Seither Casablanca

Casablanca, the 1942 classic directed by Michael Curtiz, has endured the tests of time and has emerged as one of the most celebrated movies of all time. Casablanca is not only a phenomenally well-done film, but it also carries with it a poignant message, which was delivered when it came to the silver screen. In order to fully understand the impact that Casablanca had on society when it was released, one must understand the social context of the day. In late 1941, the United States entered World War II, which is also the setting of the film. There is an interesting parallel that exists between Rick’s actions (before he took any active role in the fight against the Nazis) and the actions of the United States (before entering the war). In the wake of World War I, the United States adopted policies of isolationism and non-intervention. In fact, the United States Congress passed the Neutrality Acts in the late-1930’s to try and prevent the United States from getting involved in the war that was raging in Europe. Rick has the same attitude as the United States regarding involvement in the war. Rick says, “I don’t stick my neck out for anybody” at several points in the movie. However, just like the United States, Rick eventually enters the fight against the Nazi’s. Casablanca’s message was an important one at the time because the movie was released just a few weeks after the Allied Invasion of North Africa.

In the final scene of Casablanca, Rick has a standoff with Major Strasser. During this scene, Major Strasser arrives and attempts to phone the radio tower to prevent the plane carrying Victor Laslo from taking off. The shot is very intense and an analysis of the mise en scene will help to reveal the techniques used to achieve this tense confrontation. The camera proxemics in the shots of Rick and Major Stasser, the shots that switch back and forth between the two characters, are personal. The overhead lighting in the scene creates shadows created by Rick’s hat on his eyes. These shadows veil his eyes and create a nice effect. As the shot rotates from Rick to Strasser, so does the dominant, but in the end, Rick is the dominant in the shot that is taken from over Strasser’s shoulder when he is shot.