Casablanca Michael Curtiz\'s 1943 Film

Casablanca

Michael Curtiz's 1943 film Casablanca depicts a doomed love affair set amid an equally volatile political landscape. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) lives in Casablanca; the reasons for his expatriation are never entirely clear. At one point in the film, Rick claims to have come to Morocco because the "waters" were good for his health. When Louis Renault (Claude Rains) points out "We're in the desert," Rick wryly replies, "I was misinformed."

Rick runs a popular jazz bar and gambling den in Casablanca; he is fully entrenched in Morocco and yet he seems a cynical and lonely man. His bar, Rick's Cafe Americain, is a hangout for everyone from political officials to black market opportunists. One day his ex-lover Ilse Lund (Ingrid Bergman) suddenly appears in Rick's Cafe, choosing it out "of all the gin joints in the world." Her appearance stirs up emotion in Rick, and passion between the two is palpable. Indeed, the on-screen romance in Casablanca is one of the most intense cinematic performances in Hollywood history and one of the defining aspects of the movie.

However, Ilse is married. Her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), escaped from the concentration camps, leads an anti-Nazi resistance, and is now hunted by German Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt) and the other Nazi officials who hang out at Rick's Cafe. The reason why Ilsa is in Casablanca is clear: she hopes to smuggle her Czech husband to the United States and needs Rick's help. Rick happens to be in possession of the black market documentation that would allow Laszlo -- and Ilsa -- to be smuggled out of Morocco to the United States via Portugal.

Eventually Rick agrees to help Ilsa and Laszlo, although he ultimately has to kill German Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt) to do so. Renault saves Rick from being taken in by the police. Rick tells Renault, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Casablanca's strengths include Bogart's poignant performance and the portrayal of bittersweet romance with his on-screen partner Bergman. However, the depiction of World War Two and the tension it introduces to the drama make Casablanca a rich and enduring film.

One of the key moments in the movie that contributes to the buildup of its magnificent tension takes place in Rick's Cafe. Renault, Major Strasser, and Herr Heinz have a conversation pertaining to the search for Laszlo. At the onset of the scene, a long shot of the bar conveys the lively ambiance Rick has created in his establishment. The cool sophistication of the jazz band and the upscale clientele contrasts with the sleaziness oft he Nazi officials who Rick meets at the table. Likewise, the cheerfulness of the bar is all but absent when the men sit down to talk.

Lighting in the scene is exemplary and includes deft use of shadows playing on the walls as the band plays. The camera closes in on the table of three men, just as Renault calls out for Rick as the latter walks by. Renault stands up to welcome the stunned, and obviously annoyed Rick, to the table. Body language is conveyed with longer shots, whereas facial expressions are conveyed via judiciously used close-ups. Mis-en-scene closely follows the thematic and character-building functions of this particular scene. For example, Strasser stands up to greet Rick with a show of respect. The camera takes in the table and its immediate surroundings. On the other hand, Heinz remains seated and scowling, his face centered in a close-up shot when he is first introduced to Rick.

Renault introduces Rick to Major Heinrich Strasser "of the Third Reich," and Herr Heinz "of the Third Reich." Emphasizing the phrase "the Third Reich" underscores the sinister tone of the scene. Strasser himself notices Renault's repetition and states, "You repeat Third Reich as if you expected there to be others." Renault replies, "I will take what comes," and his words echo his intention to choose his alliances for selfish reasons. Renault does "blow with the wind," and has loyalty to no one but himself. In many ways, Rick is the same except his love for Ilsa does affect his moral decisions in the movie.

While Strasser grills Rick, he scoops out caviar in the foreground but Rick is in focus. The camera cuts back and forth between the two men and occasionally to Herr Heinz, who asks about the Third Reich, "Can you imagine us in London?" The two Nazis are evidently trying to intimidate Rick. Rick, however, remains as cool as the music playing in his bar. He uses humor to charm his interrogators and also as a weapon to bolster his confidence. For instance, Rick states, "There are certain sections of New York, Major, that I wouldn't advise you to try to invade." Likewise, after Rick takes his dossier from Strasser he acts completely nonplussed. His only response is, "Are my eyes really brown?"

Rick also indicates his lack of political allegiances. Like Renault, Rick does not make decisions based on political ideology but on personal feelings alone. He diplomatically states I "haven't the slightest idea" who will win the war. The camera shifts to a scene incorporating the entire table as Renault cheerfully replies "Rick is completely neutral about everything, and that takes in the field of women." When the camera centers a shot of Rick on screen, the audience can see his mind moving towards Ilsa as his eyes shift away from the table. A close-up of Strasser has him state, "An enemy of the Reich has come to Casablanca and we are checking up on anybody who can be of any help to us." Interestingly, nothing in the scene directly foreshadows Rick's eventually killing Strasser. However, Renault's observation about Rick's neutrality about women does foreshadow Rick's decision to let go of Ilse at the end.