"Casablanca"

Essay by JuggleyHigh School, 11th gradeA+, October 2006

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This movie begins with the main character, Rick, in his "Café Americaine." He at the beginning is portrayed as a man who "sticks his neck out for nobody." One is able to see the comical dialogue and wisecracks with epigrams. He is also portrayed as a center figure of the underground and corrupt world of Casablanca; after all, he does run a night club for spies, traitors, Nazis, and the French Resistance.

The camera play was done very well with remarkable synchronization of music and picture. Some places, the music is refreshing, and others, it is refreshing not to have the music. In some scenes, there is music which cuts off at a crucial moment to emphasize how an actor or actress is trying to portray their feelings. The absence of music allows the viewer to observe the facial expressions of the actors/actress and allows them to perceive the emotion however best fits the situation.

This movie is a good, but subtle propaganda effort tied between the United States government and Hollywood. It allows the viewer, who may or may not be opinionated on matters concerning World War II, but towards the end of the movie, form political views in alignment with the government.

With reference to the different kinds of shots used in the production of Casablanca, each time a sequence begins at Rick's Café Americaine, an "establishing shot" is shown, which is setting the place of the action. Also, the first establishing shot of the movie sets the time period as well as the location of the film. There are a handful of "long shots," that help to show a large interior such as Rick's Café, or another building, etc. There are a few more "close ups" than long shots, which can range from a second to...