Casablanca essay

B) Compare how far your chosen films reflect the different production contexts

“Studios had faces then. They had their own style.” Billy Wilder states how, in Casablanca, we can see the Warner Bros signature style – notably, the big screen realism of the melodramatic love triangle, the elements of crime, and a charismatic male protagonist…

[Having directed over a hundred films at Warner Bros, Curtiz might be considered an auteur in his own right, but there is debate over how much creative control he actually had, with the studios exerting influence over all stages of production.]

Elements of Classical Hollywood film form are apparent in the opening of the film when the spectator is introduced to the protagonist Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart. The sequence begins with an exterior establishing shot of the sign for Rick’s Bar Americain, with the camera then tilting down and tracking into the bar itself. This technique is a key trope of Classical Hollywood, with a sense of setting, location and atmosphere being established early on. The deliberate, highly engineered camera movements were enabled by the studio set up, with dollies and rigs already in place. As we move into the bar, a series of tracking shots drifts from one sphere of action to the next; cinematographically, this is meticulously choreographed, with deliberately fluid camera movements introducing disparate groups of characters. These movements are cued by a combination of dialogue and blocking. This kineticism sutures the spectator into the diegesis of the filmic text. This is further complemented by the editing: we cut to static camera shots of peripheral characters seated at tables, with three-point lighting in evidence, again reflecting the tropes of Classical Hollywood film form. In the studio, lights could be rigged above the sets – most of which did not have ceilings – so that heavily stylised effects could be created. The chaos of multiple spheres of action funnels the spectator’s gaze to a single character – Rick. This is another feature of classical Hollywood cinema.

Our first view of Rick is via a static close up from the chest down. Whilst this creates an enigma code around him, built up via references to him from the diegetic audience, it also serves to focus the attention on the props on the table in front of him – a cheque book, chessboard and a wine glass. These props respectively connote money and power; strategy and intelligence; and an inner turmoil. The fact that he is playing chess against himself could also imply a suppressed internal conflict that manifests itself when Ilsa comes back into his life. In terms of proxemics, Rick is isolated, surrounded by chaos. This represents the isolationist policy of the US during WW2. One could take the bar itself as a metaphor for the global conflict, with Rick being the embodiment of the US. He repeatedly declines offers to drink with customers, which parallels the Allied Forces’ desperate pleas to join their cause. To further contextualise this, the purposeful close up on the chequebook reveals it is dated 2^nd December 1942, five days before Pearl Harbour. Therefore the events in the narrative directly correlate with the US’ entry into WW2. The chequebook itself can be said to represent the huge financial investment in WW2 by the US.

Finally, Classical three point lighting is used on Rick, though this is notably different from the lighting employed for Ilsa. For Rick, a strong key light is used with a weaker fill and backlight. This creates chiaroscuro with heavy shading across his face, which highlights his wrinkles. This makes the character seem more worn and world-weary, suggesting that his enigmatic past is somewhat troubled and eventful.

In Casablanca, Rick and Ilsa’s first meeting takes place in the bar, as they sensationally reunite after previous years apart. A dramatic effect is displayed through a shot reverse shot between close ups of both the protagonists’ faces, demonstrating their reactions to seeing one another. A contrast is created between the two characters’ close-ups – Ricks wrinkles are emphasised in this shot, due to three-point lighting, whereas, Ilsa appears almost flawless, due to the combination of honeycomb filter, Softbox lighting and Fresnel lighting.

Classical Hollywood takes full effect in the first meeting scene between Ilsa and Rick who are then joined by Reno and Lazlo, as blocking and cinematography reveal the spacial relationships between the characters. Initially the scene follows the typical convention of revealing the relevant characters in the scene; this is done through a close up single on Rick, utilising a harsher key lighting to create contrast and connote internal conflict. The close up also highlights Ricks harsher features partly through the use of shadows, which highlights his age and therefore how 'world weary' he is. These highlighted harsher features also emphasise his masculinity, which is key to his character. Contrastingly the following single close up on Ilsa uses softbox lighting, reducing contrast and therefore connoting less internal conflict as she has settled with her husband Lazlo, where as Rick has never truly moved past Ilsa. The softer lighting on Ilsa's face also connotes femininity and angelic qualities, which juxtaposes Ricks rugged masculinity; this combined with the lack of conflict in her face serves to emphasise Ricks internal conflict. Mise en scene also contributes to this scene as Ilsa is in a white dress and wears a delicate diamond earring, which again connotes angelic qualities and femininity. 

Conversely, French New Wave aesthetics exerted huge influence on new Hollywood film form, as evidenced by the opening of Apocalypse Now in which the protagonist, Willard, is introduced. With the decline of the studio system throughout the 1950's, combined with new technologies and the rise of film school graduates, the notion of the auteur came to prominence. Sheen described himself as being in a "chaotic spiritual state" during the filming, in which he "fought [Coppola] like a tiger".





Casablanca glorifies American globalism in the protagonists' rejection of isolationism, which is in stark contrast to Apocalypse Now's demonisation of American Globalism partly through the protagonists' isolation and broken mental state. This tracks America's national identity from a clear cut, definite exceptionalism during WW2 and after, to a fractured and broken national image as a result of America's involvement in the losing Vietnam War.

Freedom from the studio system allowed for freedom in the directors to...
Willard's broken mind reflects America's own shattered self image during the 1970's; both a consequence of America's involvement in the Vietnam war. This is reflected in Willard's relationship with the hotel room, which can be metaphorically read as the prison of his mind. This was founded on a filmmaking style facilitated by financial freedom and distance from the studio - both facets of New Hollywood. Through physically bringing his crew and actors to the Philippines, Coppola replicated the madness of war. Sheen's performance was motivated by this madness in his method acting, seen when Willard positions himself in a foetal crouch on the ground. The combination of a long shot and dramatic lighting connotes Willard's isolation, as he is presented as small in his environment and the lighting highlights the muscles of his back and to create a feeling of deformity.

Intro:
. Relationship of protagonist w/ environment
. Morroco = neutrality in isolationism
. Vietnam = American aggression in globalism

. Characters in environments
. Willard's damaged/ traumatised psyche is split - between the savagery of Vietnam/ jungle/ Kurtz and civility + Isolation in the hotel room
. Split between civilian life versus service in Vietnam
. Between his past life and his life now 

. Doesn't have a place at home or at war - him placed between the desk representing his family and the desk representing his addiction + war  - feeling 

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