Characters and Filming Technics in the Movie Casablanca
In my opinion Casablanca is a great movie that is due to many factors some of them are: interesting plot, good technical solutions and appropriate actors. In this analysis I will mostly explain why the good characters are the key element of this movie success. Also I will explain which technics of filming were used in various scenes and how they affected our perception of the movie.
The first character to be examined is Louis Renault he is a representative of the Vichy government ruling in Moroccan Casablanca. While under control of the Nazis Louis during the movie seems as the person who is dedicated to his work. At the same time he is a gambler playing at Rick's undercover casino place. In the scene where Renault was ordered to close the Rick's Cafe after the guests led by Laszlo interrupted the Nazis song. We can see how fast Louis finds a reason to close Rick's Cafe even though before we could see how they had conversations with Rick showing their relative friendship. That scene proves that Renault is a selfish person that is used to follow illegal orders of the Nazis even if they are against the people that are close to him. Moreover in the next shot we could see surprised Rick as he comes up to Louis in order to question his actions. In this scene the character of a friendly-Louis changes to a Nazi-controlled soldier Louis who is ignorant of his friends disturbance. At the same scene with the help of deep-focus we were able to see who the dealer of the casino directly comes to Renault to give him his winnings. That action of the dealer shows that Louis is an inveterate gambler which likes to play a double-game as he is trying to be friendly with Rick and still be likable by his German commanders. On the other hand in the last scene of the movie Renault did a heroic action after death of German Major Strasser in order to help his friend Rick. This action of this character explains his other side that was hidden under his military uniform. He is still capable of feeling other people's feelings and helping them whenever they need it. In this scene Louis was given a choice of either losing Rick for the rest of his life as he would be certainly executed after trying to help Laszlo escape from Casablanca or losing his valuable job. A close-up shot helped us to see all the facial expressions of Louis at the moment the soldiers arrived. He lied to them but his whole look was confident and it proved that he is certainly on the side of the opposition. Moreover this idea is supported by the next action of this character. During celebration of the successfully completed mission Louis decides to throw the Vichy Water bottle in the bin, that action represents his relation to the current government of Casablanca. Over the film the character of Louis Renault was almost fully presented for the viewers even though he is not the leading character, such relation to the details from the directors once again proves that this movie is iconic.
The other character to be discussed in this analysis is Rick. The main character of the movie is a representative of indifference and apathy to everything that happens around him. During the movie we are presented to some events that made Rick a person that he is right now. His unsuccessful love story that was ended without any explanation affected him the most. Its not the war or his transition from one country to another but only love to Ilsa that could not find its continuation. However during the film similar to Louis the character of Rick opens up from other perspectives as he decides to prevent a worker of Deutsche Bank from entering his casino. Such action depicts his support for the allies and not Vichy. Rick is a strong character that became only more powerful after Ilsa appeared in Casablanca, but such transformation did not happen immediately and Rick had to overcome some struggles to become stronger. In the first scene where Rick and Ilsa meet with the help of a number of close-ups we see how both of them have tears in their eyes. Tears almost anytime represent weakness at that time Rick was hurt. However closer to the end of the film when Ilsa gave Rick an ultimatum where he had to choose destiny for both of them he showed himself as a strong man that is capable of making rational decision that are not based only on his personal wishes. He knew that it will be best for Ilsa to leave with Laszlo as they were already married, moreover it is dangerous for her to stay in Casablanca as the political situation is not stable. Moreover Ilsa has already been through great trials in her life, as she was wanted by the germans while staying with Laszlo in Europe. This kind of logical critic could help Rick to decide for Ilsa and make the best choice for her, while not overvaluing his personal needs.
To summarize, Casablanca is a wartime American film that captures a lot concerning the American experience. Casablanca is a war story that portrays the choices a person has to make in life regarding work and love. Produced by Warner Brothers, the film captures the horrors of war and the predicament of refugees. The whole story is perfectly shown through main characters: Louis Renault and Rick.
