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Ethics and Film: Messages, Themes, and Techniques Module 1: Part I – Triumph of the Will; Part II - Casablanca by Magaret Haun, PhD Background In a September 2007, American Film Institute special on the top 100 films of the 20th century, director Peter Bogdanovich said that there is no more iconic American film than Michael Curtiz's Casablanca. Certainly the movie has become part of the collective memory of film viewers in this country: the storyline, music, acting, memorable lines, and cinematography make Casablanca irresistible, even for younger 21st century audiences. There are at least two ironies in the film's having become the quintessential American movie. First, a product of the old Hollywood studio system, Casablanca was only one of many films cranked out in the early 1940s by Warner Bros.--and thus, there were no great expectations for it. Jack Warner hoped to capitalize on the success of an earlier Hedy Lamar film called Algiers. Warner and producer Hall Wallis bought an unproduced play called Everyone Comes to Rick's,changed the name to the more exotic-sounding Casablanca,and hoped for the best. What happened, of course, was beyond their wildest dreams. The second irony in Casablanca's enormous success, as a peculiarly American film, is that Humphrey Bogart was the only American in the list of well-known actors who appear in the movie. Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa Laszlo) was Swedish; Paul Henreid (Viktor Laszlo) was Austrian; Claude Rains (Capt. Louie Renault) was British; and Peter Lorre (Ugarte) Hungarian. Director Michael Curtiz was also Hungarian. The principals associated with this iconic American film, then, formed a cosmopolitan and diverse group. The storyline of Casablancadraws heavily from history and students will need some background in geography, as well as WWII alliances and events, for a full appreciation of the film. It is important that they understand that Casablanca is a port city in Morocco (at the time of the movie, French Morocco), an area controlled by the French Vichy government, a rogue administration controlled, in turn, by the Third Reich and reviled by the French Resistance. The name of this puppet government-Vichy-stems from the fact that its seat was located in Vichy, France. That Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt) moves through the film with so much authority is a function of the Vichy reach into North Africa. And while France was said to have "occupied" and "unoccupied" areas, the entire country was, in reality, under Vichy or Nazi control from 1940 to 1944. Under the leadership of Gen. Charles de Gaulle there was an active resistance to the Nazis, called Free French. The chief Resistance fighter and strategist in the film is Ilsa's husband, Viktor Laszlo, who, in spite of being cuckolded by Ilsa, is vitally important to the pan-European effort to break the Nazi war machine. As the film begins, we learn that people from across Europe have come to Casablanca hoping to escape the Nazis. Casablanca is not a final destination but rather a stop on the way to Portugal and finally the United States. Rick's Café Americain is a popular eating and drinking place for the various groups residing in Casablanca--Vichy collaborators, refugees, Resistance fighters, and Nazis. Rick himself finds little satisfaction in anything. He "puts his neck out for no one," Captain Renault says. Rick's early interest is self-preservation, not the war effort. Even so, he is enormously respected and trusted. As a consequence, he receives much-coveted transit papers from Ugarte (a Spanish Resistance fighter) just before Ugarte is killed by Nazi and Vichy police. These papers are what bring Viktor and Ilsa Laszlo to Casablanca. Shortly after they arrive in Casablanca, Ilsa and Viktor end up at Rick's "gin joint." Ilsa and Rick, who fell in love during Ilsa's temporary (and largely unexplained) Paris exile (rendered in flashback), reconnect. The plot to get Viktor to Portugal and then to the U.S. picks up from the point of the Rick-Ilsa reconnection. By the end of the film, Rick has given up any claim to Ilsa and committed himself to the Resistance effort. In the film's final scene, he and Louie Renault walk into the mist, having given themselves over to the same important cause. They are both redeemed. Viewing Notes for Casablanca Foreword and Refugee Roundup Students should note the details of the opening scene sequence: music, the turning globe, voice-over narration (which has the sound of an old newsreel), and the reference to the "refugee trail." Call their attention to the archival footage that comes just before the camera tilts (a vertical pan) to take in the busy street scene in Casablanca. Director Michael Curtiz was known for his attention to mise-en-scene details and elaborate sets. This film does not disappoint in that regard. Pause the film and ask students what the details add. Note also that the problem of stolen transit documents is introduced in the opening sequence. The search for these documents will continue throughout the film. Ask students to note what kinds of information they get in the exposition. If students have seen Triumph of the Will, ask them to compare and contrast the plane sequence at the beginning of Casablanca(where the Nazis arrive) to the arrival of Hitler's plane in Nuremberg. While I cannot say with any certainty, it does seem to me that the feature film is indebted to the documentary. There are just too many similarities. Rick's Café Americain Call attention, again, to the details of setting. Note Bogart's first appearance, about 9 minutes into the film. Why is he revealed in a slow vertical pan? Students should note that Curtiz uses the conversations of others and interesting camera angles to create suspense about Rick-who becomes a force in the film even before he stands up. Ugarte through the Introduction of Capt. Renault, Viktor Laszlo, and Ilsa Let the film run from Rick's confrontation with the man at the door of the casino to the arrival of the Laszlos. Students should listen carefully to the conversation between Rick and Ugarte. What does Sam's Knock on Wood add to the atmosphere in the café? Students may become aware at this point that things threaten from the outside but inside the cafe the mood is light-except for Rick (who is unrelentingly grim). Ask students to identify the film elements that create this light mood-music, laughter, elaborate costumes, etc. These are all important scene details and important elements to consider in film analysis. If students miss it, call attention to Rick's seriousness. It is this contrast (to the light mood of others) that Curtiz wants us to see. Rick is a wounded man. The conversation between Capt. Renault and Rick is the first of many humorous (in a sardonic way) exchanges. It is here that "sticking my neck out for nobody" is pronounced a "wise foreign policy." Let students know that Rick's position parallels the position of the U.S. before our entry into the battle theater in Europe. Rick is, in a sense, an isolate-as a country, the U.S. was isolationist. Medium shots predominate until Lisa and Viktor arrive. Curtiz then transitions to tight reaction shots. Note also that when the Laszlos arrive it is Sam's song-As Time Goes By-that pulls Rick into the frame with them. Paris Sequence Once again, attend to the details of character and scene throughout this sequence. The Paris flashback is not just a dreamy recollection of what Rick and Ilsa said and did in Paris. Important information is delivered here. Curtiz employs a montage technique in this sequence. Ask students to identify its beginning and end and discuss its formal qualities-lighting, edits, camera angles, props. Why is it raining as Rick's train pulls out? And why doesn't it rain elsewhere in the Paris sequence? The director made decisions about even the smallest details. Competition: The Two Anthems Ask students to note carefully how this section of the film develops. (We are now past the mid-point of the movie.) What kind of a man is Viktor Laszlo? What is the evidence for the kind of man he is? (You might want to ask this question of all the principals.) Has Rick changed since he entered the film? Why does Rick continue to hold on to the transit documents rather than giving them to Laszlo? How is Rick's Casablanca girlfriend-the woman previously escorted from the bar--redeemed in the anthem scene? She might be considered a collaborator. What is the effect of her shouting "Viva la France!" at the end of the singing? Why is this entire scene so emotional? Ending: from Ilsa's Plea to "A Beautiful Friendship" Talk with students about the film noir techniques used throughout these late scenes. What do they add? Some critics have suggested that the horizontal and vertical shadow bars are suggestive of the Free French symbol (the croix de Lorraine, a vertical bar and two horizontal bars, the top bar slightly shorter than the bottom). Note the techniques used by Curtiz to create suspense: camera movement, music, shadows, darkness, mist, cutaways (in particular, of Maj. Strasser en route to the airport). Are students surprised when Rick kills Strasser? Ask students to provide details of how Louie and Rick redeem themselves. As they walk into the night, is there any suggestion of what they will undertake? What is the role of humor at the film's closing? Suggestion: If you can find the Anniversary Edition of Casablanca (2003, Warner Video) go to the 2nd disk and show Carrotblanca, the Looney Tunes send-up of the film. It will provide many opportunities for class discussion-and it's a terrific reward for students who sit through a 105-minute black and white film from 1942.

Ethics and Film: Messages, Themes, and Techniques Module 1: Part I – Triumph of the Will; Part II - Casablanca

by Magaret Haun, PhD

Background

In a September 2007, American Film Institute special on the top 100 films of the 20th century, director Peter Bogdanovich said that there is no more iconic American film than Michael Curtiz's Casablanca. Certainly the movie has become part of the collective memory of film viewers in this country: the storyline, music, acting, memorable lines, and cinematography make Casablanca irresistible, even for younger 21st century audiences.

There are at least two ironies in the film's having become the quintessential American movie. First, a product of the old Hollywood studio system, Casablanca was only one of many films cranked out in the early 1940s by Warner Bros.--and thus, there were no great expectations for it. Jack Warner hoped to capitalize on the success of an earlier Hedy Lamar film called Algiers. Warner and producer Hall Wallis bought an unproduced play called Everyone Comes to Rick's,changed the name to the more exotic-sounding Casablanca,and hoped for the best. What happened, of course, was beyond their wildest dreams.

The second irony in Casablanca's enormous success, as a peculiarly American film, is that Humphrey Bogart was the only American in the list of well-known actors who appear in the movie. Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa Laszlo) was Swedish; Paul Henreid (Viktor Laszlo) was Austrian; Claude Rains (Capt. Louie Renault) was British; and Peter Lorre (Ugarte) Hungarian. Director Michael Curtiz was also Hungarian. The principals associated with this iconic American film, then, formed a cosmopolitan and diverse group.

The storyline of Casablancadraws heavily from history and students will need some background in geography, as well as WWII alliances and events, for a full appreciation of the film. It is important that they understand that Casablanca is a port city in Morocco (at the time of the movie, French Morocco), an area controlled by the French Vichy government, a rogue administration controlled, in turn, by the Third Reich and reviled by the French Resistance. The name of this puppet government-Vichy-stems from the fact that its seat was located in Vichy, France. That Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt) moves through the film with so much authority is a function of the Vichy reach into North Africa. And while France was said to have "occupied" and "unoccupied" areas, the entire country was, in reality, under Vichy or Nazi control from 1940 to 1944. Under the leadership of Gen. Charles de Gaulle there was an active resistance to the Nazis, called Free French. The chief Resistance fighter and strategist in the film is Ilsa's husband, Viktor Laszlo, who, in spite of being cuckolded by Ilsa, is vitally important to the pan-European effort to break the Nazi war machine.

As the film begins, we learn that people from across Europe have come to Casablanca hoping to escape the Nazis. Casablanca is not a final destination but rather a stop on the way to Portugal and finally the United States. Rick's Café Americain is a popular eating and drinking place for the various groups residing in Casablanca--Vichy collaborators, refugees, Resistance fighters, and Nazis. Rick himself finds little satisfaction in anything. He "puts his neck out for no one," Captain Renault says. Rick's early interest is self-preservation, not the war effort. Even so, he is enormously respected and trusted. As a consequence, he receives much-coveted transit papers from Ugarte (a Spanish Resistance fighter) just before Ugarte is killed by Nazi and Vichy police. These papers are what bring Viktor and Ilsa Laszlo to Casablanca.

Shortly after they arrive in Casablanca, Ilsa and Viktor end up at Rick's "gin joint." Ilsa and Rick, who fell in love during Ilsa's temporary (and largely unexplained) Paris exile (rendered in flashback), reconnect. The plot to get Viktor to Portugal and then to the U.S. picks up from the point of the Rick-Ilsa reconnection. By the end of the film, Rick has given up any claim to Ilsa and committed himself to the Resistance effort. In the film's final scene, he and Louie Renault walk into the mist, having given themselves over to the same important cause. They are both redeemed.

Viewing Notes for Casablanca
Foreword and Refugee Roundup
Students should note the details of the opening scene sequence: music, the turning globe, voice-over narration (which has the sound of an old newsreel), and the reference to the "refugee trail." Call their attention to the archival footage that comes just before the camera tilts (a vertical pan) to take in the busy street scene in Casablanca. Director Michael Curtiz was known for his attention to mise-en-scene details and elaborate sets. This film does not disappoint in that regard. Pause the film and ask students what the details add. Note also that the problem of stolen transit documents is introduced in the opening sequence. The search for these documents will continue throughout the film. Ask students to note what kinds of information they get in the exposition. If students have seen Triumph of the Will, ask them to compare and contrast the plane sequence at the beginning of Casablanca(where the Nazis arrive) to the arrival of Hitler's plane in Nuremberg. While I cannot say with any certainty, it does seem to me that the feature film is indebted to the documentary. There are just too many similarities.

Rick's Café Americain
Call attention, again, to the details of setting. Note Bogart's first appearance, about 9 minutes into the film. Why is he revealed in a slow vertical pan? Students should note that Curtiz uses the conversations of others and interesting camera angles to create suspense about Rick-who becomes a force in the film even before he stands up.

Ugarte through the Introduction of Capt. Renault, Viktor Laszlo, and Ilsa
Let the film run from Rick's confrontation with the man at the door of the casino to the arrival of the Laszlos. Students should listen carefully to the conversation between Rick and Ugarte. What does Sam's Knock on Wood add to the atmosphere in the café? Students may become aware at this point that things threaten from the outside but inside the cafe the mood is light-except for Rick (who is unrelentingly grim). Ask students to identify the film elements that create this light mood-music, laughter, elaborate costumes, etc. These are all important scene details and important elements to consider in film analysis. If students miss it, call attention to Rick's seriousness. It is this contrast (to the light mood of others) that Curtiz wants us to see. Rick is a wounded man. The conversation between Capt. Renault and Rick is the first of many humorous (in a sardonic way) exchanges. It is here that "sticking my neck out for nobody" is pronounced a "wise foreign policy." Let students know that Rick's position parallels the position of the U.S. before our entry into the battle theater in Europe. Rick is, in a sense, an isolate-as a country, the U.S. was isolationist. Medium shots predominate until Lisa and Viktor arrive. Curtiz then transitions to tight reaction shots. Note also that when the Laszlos arrive it is Sam's song-As Time Goes By-that pulls Rick into the frame with them.

Paris Sequence
Once again, attend to the details of character and scene throughout this sequence. The Paris flashback is not just a dreamy recollection of what Rick and Ilsa said and did in Paris. Important information is delivered here. Curtiz employs a montage technique in this sequence. Ask students to identify its beginning and end and discuss its formal qualities-lighting, edits, camera angles, props. Why is it raining as Rick's train pulls out? And why doesn't it rain elsewhere in the Paris sequence? The director made decisions about even the smallest details.

Competition: The Two Anthems
Ask students to note carefully how this section of the film develops. (We are now past the mid-point of the movie.) What kind of a man is Viktor Laszlo? What is the evidence for the kind of man he is? (You might want to ask this question of all the principals.) Has Rick changed since he entered the film? Why does Rick continue to hold on to the transit documents rather than giving them to Laszlo? How is Rick's Casablanca girlfriend-the woman previously escorted from the bar--redeemed in the anthem scene? She might be considered a collaborator. What is the effect of her shouting "Viva la France!" at the end of the singing? Why is this entire scene so emotional?

Ending: from Ilsa's Plea to "A Beautiful Friendship"
Talk with students about the film noir techniques used throughout these late scenes. What do they add? Some critics have suggested that the horizontal and vertical shadow bars are suggestive of the Free French symbol (the croix de Lorraine, a vertical bar and two horizontal bars, the top bar slightly shorter than the bottom).

Note the techniques used by Curtiz to create suspense: camera movement, music, shadows, darkness, mist, cutaways (in particular, of Maj. Strasser en route to the airport).

Are students surprised when Rick kills Strasser? Ask students to provide details of how Louie and Rick redeem themselves. As they walk into the night, is there any suggestion of what they will undertake? What is the role of humor at the film's closing?
Suggestion: If you can find the Anniversary Edition of Casablanca (2003, Warner Video) go to the 2nd disk and show Carrotblanca, the Looney Tunes send-up of the film. It will provide many opportunities for class discussion-and it's a terrific reward for students who sit through a 105-minute black and white film from 1942.