the power dynamic between the two of them. - Rick is unable to allow Ilsa to take control or be assertive in their relationship and that is why when she makes the decision to leave *him*, it leaves him unable to get over her as he perhaps feels as though her decisions cannot be final. - When he forces her to get on the plane in the final scene, this is a reassertion of his masculinity and a new equilibrium is created in which she is passive once again -- the films basis is masculinity - Ilsa remains constantly in the attention of the camera, sometimes the cameras lens even remains on her while another character is speaking - reflects the time in which the film was made in which men objectified women and made them implicitly subject to the male gaze - Women in the film are subjected to subordinate roles. [Ethnicity] - Sam whilst only being the piano player, has a nature that could also been seen as slightly servile. He is almost always positioned below Rick, sitting at the piano and playing whatever Rick or Ilsa orders him to. - At some points, Sam is also presented as somewhat of a commodity. For example when the owner of the rival establishment asks Rick how much he would take for him. We also see an example of Sam's commodification when at the end of the film, when Rick sells his café to Ferrari, he includes Sam in the deal. In other words, Sam is *sold*.  [Cultural] -- Restrictions of regulation - The hays code was named after William H. Hays who was the president of the MPPDA at the time. It was a set of regulations or guidelines for all motion pictures that were released between 1934 and 1968. It specifically prohibited anything that would appear to promote acts of adultery therefore Ilsa's relationship with rick had to be played down and they couldn't do anything too suggestive. - Joseph Breen, the Code's administrator, demanded several changes to the script, including where it was suggested that the police chief, Captain Renault, would sell visas for sex. [Political] - Propaganda (The film was produced in 1942 during WW2 and is set in the four days leading up to the Japanese attack on the US military base at Pearl Harbour on 7^th^ December 1941) Before these attacks, most of Americans were of the strong opinion that the nation should keep itself out of the war. - Anti-fascist theme - Story of America abandoning its isolationist policies and join the war. - Owners of warner bros were strongly for American intervention in the war. - Hollywood at the time was filled with actors and filmmakers fleeing Nazi aggression in Europe. - Americans had to feel as though they had made the right choice by wanting America to take part in the war, that the sacrifice was worth it. - The office of war information (OWI)-- Americas first propaganda agency tasked with shaping the American public opinion on the war, lead on by the attacks at Pearl Harbour - "The easiest way to inject a propaganda into most people's minds is through the medium of an entertainment picture when they do not realise, they are being propagandised." -- Elmer Davis (head of OWI at the time) - OWI reviewed and revised scripts before they went into production - By the time that Casablanca went into production, filmmakers were pre-emptively tailoring their film to meet the expectations of the OWI - The effect of war on people and their lives is reinforced from the opening scene through the use of real footage of refugees fleeing the nazi aggression. - When rick is seen playing chess on his own, this is a reflection of one of the key themes of the film which is isolation. - Ricks dedication to isolationism is repeated throughout the film -- ' I stick my neck out for nobody' - The story of Rick is an idealised version of American intervention -- both had a history of 'standing up for justice' but after being wounded, they were resistant to join another war. But when the axis aggression becomes too much to bear, they decide to join the fight once more. - The film was a reminder to the American public not that they should fight, but why they fight. - Film is filled with pro American and pro war messages - Ricks café is a place where people of all nationalities conjoin which is a demonstration of the power that comes with having international alliances and a condemnation of the kind of nationalistic policy employed by the Nazi's. - It represents America as a destination of hope and an almost utopia for the refugees - It's a call for people all over the world to stand up for the underdog - The need for unity in overcoming tyranny [Institutional/production contexts ] - Made by Warner Bros. (one of fifty being made at that time) - Based on a play by Murray Burnet and Joan Allison called 'Everybody Comes to Rick's' - The original date for the start of filming was selected to be April 10^th^ 1942 but delays meant it had to be pushed to May 25^th^ and filming was completed on the 3^rd^ of August. - The budget of the film was \$1,039,000 (which is equivalent to over \$14million in 2022) and was over budget by \$75,000. - The film was shot primarily in sequence as only the first half of the script was ready when filming began. - The entirety of the film was shot in a studio apart from the airport scene - Directed by debatably experienced film maker Micheal Curtiz. - Earned \$3.7 million at the box office [Curtiz as an auteur] [Auteurism:] Coined by Andrew Sarris, 1962 -- an auteur is the author and primary artistic force behind a film. "A director must exhibit certain recurrent characteristics of style , which serve as his signature. - Technical competency (skilled in various areas of filmmaking) - Signature style (easily recognisable) - Interior meaning. - Born in Hungary, 1886 - Recognised by some as one of the most prolific (fruitful/highly productive) - Curtiz made over 170 films during his career in almost every conceivable genre and was extremely versatile. - He was one of a team of many accomplished and knowledgeable personnel working at warner bros. - He was a respected 'journeyman' director at WB. He exemplifies the 'contract director' commonplace during the studio era -- he directed commercial films and could turn his hand to variety of genres (telling a story was perhaps secondary to just making a film as he turned them out so quickly one after the other). He was adept at rapid pacing and attention to detail. - "I want to deal with human and fundamental problems of real people. That is the basis of all good drama." - he said, each director\'s \"work is reflection of himself.\" - Curtiz\'s films covered such a wide spectrum of different genres. He was therefore seen by many as a versatile master technician who worked under Warner Bros.\' direction, rather than as an auteur with a unique and recognizable style. Classical Hollywood style (use sheet and ofotcn opening scene hw) - Designed to be invisible so that the spectator can be completely immersed in a story. - Disguises the constructed nature of a film -- creating an illusion of spatial and temporal continuity. - We notice style in a film when it deviates from this - Neatly choreographed actions and heavily scripted dialogue -- 'classical performance style' - The classical Hollywood style of films -- the spectator would learn where the story is set through the use of extreme long shot, establishing shots and more [explicit narrative exposition through dialogue]. For example, the opening scene of Casablanca features multiple establishing shots as well as a [narrated prologue] that directly lets the spectator know where we are. Opening Sequence: - Normally, we begin with a series of establishing shots that let us know where our story will take place. Then a more specific establishing shot (ELS rear projection shot which presents a sign of Rick's café, directly orienting the viewer -- there is little narrative ambiguity AND the ELS, deep focus of the Moroccan city scape, a hope to escape, evidently a set which reflects the Hollywood production contexts of the time) - When characters are in conversation, most commonly, they used an over the shoulder, reverse shot -- we know here each character is in proximity to one another and helps us focus on eye contact. (180 degree line of action)  How far does Casablanca typify the classical Hollywood style? - Adheres to passive spectatorship - Cause and effect linear narrative, high resolution ending - Controlled studio production with high sense of verisimilitude (argument for Curtiz not being a director -- the film had to adhere to the regulations of so many others: OWI, Hays Code and The Warner Bros. producers) - Continuity editing - Single plot stand - Finely tuned spectator positioning (cinematography, editing and mise-en-scene are all crafted to guide us to find appropriate meaning) +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+ | Shot | Technical | Denotation | Connotation | | | language | | | +=================+=================+=================+=================+ | Ilsa and Sam | Shot type - | One of the | The lighting | | scene | medium close up | first times we | gives Ilsa an | | | | see Ilsa at the | almost ethereal | | | Lighting -- | beginning of | look, | | | bright, soft | the film, she | suggesting her | | | focus, little | has just come | to be pure and | | | shadows on her | into Rick's bar | accentuating | | | face, high key | and is pleading | her beauty. | | | low contrast | with Sam (the | | | | | pianist) to | The soft | | | | play 'As time | lighting on her | | | | goes by' a | face evokes | | | | nostalgic piece | emotions of | | | | of music that | love, nostalgia | | | | reminds her of | and regret. | | | | her time spent | | | | | in Paris with | It represent | | | | Rick. | her as a woman | | | | | who is victim | | | | | to her own | | | | | emotions that | | | | | are all | | | | | consuming and | | | | | restrict her | | | | | from having | | | | | control over | | | | | her life | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+ | Guitar | full shot | center of the | of the film | | woman | | cameras shot | audience is | | | Lighting -- top | and the | reflective of | | | lighting, which | lighting | the people in | | | falls directly | illuminates her | the background | | | on the woman | whereas the | of the café -- | | | with the guitar | audience is | hidden in the | | | -- making her | regulated to | dark away from | | | seem once again | shadowy | view watching a | | | angelic and | periphery. | woman perform | | | pure | | for their | | | | | pleasure. | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+ | Ilsa with gun | Shot type -- | Near the end of | This out of | | scene | mid shot | the film -We | character | | | | see Ilsa who is | moment is | | | Lighting -- | feeling | displaying the | | | side light | desperate, pull | central woman | | | which creates a | out a gun in | as again a | | | dramatic effect | order to | victim to her | | | and reflects | threaten Rick | strong | | | Ilsa internal | into giving her | emotions. | | | confliction | the visas. | | | | with having to | | However it is | | | threaten the | The shadows | also a unique | | | man she loves | casting lines | moment in which | | | in order to get | behind her | Ilsa gains a | | | the visas which | could be a | sense of agency | | | she needs -- | symbol for the | and decides to | | | she's torn | bars of a | take control of | | | between love | prison cell and | her situation | | | and duty. | represents her | -- subverting | | | | being stuck in | the stereotype | | | | Casablanca with | of women at the | | | | no agency over | time/in the | | | | herself -- | film who are | | | | trapped by | normally | | | | circumstance | passive. | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+ | 'Of | medium close up | wallowing in | frustrated at | | all the gin | | self pity after | the imbalance | | joints' | Lighting - side | seeing Ilsa for | of power in his | | | lighting (half | the first time | relationship -- | | | light, half | since she left | Ilsa was the | | | dark) -- | him, he is | one who decided | | | | wounded and his | to leave him. | | | | highly | The side | | | | masculine, | lighting | | | | isolationist | Connotes his | | | | demeaner has | inner conflict | | | | been damaged. | at trying to | | | | | remain the | | | | | ideal man who | | | | | is stoic and | | | | | uninterested in | | | | | vulnerable | | | | | emotions and | | | | | being sad and | | | | | emotional | | | | | himself. It | | | | | could also | | | | | represent his | | | | | conflict as to | | | | | whether to | | | | | remain neutral | | | | | or whether to | | | | | fight against | | | | | the cruelty of | | | | | the fascists. | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+ | Laszlo asking | shot type -- | Towards the end | The beam of | | Rick for the | mid shot | of the film, we | light cast upon | | transit visas | | see Rick and | Laszlo is a | | | focus -- | Laszlo in | symbol for him | | | shallow focus | Rick's office. | being righteous | | | | Victor is | and noble | | | lighting -- | pleading for | whilst Rick is | | | rick is | him to sell him | sitting back in | | | encompassed by | the transit | the shadows -- | | | shadow whereas | visas. | perhaps he | | | Laszlo seems to | | feels | | | be illuminated | | ashamed/threate | | | by a beam of | | ned | | | light | | by Laszlo's | | | | | good nature and | | | | | is looking | | | | | downwards. | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+ Hollywood strove to maintain a superlative and uplifting image, rarely degrading themselves with inflammatory depictions of the enemy. Victor Laszlo is the shining beacon of righteousness in the film. An optimistic, strong-willed man of the people, he is everything that Rick is not. He is also what Rick was at some point in his career, clearly as Ilsa was infatuated with them both. Deep down, Rick still retains many of the characteristics as Laszlo, and through the course of the film we see that more sentimental side begin to manifest. Despite his adamant presentation of an ambivalent front, Rick is a patriot at heart. A young Bulgarian woman approaches Rick at the bar, pleading for his help like many refugees have done before. Her situation mirrors that of Ilsa's back in Paris, forced into a position that requires despicable action for the greater good. The young girl's desperate appeal cracks Rick's cynical shell enough to trigger his true sentimentality. He helps the young woman's husband get the money they need to abscond through his rigged roulette game. Not long after that, Rick is put into a position where he can no longer take a neutral stance between the French and German patrons. A group of Nazi officers sound off in a chorus of  "Die Wacht am Rhein" led by Major Strasser. Laszlo quickly reacts by instructing Rick's band to play "La Marseillaise". The band all look to Rick, who gives a solemn nod of approval before they proceed with the trumpeting sound of the French national anthem, drowning out the German foes. Rick represents this hesitant America, boldly expressing his neutrality with the oft-repeated iconic line, "I stick my neck out for nobody." Just like his native land, Rick turns a blind eye to the flagrant oppression taking place before him, willingly handing over the desperate Ugarte (Hungarian actor Peter Lorre) to the corrupt Vichy police as he begs and pleads for Rick to help him. [Key scene analysis] **Sequence**: Everybody comes to Rick's   - Films of this time glorified the American way of life, depicted the enemy and their philosophy. - The idea of the war and the effect it had on people is put directly in the audience's minds from the very beginning of the film - This is starkly contrasted to our introduction to the elusive and solitary Rick, seemingly oblivious to the troubles caused by the war - We first see rick playing a game of chess -- strategic and thoughtful. But crucially, he plays alone -- no friends, no opponents. In this shot we are presented to Rick as a symbol for isolationism