Fisher: Casablanca

Casablanca
This lovely picture has survived decades of advancements in film and continues to live on as a timeless classic in American Cinema.  Much of the film's success has to do with when it came out in theaters and what was going on in the world at the time.  The film was based on a play called Everbody Comes to Rick's  that was read and bought by Warner Bros. (specifically producer Hal Wallis) in January of 1942.  This timing can honestly be seen as impeccable considering the tragedy of Pearl Harbor occurred just a month earlier on December 7, 1941.  This allowed for the movie to become the basis for justification by the American public for the United States entering the war.  That being said, after America entered the war on December 8 this movie was needed.  This time of propaganda, allows for the directors to play with the mise-en-scene in order to convey a political stance or message.  Usually, movies tend to try and stay politically objective in order to pull in the widest range of audience.
However, in Casablanca we see standpoint that was politically expedient to support the United States Armed forces entering the war after Pearl Harbor.  In fact they did not show the film in North Africa thinking it would upset the Vichy there. This standpoint is seen in the mise-en-scene of the scene between Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) at the end of the movie.  In this scene Rick has just made known his ulterior motives to Ilsa, and he delivers the famous line, "We'll always have Paris."  I would put Rick as the dominan, meerly because he is facing more towards the camera in this frame  It can be argued that Ilsa is the dominant because she is more toward the center. Also her white collar adds contrast that draws the viewers attention.  But it is Rick (USA) that is making the sacrifices and letting the Ilsa leave with her husband.  It took a girl, and a major loss (love) for Rick to finally involve himself in the war.  The chief sees this and decides to follow him as a friend and sympathizer.  The camera proxemics are intimate because the camera is right up in the faces of these two actors. Trying to capture every emotion, expression, or moment of brilliance.  Also the character proxemics are intimate as they are face to face for the entire shot in attempt to convey the deep feelings they possess for one another.  The lighting in the frame looks to be high and coming from a little behind Rick, putting Ilsa more in the spotlight. There are some subsidiary contrasts in the picture.  The eye focuses on the faces first, then strays to Ilsa's white collar next and finally Rick's black tie. Their staging positions are face to face in the shot in attempt to convey the strong feelings and history these characters have between each other.  Finally the frame of the shot is tight and closed, almost could be considered a close-up if it did not have two actors in it.  This type of shot is to show the personal relationship between the characters and there emotions in regard to that relationship.

We'll Always Have Paris...