Emily Chang

Film History
Brian Shelton
16 June 2020
A Timeless Film: ​Casablanca

Hailed as one of the greatest films in history, ​Casablanca, d​ irected by Michael Curtiz in

1942, brings audiences on a seamless journey to the Moroccan city through the eyes of Rick

Blaine and Ilsa Lund. The film brought romantic drama on the map, highlighted some of the

most prevalent actors of the time, and boasted not only talking but singing and music on the

screen. The black and white colors are expertly manipulated by Arthur Edeson’s

cinematography, which brings character and plot to life.

It takes approximately ten minutes for a person’s ear to adjust to hearing a dialect, and

the first ten minutes of ​Casablanca ​don’t make it easy. However, the film brings awareness to

white European refugees of the time - ironically quite the reverse today - and their journey to

places such as Casablanca in order to get out of their dire situations. Themes like those date the

movie but create a strong parallel when viewed in modern times. The film embraces both aspects

of romanticism and war stories as it navigates through the story. Themes like love and loss are

explored in Rick and Ilsa’s relationship and their push and pull is very apparent throughout the

film. It’s not a simple relationship and adds depth to the stories being told at the time. Themes

such as desperation and survival are shown through the main conflict as the letters of transit

present not only an opportunity to escape but an opportunity to start over. The young couple that

is briefly followed through the film perfectly encapsulates the desperation of those times, even

leading the woman to offer herself up to Rick in order to gain passage to the US. Perhaps

Casablanca ​stood out among viewers for giving a little something to everyone - no matter if one
 Emily Chang
Film History
Brian Shelton
16 June 2020
enjoyed romance movies or war movies. The characters’ circumstances fit within the world of

the movie and the world of the times.

The cinematography was effective and reminiscent of the times. Edeson pans up to Rick

Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) for the first time in a dramatic sense that immediately gives the

audience an understanding of his importance and separates him from the many other characters

already introduced. Edeson uses these techniques to bring another layer to the film, another

example being when a shot of Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) standing in the doorway of Rick’s

nightclub perfectly illuminates her in light and captures all of her emotion in one single shot.

Bergman is shot beautifully in the film overall and truly exudes the energy of the 40s in her

performance. Her several close up shots are captivating and help the audience connect to her

character and her struggles.

As ​Casablanca ​was released, the notion of sound in film had been around for about a

decade but the film does an impeccable job of incorporating not only speaking but music into the

piece. The scene in which the German officers begin singing their anthem and the rest of the

nightclub attendees challenge them and sing the French national anthem is a powerful scene that

brilliantly captures the tensions between Germany and France at the time. The addition of music

was necessary for the film and gave it some of its most impactful moments. Another one is Ilsa

and Rick’s song, “As Time Goes By.” The song becomes their theme, and they use it to not only

get to each other but to celebrate the times they shared.

It’s no wonder that ​Casablanca ​was a pioneering film for its age and continues to expose

audiences to smart cinematography, emotional acting, and themes of survival and love.