casablanca Flashcards
how are men represented
•sacrifice one’s own desires for the greater good
•fiercely independent
•supports underdogs - ethiopia and spain
•rick is the only one who can shoot the gun
how are women represented
•stereotypical functional gender roles
•little opportunity to shape the narrative
•beauty
•unintelligent
feckless
A01 of men
•Rick had to sacrifice Ilsa for the greater good
•presented as an isolationist in the opening sequence framed alone
•rick takes the gun off ilsa and later shoots major straus
•rick shown at a higher angle to women
•puts Rick on a box to look higher up- more dominant
A01 of women
•seen as mother and wife- Anina coming for help and solely talking of what her husband and children need
•don’t make any of the big decisions, ilsa unaware of who she leaves with
•”you’ll have to do the thinking for the both of us”- unintelligent
•Anina saying she will sleep with him ti get the visa- ilsa hinted at sleeping with him to get the visa via a fade to black. -hayes code
•gauze filter. high key lights- vulnerable helpless
•ilsa as the prize
classical hollywood studio system
•clear exposition/resolution
•establishing shots and tracking shots to mid shots
•invisible editing
•filmed in studio - reuse old sets
•stars/crew on contracts with warner
•hayes code
•collaborative film making
Auteur/production context
Michael Curtiz- highly regarded and commercial ‘journeyman’ director
Aurthor Edison- cinematographer- the maltese falcon
Max Steiner- composer- king kong, the voyager
Hal B wallis- producer
Jack warner- executive producer
Writers- wit, politics, romance
Hal B wallis
bought rights to the play ‘everyone comes to ricks’ which was developed into casablanca.
oversaw all aspects of production.
wrote the last line “i think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”
Micheal Curtiz- Director
contract director
highly regarded
hungarian immigrant- passionate about the polital subject
didn’t tell Ingrid who she was leaving with- better performance
paris montage- adding to the love to emphasise the sacrifice wives have to make for war- pro war- the effect the nazis had having to leave (asylum seeker) invasive on the “city of love”
film noir style
“best director you’ve never heard of”
“journeyman”
Max Steiner- composer
imposed a leitmotif in order to create a sense of romance or attention or…
typical of austrian/ German composers
brings emotional moments in particular in the end
sweeping score melodramatic
Aurthor Edison
cinematographer
low-key lighting
key lights in ilsa eyes- vulnerable and tears
Gauze filter
Warner
polish jewish immigrant
Film noir style
pro war ideology
donated spit fires to US prior
made the most amount of anti nazi films before pearl harbour
10% war bomb donations
propaganda
production context
•reuse of sets- foggy atmosphere- romantic setting. cardboard plane- depth of field and perspective
•hayes code- midshit if major strausser getting shot- no blood. sound affect and performance
rick tells lazlo they spent the night together. fade to black
•Warner brothers- film noir detective films
social and political context
•Rick represents USA during War- picked a side- prop of gun killing nazi
•Renault and rick two shit. USA joining allied forces- propaganda- close proxemics
•Rick tells Major Straisser what to do- takes charge- America will dominate the war.
•Lazlo says to Rick- “welcome back to the fight, this time i know our side will win”- the need for them to join
•Vichy agreement for germany ti occupy france- france need saving. thrown bottle in bin
Film Noir definition
detective drama, low key lighting, cynical world weary hero
melodramatic
romance
drama of life
emotional
