Critisism on Film Casa Blanca
Movie Before 1949 Allure of Casablanca Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca is a romantic movie, not only in the fact that it is a love story, but also in the high quality of the personalities of the characters, their grace, their wit, their nobility, and their sentiment. The movie’s main character is a noble person hiding behind a cynical shell, Ric, who is played by Humphrey Bogart. Ric’s café is a kingdom of its own; this location makes Casablanca the amazing movie it is. It provides one single location as the hub for comfort escaping from World War II’s occupied France that at the time was taken over by the Nazi’s. Ric’s café American was the only place in the city that saved escaping westerners. This enhances the place’s appeal and significance, as viewers we are therefore drawn into the place even more. The movie is introduced with a deductive visual approach and narration. The camera keeps getting closer and closer to Ric’s Café using sophisticated visual effects and fade-ins until we finally reach Ric’s Café. From that point on the atmosphere of the movie transforms into a more glamorous one. Ric’s Café through the camera is a fantasy place, it sparkles, and the studio’s lighting has transformed it into a un-life-like place. Moving spotlights highlight the entrance, and as the camera goes into the place music is introduced. This is what makes it a kingdom, its independence and glamour. The camera pans the place and stops on the different clients of the place, it stereotypes those people to ensure rapid recognition, but I read once that a good story will challenge the homily, showing that there is nothing new under the sun, but makes it new under the moon. This is exactly- in my opinion why Casablanca is such a great movie. What makes a good story is a rebellious transformation of people who look “typical”. Some of the “typical” characters are Renault, the Jewelry Merchant (the one that tries selling Lazlo the ring), Ric’s staff, to name a few. It’s the dynamics of the protagonist, Ric, in his own kingdom that makes the place animate. Ric’s interaction with his staff and clients creates independent bonds that give this movie its positive image of humanity. These bonds are real and ironic. The irony that is always found in realistic situations, in the lies in honest realistic situations. Some examples of the bonds: Ric and Major Renault, Ric and Sam, Ric and the girl at the bar, Ric and the Hungarian Couple, Ric and Victor Lazlo, Ric and Signor Ferrari, and last but not least Ric and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). The story unravels with the unraveling of the true intentions of the people surrounding Ric. But the unraveling of the story is so smart because the script was written and revised many times, cooperatively; it became almost flawless in its twists and surprises. When it comes to introducing Ric, the main character, it’s interesting to note that the director Michael Curtiz chose to use the opposite approach of when we enter the movie.